Clitocybe Nuda

October 19, 2018

Clitocybe nuda, a common saprobic mushroom growing on duff or woodchips, is a desired edible.

Figure 1. A) Clamp connections are present on hyphae (400x). B) Specimen in the field, growing under oak and white pine. C) Spores are ellipsoid, unpigmented. D) Habitat of specimen.

Clitocybe nuda (Bull.) H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm., Blewit, PLP847_2018_359

Clitocybe nuda, a common saprobic mushroom growing on duff or woodchips, is a desired edible. It it characterized by a faint lilac or purple color and a light brown spore print. This species has previously been placed in 6 other genera (Agaricus (Bull. 1790), Cortinarius (Gray 1821), Lepista (Cooke 1871), Tricholoma (P. Kumm. 1871; Rick 1961), Gyrophila (Quél. 1886), and Rhodopaxillus (Maire 1913). C. nuda has interesting special metabolites, such as indole-3-carbaldehyde, which has been shown to inhibit spore germination of Phytophtora capsica (Chen et al. 2012). The extract of the mushroom has also been shown to inhibit growth of several important bacterial and fungal pathogens (Suay et al. 2000). Researchers also report impact on sugar and lipid metabolism by ingestion of the water extract of C. nuda (Chen et al. 2014).

This specimen was collected on the Smith Foray, outside of Mazomanie, WI. The cap is brown with a slight purple tinge, about 8 cm, and sticky but not slimy. The stipe appears violet and is shorter than the cap is wide. Spores are nonpigmented, ellipsoid, about 8 x 4.5 μm. The context is whitish-purple and the odor slightly fragrant.

Clitocybe nuda Figure 2 — Figure 2. Specimen cut to reveal color of context.

Division: Basiomycota
Subdivision: Agaricomycotina
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Tricholomataceae
Site: 43.224501,-89.8007733

References:

Chen MH, Lin CH, Shih CC. Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of Clitocybe nuda on glucose transporter 4 and AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in high-fat-fed mice. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2014;2014.
Chen JT, Su HJ, Huang JW. Isolation and identification of secondary metabolites of Clitocybe nuda responsible for inhibition of zoospore germination of Phytophthora capsici. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 2012 Jul 17;60(30):7341-4.
Suay I, Arenal F, Asensio FJ, Basilio A, Cabello MA, Díez MT, García JB, Del Val AG, Gorrochategui J, Hernández P, Peláez F. Screening of basidiomycetes for antimicrobial activities. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. 2000 Aug 1;78(2):129-40.