Paralepistopsis acromelalga

Paralepistopsis acromelalga is a basidiomycete fungus in the Tricholomataceae family. It was formerly classified as Clitocybe acromelalga.^[1]

Paralepistopsis acromelalga
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Tricholomataceae
Genus:	Paralepistopsis
Species:	P. acromelalga
Binomial name
Paralepistopsis acromelalga (Ichimura) Vizzini (2012)
Synonyms
Clitocybe acromelalga Ichimura (1918)

Paralepistopsis acromelalga Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is depressed
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is white
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is poisonous

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1918 by the mycologist T. Ichimura and classified as Clitocybe acromelalga.^[2]

The Paralepistopsis genus was created in 2012 by the Italian mycologist Alfredo Vizzini to better classify two rare toxic species formerly located in the Clitocybe genus and this species was subsequently reclassified.^[3]

Habitat and distribution

It has been found in Japan, South Korea and Mexico ^[3]

Toxicity

It was discovered to be poisonous in 1918, when symptoms of mushroom poisoning occurred within three days of consumption. It had been mistaken for the edible tawny funnel cap (Paralepista flaccida formerly Lepista flaccida).^[4]

Consumption of a related species, Paralepistopsis amoenolens, from France has resulted in the same condition.^[5][6]

That species is commonly known as the paralysis cap and has been shown to contain acromelic acids including acromelic acid A which is a potent neurotoxin with the chemical formula of C₁₃H₁₄N₂O₇ and is associated with causing paralysis and seizures^[7]