| Clitocybe amoenolens | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Subclass: | Hymenomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Tricholomataceae |
| Genus: | Clitocybe |
| Species: | C. amoenolens |
| Binomial name | |
| Clitocybe amoenolens Malençon |
|
| Clitocybe amoenolens | |
|---|---|
| Mycological characteristics | |
| gills on hymenium | |
| cap is depressed | |
| stipe is bare | |
| spore print is white | |
| ecology is saprotrophic | |
| edibility: poisonous | |
Clitocybe amoenolens, commonly known as the paralysis funnel,[1] is an agaric fungus of the large genus Clitocybe. It was originally described from Morocco in 1975 by the French mycologist Malençon. It was discovered to be poisonous after several people had consumed specimens all found in the alpine Maurienne valley in the Savoie department over three years. They had mistaken it for the edible common funnel cap (C. gibba) or Lepista inversa.[2]
A similar species from Japan, C. acromelalga, known as the poison dwarf bamboo mushroom, had been discovered to be poisonous in 1918.[3]
The resulting syndrome of fungus-induced erythromelalgia lasted from 8 days to 5 months, although one person exhibited symptoms for three years.[4]