Species details
Beech knight
Tricholoma sciodes
Poisonous
Photo: Lukas from London, England · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · License
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Description
A grey fibrous Tricholoma with a bossed cap, greyish gills, and bitter to acrid flesh; it causes gastrointestinal poisoning.
Identification features
The cap is 4–7 cm wide, grey and radially fibrous, often with a pink or violet tinge and a distinct boss. Gills start white and become greyish, sometimes with darker edges.
Identification checklist
Check the grey bossed radially fibrous cap, greying gills, beech habitat, and absence of yellow tones. FungiTrail does not recommend tasting.
How to separate similar species
Edible Tricholoma portentosum usually has yellowish tones on the gills or stem. T. virgatum is similarly grey but usually has a sharper pointed boss.
Habitat
Grows mainly with beech and in mixed woodland, mostly in autumn.
Fruiting period
September, October, November