Blackboard Tree vs

Alstonia scholaris compared with Clitocybe strigosa

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackboard Tree
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Gentianales (Gentianales)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Apocynaceae	Tricholomataceae
Genus	Alstonia	Clitocybe
Species	Alstonia scholaris	Clitocybe strigosa

Conservation Status

Blackboard Tree

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackboard Tree
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackboard Tree

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Oceanian biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Micronesia, Taiwan, and United States.

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Blackboard Tree

The Blackboard Tree (Alstonia scholaris) is a species in the genus Alstonia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Oceanian biogeographic realm.

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.