Chlorophyllum

Chlorophyllum is a genus of large agarics similar in appearance to the true parasol mushroom. Chlorophyllum was originally coined in 1898, a time when spore color was the deciding factor for differentiating genera. It was termed in order to describe the poisonous green-spored C. molybdites which shared many characteristics of the mushrooms within the genus Lepiota but lacked the all important white spores. The name comes from Greek Chloro meaning green and phyll meaning leaves or gills. It remained as a genus of one lonely member until recently when modern DNA analyses concluded that many of the mushrooms contained in the genus Macrolepiota actually had more in common genetically with the Chlorophyllum molybdites than with the other members of the Macrolepiota. The genus has a widespread distribution, with many species found in tropical regions. The best known members are the edible shaggy parasol, a name applied to three very similar species Chlorophyllum rhacodes, C. olivieri and C. brunneum, and the poisonous C. molybdites, which is widespread in subtropical regions around the world.