Leucopaxillus is a genus of fairly large white-spored gilled mushrooms which are found worldwide growing on the ground in woodlands. These are saprotrophs, but may sometimes be ectomycorrhizal. Less than ten species of Leucopaxillus are known to grow in North America. No species of Leucopaxillus are known to be poisonous, but they do not have an appealing taste or texture. The widespread genus contains about 15 species.
Members of Leucopaxillus are medium-sized to large, have a dry convex to depressed cap, an inrolled margin when young, lack a partial veil and have tough flesh. They have white or yellowish gills which can come off in a layer, leaving the underside of the cap smooth. The spores are white, amyloid and spiny. These mushrooms often smell bad and can be mistaken for Tricholoma and Clitocybe, but mushrooms in those genera are more fragile and rot more quickly. Members of Leucopaxillus have antibiotics which make the mushrooms persist much longer than most, making them appear to be more common than they actually are.
Species Image Name Taxon Author(s) Year Leucopaxillus agrippinae Buda, Consiglio, Setti & Vizzini 2012 Leucopaxillus albissimus (Peck) Singer 1939Leucopaxillus alboalutaceus (F.H. Møller & Jul. Schäff.) F.H. Møller 1954 Leucopaxillus baeospermus Kühner 1954 Leucopaxillus brasiliensis (Rick) Singer & A.H. Sm. 1943 Leucopaxillus brunneiflavidus Corner 1994 Leucopaxillus cerealis (Lasch) Singer 1962 Leucopaxillus compactus (P. Karst.) Neuhoff 1958 Leucopaxillus cutefractus Noordel. 1984 Leucopaxillus garinii Bidaud 1993Leucopaxillus gentianeus (Quél.) Kotl. 1966Leucopaxillus gracillimus Singer & A.H. Sm. 1943 Leucopaxillus gratus Corner 1994 Leucopaxillus guernisacii (P. Crouan & H. Crouan) Bon 1978Leucopaxillus laterarius (Peck) Singer & A.H. Sm. 1943 Leucopaxillus lentus (H. Post) Singer 1943 Leucopaxillus lilacinus Bougher 1987 Leucopaxillus malayanus Corner 1994 Leucopaxillus malenconii Bon 1990 Leucopaxillus masakanus Pegler 1977 Leucopaxillus monticola (Singer & A.H. Sm.) Bon 1990 Leucopaxillus nauseosodulcis (P. Karst.) Singer & A.H. Sm. 1943 Leucopaxillus otagoensis G. Stev. 1964 Leucopaxillus paradoxus (Costantin & L.M. Dufour) Boursier 1925 Leucopaxillus patagonicus Singer 1954 Leucopaxillus peronatus Corner 1994 Leucopaxillus phaeopus (J. Favre & Poluzzi) Bon 1987 Leucopaxillus piceinus (Peck) Pomerl. 1980 Leucopaxillus pinicola J. Favre 1960 Leucopaxillus pseudoacerbus (Costantin & L.M. Dufour) Boursier 1925 Leucopaxillus pseudogambosus Pilát 1966 Leucopaxillus pulcherrimus (Peck) Singer & A.H. Sm. 1943 Leucopaxillus rickii Singer 1954 Leucopaxillus stenosporus A. Favre 2007 Leucopaxillus subcerasus Corner 1994 Leucopaxillus tricolor (Peck) Kühner 1926 Leucopaxillus vulpeculus (Kalchbr.) Bon 1978
See also List of Tricholomataceae genera
References
External links Mushroom Expert - The Genus Leucopaxillus - Includes Key
Further reading Singer R, Smith AH. (1943). A monograph on the genus Leucopaxillus Boursier. Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science 28: 85–132. online at the HathiTrust Digital Library Singer R, Smith AH. (1947). Additional notes on the genus Leucopaxillus. Mycologia 39: 725–736.