Limacella illinita

What You Should Know

Limacella illinita is a mushroom in the genus Limacella, in the family Amanitaceae. It is widely distributed in North America and often found in Europe. These can habitat singly, scattered, or in groups in woods, swamps, fields, lawns, roadsides and dunes.

Other names: Overflowing Slimy Stem, White Limacella.

Limacella illinita Mushroom Identification

1. Cap

   It has an approximately 2–7 cm long radius. It is round becoming convex then wide or with a broad umbo, the margin hanging with slimy veil remnants. It is white or cream. It feels smooth and sticky or slimy.

2. Gills

   They are free, non-waxy, close, broad and white.

3. Stem

   The 5–10 cm long stem tapers a bit towards the top. It is fleshy, soft and has a ring. White in color, it is also sticky and slimy.

4. Spores

   The spores are globose to broadly ellipsoid and smooth.

5. Microscopic Features

   The spores measure 4.5–6.5 x 4–6 µm.

6. Flesh

   The flesh is slimy and sticky.

7. Fruiting

   August or July and October or November.

Limacella illinita Bioactive Compounds

A study in 2007 discovered four new bioactive compounds from basidiomycetes, isolated from fermentations of L. illinita: Illinitone A that exhibited weak phytotoxic and moderate nematicidal activities against Caenorhabditis elegans, Illinitone B was moderately cytotoxic, Limacellone that exhibited weak cytotoxic and phytotoxic activities and muurolane sesquiterpene 4a that was found to be inactive in the assays performed there.

Limacella illinita Synonyms

1. Lepiota illinita (Fr.) Quél., 1873

2. Armillaria subcava (Schumach.) Sacc., 1887

3. Amanitella illinita (Fr.) Maire, 1913

4. Myxoderma illinitum (Fr.) Kühner, 1926

Sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Alan Rockefeller (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International)

Photo 2 - Author: Jerzy Opioła (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International)

Photo 3 - Author: Jerzy Opioła (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International)

Photo 4 - Author: Liz Popich (Lizzie) (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)

Photo 5 - Author: Erik nelson (eriknelson) (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)