What is "tricholoma"

Tricholoma is a genus of fungus that contains a large number of fairly fleshy white-spored gilled mushrooms which are found worldwide generally growing in woodlands. These are ectomycorrhizal fungi, existing in a symbiotic relationship with various species of coniferous or broad-leaved trees. The generic name derives from the Greek trichos (τριχος) meaning hair and loma (λωμα) meaning fringe or border, although only a few species (such as T. vaccinum) have shaggy caps which fit this description.

Some well-known species are the East Asian Tricholoma matsutake, also known as " matsutake" or songi, and the North American species Tricholoma magnivelare, also known as "ponderosa mushroom", "American matsutake", or " Pine mushroom". Some are safe to eat, yet there are a few poisonous members, such as T. pardinum, T. tigrinum and T. equestre.

Many species originally described within Tricholoma have since been moved to other genera. These include the Wood blewit ( Clitocybe nuda), previously Tricholoma nudum, blewit ( Clitocybe saeva), previously Tricholoma personatum, and St George's mushroom ( Calocybe gambosa) previously Tricholoma gambosum.