Paxillus involutus, the common roll-rim, is a
fungus widely distributed across the
Northern Hemisphere; it has also been unintentionally
introduced to Australia, New Zealand, and South America. The brownish
fruit body grows up to 6 cm (2.4 in) high. It has a funnel-shaped
cap up to 12 cm (5 in) wide with a distinctive in-rolled rim and
decurrent gills close to the
stalk. Genetic testing suggests that the fungus may be a
species complex rather than a single species. A common mushroom of
deciduous and
coniferous woods and grassy areas in late summer and autumn, P. involutus is
symbiotic with the roots of many tree species, reducing the trees' intake of
heavy metals and increasing their resistance to pathogens. Previously considered
edible and eaten widely in Eastern and Central Europe, the mushroom has been found to be dangerously
poisonous; in 1944, it killed the German
mycologistJulius Schäffer. It can trigger the
immune system to attack red blood cells with potentially fatal complications, including acute
renal and
respiratory failure.Photograph:
Petar Milošević
Paxillus involutus, the common roll-rim, is a
fungus widely distributed across the
Northern Hemisphere; it has also been unintentionally
introduced to Australia, New Zealand, and South America. The brownish
fruit body grows up to 6 cm (2.4 in) high. It has a funnel-shaped
cap up to 12 cm (5 in) wide with a distinctive in-rolled rim and
decurrent gills close to the
stalk. Genetic testing suggests that the fungus may be a
species complex rather than a single species. A common mushroom of
deciduous and
coniferous woods and grassy areas in late summer and autumn, P. involutus is
symbiotic with the roots of many tree species, reducing the trees' intake of
heavy metals and increasing their resistance to pathogens. Previously considered
edible and eaten widely in Eastern and Central Europe, the mushroom has been found to be dangerously
poisonous; in 1944, it killed the German
mycologistJulius Schäffer. It can trigger the
immune system to attack red blood cells with potentially fatal complications, including acute
renal and
respiratory failure.Photograph:
Petar Milošević