Hypholoma fasciculare

Hypholoma fasciculare Scientific classification Kingdom: Fungi Division: Basidiomycota Class: Agaricomycetes Order: Agaricales Family: Strophariaceae Genus: Hypholoma Species: H. fasciculare Binomial name Hypholoma fasciculare (Huds.:Fr.) P. Kumm. Synonyms Naematoloma fasciculare Nematoloma fasciculare Hypholoma fasciculare Mycological characteristics gills on hymenium cap is convex hymenium is free stipe has a ring spore print is brown ecology is saprotrophic edibility: poisonous

Hypholoma fasciculare, commonly known as the sulphur tuft, sulfur tuft or clustered woodlover, is a common woodland mushroom, often in evidence when hardly any other mushrooms are to be found. This small gill fungus grows prolifically in large clumps on stumps, dead roots or rotting trunks of broadleaved trees.

The Sulphur Tuft is bitter and poisonous; consuming it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions. The principal toxic constituents have been named fasciculol E and fasciculol F.^[1]

Taxonomy and naming

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin fascicularis 'in bundles' or 'clustered',^[2] referring to its habit of growing in clumps. Its name in Japanese is Nigakuritake (苦栗茸, means "Bitter kuritake").

Description

The hemispherical cap can reach 6 cm (2⅓ in) diameter. It is smooth and sulphur yellow with an orange-brown centre and whitish margin. The crowded gills are initially yellow but darken to a distinctive green colour as the blackish spores develop on the yellow flesh. It has a purple brown spore print.^[3] The stipe is up to 10 cm (4 in) tall and 1 cm (⅓ in) wide, light yellow, orange-brown below, often with an indistinct ring zone coloured dark by the spores. The taste is very bitter, though not bitter when cooked, but still poisonous.

Distribution and habitat

Hypholoma fasciculare grows prolifically on the dead wood of both deciduous and coniferous trees. It is more commonly found on decaying deciduous wood due to the lower lignin content of this wood relative to coniferous wood. Hypholoma fasciculare is widespread and abundant in northern Europe and North America. It has been recorded from Iran,^[4] and also eastern Anatolia in Turkey.^[5] It can appear anytime from spring to autumn.^[3]

Toxicity

Symptoms may be delayed for 5–10 hours after consumption, after which time there may be diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, proteinuria and collapse. Paralysis and impaired vision have been recorded. Symptoms generally resolve over a few days. The autopsy of one fatality revealed fulminant hepatitis reminiscent of amatoxin poisoning, along with involvement of kidneys and myocardium. The mushroom was consumed in a dish with other species so the death cannot be attributed to sulfur tuft with certainty.^[6]

Gallery

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  Hypholoma fasciculare

References

1. ^ Giftpflanzen.com
2. ^ Simpson, D.P. (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5 ed.). London: Cassell Ltd.. p. 883. ISBN 0-304-52257-0. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Nilsson, Sven & Persson, Olle (1977). Fungi of Northern Europe 2: Gill-Fungi. Penguin, New York. ISBN 0-14-063-006-6. 
4. ^ Asef Shayan, M.R. (2010) (in Persian). قارچهای سمی ایران (Qarch-ha-ye Sammi-ye Iran) [Poisonous mushrooms of Iran]. Iran shenasi. p. 214. ISBN 978-964-2725-29-8. 
5. ^ Demirel K, Uzun Y, Kaya A (2004). "Some Poisonous Fungi of East Anatolia" (PDF). Turk J Bot 28: 215–19. http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/botany/issues/bot-04-28-1-2/bot-28-1-2-23-0207-2.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
6. ^ Benjamin, Denis R. (1995). Mushrooms: poisons and panaceas — a handbook for naturalists, mycologists and physicians. New York: WH Freeman and Company. pp. 381–82. ISBN 0-7167-2600-9.