Tricholoma terreum

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***Tricholoma terreum***, commonly known as the **grey knight** or **dirty tricholoma**, is a grey-capped mushroom of the large genus *Tricholoma*. It is found in coniferous woodlands in Europe, and has also been encountered under introduced pine trees in Australia. It was historically regarded as edible, but in 2014, scientists discovered that it may be poisonous.

## Taxonomy

The fungus was originally described as *Agaricus terreus* by Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1762, and as *Agaricus myomyces* by mycologist Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1794. It was given its current binomial name by German Paul Kummer in 1871. It is commonly known as the grey knight from its discoloured gills.

Almost all modern sources consider *Tricholoma myomyces* to be a synonym of *T. terreum*, but there are some exceptions. Bon mentions that *T. myomyces* has been defined for lowland mushrooms with white gills and a fleecy cap and Courtecuisse separates it on the same basis. Moser distinguished *T. myomyces* on the basis that the gills should go yellow.

## Description

The cap is 4–7 cm (1.6–2.6 in) wide and evenly covered in fine grey scales. Convex with a slight boss, it is broadly conical in shape. The whitish stipe is 3–8 cm (1.2–3.2 in) high and 1.5 cm wide and has no ring. There is no ring or volva. The whitish flesh is thin, easily broken, and has a pleasant mild (not mealy) smell and taste. The widely spaced and uneven gills are free (unattached to the stipe). The spore print is white, the oval spores 6–7 μm long by 3.5-4.4 μm wide.

It could be confused with the larger (and poisonous) *T. pardinum* has a mealy smell and cap scales; the edible *T. orirubens* has fine dark scales and pinkish gills.

## Distribution and habitat

*Tricholoma terreum* is found in Europe, where fruiting bodies appear under conifers, particularly pine and spruce, from late summer to late autumn. They may also arise in parks near these trees, and grow in fairy rings. They are generally in quite densely populated groups though not bunched. It has been recorded growing under exotic *Pinus radiata* plantations in Australia.

## Edibility

With a mild taste, the species used to be regarded as a good edible. It is seen in markets in France, along with *Clitocybe nebularis* and *Tricholoma portentosum*. However, some authorities recommend that inexperienced pickers avoid all grey tricholomas. Recent chemical tests show that this species may contain toxins which can cause rhabdomyolysis.

## See also

* List of North American *Tricholoma*
* List of *Tricholoma* species

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fatal toxins found in 'edible' wild mushrooms
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Template:Cite book
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Template:Cite book
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `SF1`
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6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Dyntaxa`
7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Bessette 2013`
8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Bon`
9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Courtecuisse`
10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Moser`
11. ↑ Template:Cite book
12. ↑ Grey, Ed and Pat (2006). FNCV FUNGI GROUP FORAY: LERDEGERG RIVER WALK, JACK CANN RESERVE, BLACKWOOD, 2 July 2006. *Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne website- fungimap section*. Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved on February 21, 2009.
13. ↑ Template:Cite book
14. ↑ Template:Cite book

## External links

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