Melanoleuca
| Melanoleuca | |
|---|---|
| Melanoleuca cognata | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Genus: | Melanoleuca Pat. (1897) |
| Type species | |
| Melanoleuca melaleuca | |
| Synonyms | |
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| Melanoleuca | |
|---|---|
| Gills on hymenium | |
| Cap is convex or depressed | |
| Hymenium is adnate or adnexed | |
| Stipe is bare | |
| Spore print is white to cream | |
| Ecology is saprotrophic | |
| Edibility is edible or unknown | |
Melanoleuca is a poorly known genus of saprotrophic mushrooms traditionally classified in the family Tricholomataceae. DNA studies have determined that this genus is closely related to Amanita and Pluteus and that it does not belong to the family Tricholomataceae.
Most species are small to medium sized, white, brown, ocher or gray with a cylindrical to subcylindrical stipe and white to pale yellowish gills. The basidiospores are ellipsoid and ornamented with amyloid warts. Melanoleuca is considered a difficult group to study due to their macroscopic similarities among species and the need of a thorough microscopic analysis to separate species.