Soap-scented toadstool

Appearance

''Tricholoma saponaceum'' has a convex cap with a vague umbo up to 9 or 10 cm across, which flattens with age. The colour is highly variable, with greyish, greenish, olive, yellowish and brownish shades reported. The cap is paler at the margin and fades with age. The widely spaced gills are adnexed and whitish, although may be tinted pale green and bruise pink. The stipe lacks a ring and can be swollen in its midriff, and measures 4–11 cm tall by 1–3 cm wide. A key distinguishing feature in the western United States is an orange-pink colour at the stipe's base. The spore print is white, and the oval smooth spores measure 5–6 × 3–4 μm. The odour is distinctive and has been likened to newly scrubbed floors or soap.

Its gills may lead it to being confused with ''Hygrophorus'' species.

Distribution

''Tricholoma saponaceum'' is a terrestrial mushroom found in Europe and North America. It is abundant in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. It is found in coniferous and deciduous woodlands from late summer to late autumn. Spruce, live oak, tanoak, and madrone are species it can be associated with in the western United States. It is associated with oak in Central and southern Europe.

Habitat

''Tricholoma saponaceum'' is a terrestrial mushroom found in Europe and North America. It is abundant in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. It is found in coniferous and deciduous woodlands from late summer to late autumn. Spruce, live oak, tanoak, and madrone are species it can be associated with in the western United States. It is associated with oak in Central and southern Europe.

Defense

Bland or mild tasting, the fungus is usually classified as inedible or possibly mildly poisonous in guidebooks.