Clitocybe tarda explained

Clitocybe tarda is a species of mushroom. It has a brownish pink cap with a smooth surface, the flesh is thin and brittle, and the cap tastes bitter. The stalk is slender and smooth. The spore print is pinkish gray. It is unknown if the species is edible, but it does not have a pleasant taste.^[1]

The caps are 2–8 cm wide, and brownish closer to the center. The pale gills usually become more decurrent with age. The stalks are 2–6 long and 3–8 mm wide, sometimes with clusters of pale tomentum.^[2] Clusters of this species can be found in areas that are used for agriculture or filled with grass.^[3]

The 1896 Report of the New York State Botanist wrote that the mushroom should be called Clitopilus tardus.^[4] Clitocybe tarda is possibly a synonym of Lepista sordida.^[5] It resembles Collybia nuda and Collybia brunneocephala.

Notes and References

1. Book: H. McKnight, Kent . A Field Guide to Mushrooms of North America . 1987 . Houghton Mifflin Company . 0-395-42101-2 . 145.
2. Book: Davis. R. Michael. Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Sommer. Robert. Menge. John A.. University of California Press. 2012. 978-0-520-95360-4. Berkeley. 152–153. 797915861.
3. Book: Trudell. Steve. Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Ammirati. Joe. Timber Press. 2009. 978-0-88192-935-5. Portland, OR. 95.
4. Book: Report of the New York State Botanist . Report of the New York State Botanist . 1896 . Harvard University . 167 . February 13, 2012.
5. Book: Desjardin . Dennis E. . California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide . Wood . Michael G. . Stevens . Frederick A. . 978-1-60469-660-8 . 157–158 . 2014000925 . 951644583.