Melanoleuca is a poorly known genus of saprotrophic mushrooms traditionally classified in the family Tricholomataceae. Most are small to medium sized, white, brown, ocher or gray with a cylindrical to stipe and white to pale yellowishgills.
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. DNA studies have determined that this genus is closely related to Amanita and Pleuteus and that it does not belong to the family Tricholomataceae.
The name of the genus is derived from the Ancient Greek melano- meaning "black", and leukos meaning "white".
The fruit bodies of Melanoleuca are small to medium size (cap10–120 mm in diameter). The pileus is convex, often becoming depressed at the center, and is usually non-viscous and white, brown, ocher, or grey.
The gills are adnexed, sinuate, adnate, or subdecurrent, white to yellowish.
The stipe is central, cylindrical or slightly swollen at the base, dry and longitudinally striate.
No veil is present. Odor and taste are usually indistinctive, mild, fungoid, sweet, or rancid.
Spore print is white to pale yellowish.
Melanoleuca sp group is listed in the following regions:
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