Big-Leaf Maple vs

Acer macrophyllum compared with Clitocybe strigosa

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big-Leaf Maple
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Sapindales (Sapindales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Sapindaceae	Tricholomataceae
Genus	Acer	Clitocybe
Species	Acer macrophyllum	Clitocybe strigosa

Conservation Status

Big-Leaf Maple

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big-Leaf Maple
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big-Leaf Maple

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and United States.

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Big-Leaf Maple

The Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a species in the genus Acer. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Clitocybe strigosa is an agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae found in temperate and boreal European forests. The specific epithet strigosa refers to a stiff, bristly texture suggesting the cap surface or stipe may bear fine, erect hairs or fibrils distinguishing it from smoother relatives. It inhabits woodland floors, grassy forest margins, and clearings, fruiting in autumn when moisture conditions favor fruiting body development. The general morphology follows the Clitocybe pattern: a depressed to funnel-shaped cap with decurrent gills and a central stipe, in pale to greyish-buff tones. As a saprotrophic fungus, C. strigosa decomposes leaf litter, woody debris, and soil organic matter, contributing to the carbon and nitrogen cycling that sustains forest ecosystems. The genus Clitocybe encompasses dozens of European species, many of which require careful microscopic examination and consideration of substrate, odor, and spore features for reliable identification. Documentation of less common species like C. strigosa contributes to understanding the full scope of European fungal biodiversity.