The Shield Pinkgill (Entoloma clypeatum) is one of the few pinkgills that fruits in spring. From April to June it appears under hawthorn, blackthorn, apple, plum and other trees of the rose family, in hedgerows, orchards, parks and gardens on rich soils. The grey-brown, streaky cap has a low umbo and pales as it dries, and the gills turn from greyish to pink as the pink spores mature.
It has a strong mealy smell. Its spring timing and rose-family host make it distinctive, but it can resemble the Livid Pinkgill (Entoloma sinuatum), which is seriously poisonous and has caused deaths. For that reason it should never be eaten without expert identification.
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Distribution
Widespread and rather common
Habitat
On rich soils
Etymology
Entoloma is from Greek entos, 'inside', and loma, 'fringe', after the inrolled cap margin typical of the genus. clypeatum is Latin for 'shield-like', after the cap shape.
Associates
Crataegus, Malus, Prunus
Cap
Cap 3-12 cm across, conical to bell-shaped with a low umbo and an inrolled margin. It is brown to dark brown, smooth with fine radial fibrils, and hygrophanous, so it is paler when dry.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Conical, Campanulate, Umbonate |
| Surface | Smooth, Hygrophanous, Fibrillose |
| Width | 3 - 12 cm |
| Margin | Inrolled |
Gills
Greyish at first, becoming pink as the spores mature; notched where they meet the stem.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Attachment | Sinuate |
| Spacing | subdistant |
Flesh
White and fairly thin, with a strong mealy smell.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Odour | Farinaceous-rancid |
| Taste | Farinaceous-rancid |
Stem
Stem 4-12 cm long and 5-20 mm wide, white to greyish-brown, fibrillose and striate, sometimes slightly flattened and with no ring. It sometimes forms fasciculate (tufted) groups.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Height | 4 - 12 cm |
| Width | 5 - 20 mm |
| Texture | Fibrillose |
Spores
The spores are isodiametric and smooth, 9-11.5 x 7.5-10 μm, usually with 5-7 angles.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Isodiametric |
| Ornamentation | Smooth |
| Size | 9-11.5 x 7.5-10 μm |
Microscopic Features
Clamp connections are present.
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- ↳ Order: Agaricales
- ↳ Family: Entolomataceae
- ↳ Genus: Entoloma
Synonyms
- Agaricus clypeatus L. ex Fr.
- Entoloma clypeatum (L. ex Fr.) P. Kumm.
Reference Sources
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
G. Kibby (2023) Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe Vol. 4. Geoffrey Kibby.
