Tricholoma

Notes

Spore print white. Medium to large-sized, robust, fleshy mushrooms, cap smooth or with small fine scales, stalk entral with no ring, gills adnexed (notched near stalk), always on soil.
Tricholoma species are ectomycorrhizal, always found on the soil close to their host trees. The indigenous species are confined to either Nothofagus forests or to stands of tea-tree.
Only 3 indigenous species have been described, the pale brownish to buff, tough-stalked T. bubalinum, the greenish T. viridiolivaceum, and the less common, orange-brown T. elegens. There may be other undescribed native species. Several exotic species have been introduced along with their mycorrhizal hosts, including members of the T. pessundatum and T. terreum groups under pines, and the European larch-associated T. psamopus.
Other large, white-spored mushrooms on soil include Russula (gills not notched, flesh rittle, snapping when bent), Lactarius (similar to Russula but with latex oozing from flesh where damaged), Amanita (often with a ring on stalk and a separate sack-like layer at base of stalk, usually with scales on cap), and Collybia (smaller, tough stalk).

 

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Images		NZFungi Entry

Tricholoma viridiolivaceum
A greenish species, with a fishy or soapy smell. Found under Nothofagus and tea tree.

Tricholoma pessundatum
Tricholoma albobrunneum and Tricholoma pessendatum have both been recorded under pines from New Zealand, but these species are often included in the 'pessendatum group species' and the New Zealand collections may represent a single species.