Oak-loving Collybia

Description:

This little mushroom, listed in older field guides as Collybia dryophila, qualifies as the weed of the North American mushroom world, in my opinion; it is everywhere, all the time. Its distinguishing features include its greasy, tawny or tan cap; its attached, crowded, white gills; the absence of a partial veil; and its white spore print. ( http://www.mushroomexpert.com/gymnopus_d... )

Habitat:

location: North America, Europe edibility: Poisonous/Suspect fungus colour: Red or redish or pink, Brown normal size: Less than 5cm cap type: Convex to shield shaped stem type: Simple stem flesh: Flesh fibrous usually pliable (like grass) spore colour: White, cream or yellowish habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground, Grows on wood Oak-loving Collybia Waldrübling Collybie des chênes Russet Toughshank Collybia dryophila (Bull. ex Fr.) Kummer syn. Gymnopus dryophilus (Bull.: Fr.)Murrill Cap 2.5-5cm across, convex and then flat, margin inrolled; ochre-brown to reddish or pale tan; smooth, dry. Gills adnate, crowded, narrow; white to pallid, not staining. Stem 10-70 x 1.5-5mm, smooth, brittle; reddish brown to ochre, paler at base, which is bristly-hairy. Flesh very thin; white. Odor not distinctive. Taste not distinctive. Spores ellipsoid, smooth, 5-6 x 2-3µ. Deposit white. Habitat usually gregarious, under both oak and pine. Rather common. Found in most of North America. Season May-November. Edible but not worthwhile (see Comment). Comment This species has recently been split into several distinct species, including the usually spring fruiting Collybia subsulphurea (Pk.) Bull., which differs in the general sulphur-yellow color of its fruit body and in possessing rhizomorphs, which are pinkish buff at the stem base; the gills may be white or yellow. In view of the confusion in this species it is recommended that it not be eaten ( http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/D... )

Notes:

Medicinal properties Antiinflammatory activity One study extracted a β-glucan (MW=1.237 x 106 Da) consisting of (1→3) and (1→4) glucosidic linkages and named Collybia dryophila polysaccharide (CDP). CDP was shown to strongly inhibit nitric oxide production in activated macrophages, suggesting that this polysaccharide displays a potential anti-inflammatory activity (Pacheco-Sanchez et al., 2006). The effect of CDP was evaluated on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and gamma interferon (IFNγ) or by LPS alone in RAW 264.7 cells. CDP significantly inhibited NO production in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cell viability. The inhibition of NO by CDP was consistent with decreases in both inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein and mRNA expression suggesting that CDP exerts its effect by inhibiting iNOS gene expression. In addition, CDP at concentrations of 400 and 800 µg/ml was shown to significantly increase prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in LPS- and IFNγ-induced macrophages when compared to the control (Pacheco-Sanchez et al., 2007). ( http://healing-mushrooms.net/archives/gy... ), ( http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Gymno... ) ( http://www.mycobank.org/MycoTaxo.aspx?Li... )