Toxic
Livid pinkgill
Entoloma sinuatum
The character that does the work
Pink spore print in a large, handsome, ring-less pale mushroom that smells of flour.
The specimen sheet, in examination order
01Cap
6 to 20 cm, ivory to pale grey-brown, smooth, silky, with a wavy margin when mature.
02Underside
Gills pale yellow when young, turning SALMON PINK as the spores mature.
03Stem, and the base
Stout, white, fibrous, no ring.
04Flesh, cut
White, firm.
05Spore print
Pink to salmon
How to take one06Where it grows
Broadleaf woodland on heavy soils, especially with oak and beech.
07Smell
Strongly mealy, of fresh flour or cucumber.
When to look
Typically Jul to Oct in the northern hemisphere. Fruiting swings by weeks with rainfall and by a month or more with latitude, so this is when to look rather than when it will be there.
Europe and eastern North America.
What is worth knowing about it
Sometimes called the livid agaric, and responsible for a large share of serious poisonings in Europe. It is big, clean and inviting, and it grows where people look for St George's mushroom. Symptoms can last for days and can require hospital treatment.
Confused with
- St George's mushroom
- Miller
- Clouded funnel
This page tells you what to check. It does not tell you the mushroom in your hand is that species, and it cannot. If you are not certain, do not eat it. If you have already eaten something and feel unwell, contact a poison centre and keep an uncooked specimen.
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