Hebeloma gigaspermum

Hebeloma gigaspermum is a European species of mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae.

Hebeloma gigaspermum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Hymenogastraceae
Genus:	Hebeloma
Species:	H. gigaspermum
Binomial name
Hebeloma gigaspermum Gröger & Zschiesch.

Hebeloma gigaspermum Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex
	Hymenium is emarginate
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is brown
	Ecology is mycorrhizal
	Edibility is unknown

Taxonomy

The species Hebeloma gigaspermum was first described only in 1981^[1] and is very similar to the more well known Hebeloma sacchariolens (being placed in subsection Sacchariolentia of the genus). It is not uncommon in Northern Europe and until 1981 examples were probably simply considered to be H. sacchariolens.^[2]

The name gigaspermum means "giant-spored".

Description

It is an undistinguished clay brown or ochre mushroom with somewhat viscid cap, up to about 5 centimetres (2 inches) in diameter, and has a strong sweet odour which has been likened to orange blossom or amyl acetate.^[3]

Similar species

It is similar to H. sacchariolens, and according to one source can be distinguished by

• its ecology with willow and alder in boggy ground (as opposed to forests and gardens with broad-leaved trees in general), and
• its large spore size of 13–17 × 7–9 μm (as opposed to 11–14 × 6–8 μm).^[2]

As Hebeloma contains poisonous species, H. sacchariolens is not to be recommended for culinary use.^{[citation needed]}