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Hebeloma aminophilum

Hebeloma aminophilum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Hymenogastraceae
Genus: Hebeloma
Species: H. aminophilum
Binomial name
Hebeloma aminophilum
R.N.Hilton & O.K. Mill. (1987)
Hebeloma aminophilum
Mycological characteristics
gills on hymenium

cap is convex

or depressed

hymenium is adnate

or adnexed
stipe is bare

spore print is pink

to brown
ecology is saprotrophic
edibility: unknown

cap is convex

hymenium is adnate

spore print is pink

Hebeloma aminophilum, commonly known as the ghoul fungus, is a species of mushroom in the Hymenogastraceae family. Found in Western Australia, it gets its common name from the propensity of the fruiting bodies to spring out of decomposing animal remains. Its edibility is unknown.

The ghoul fungus was first described by mycologists R.N. Hilton and Orson K. Miller, Jr. in 1987. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek Hebe, "youth", and -loma, a fringe (pertaining to the fungal veil), referring to how the fungal veil is only seen in immature specimens. It gets its common name of ghoul fungus from its habit of growing around animal carcasses. The holotype collection consisted of about 100 specimens that were fruiting around the bones of a decomposing kangaroo carcass that had been dumped some months before.

The dull pinkish brown or cream cap is 3–11 cm (1.2–4.3 in) in diameter, convex initially before flattening out with age. There is a slight umbo, and the cap margin is inrolled when young. A thin white veil rapidly disappears in young mushrooms. The cap surface is sticky initially. The adnate (or sometimes adnexed) gills are pale pink to pinkish brown and up to 1 cm deep. With age, they can be encrusted with clumps of spores. The cylindrical stipe is 6.5–9 cm (2.6–3.5 in) high, 1–1.2 cm (0.4–0.5 in) in diameter and has a thickened base and lacks a ring. The thick flesh is cream or pale yellow, with a bitter taste and a stale smell. The spore print is pinkish brown, and the oval spores measure 8.5 by 4.9 μm. The mycelium is white.


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Wikipedia

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