vs

Clitocybe agrestis compared with Clitocybe leucodiatreta

Key Differences

• is Least Concern while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family same	Tricholomataceae	Tricholomataceae
Genus same	Clitocybe	Clitocybe
Species	Clitocybe agrestis	Clitocybe leucodiatreta

Evolutionary Relationship

and share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Clitocybe.

Conservation Status

LC — Least Concern

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Clitocybe agrestis is a small, pale agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae found across Western and Northern Europe, recorded from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. It typically inhabits open grassy habitats including meadows, pastures, lawns, and roadsides, fruiting in autumn when moisture conditions are favorable. The cap is whitish to pale buff, often inrolled when young and becoming broadly flattened to slightly funnel-shaped with age, with crowded, decurrent gills and a short cylindrical stipe. The genus Clitocybe is characterized by the funnel-shaped or depressed cap and decurrent gill arrangement that gives many species a distinctive appearance. C. agrestis is a saprotrophic decomposer, breaking down plant litter and organic matter in grassland soils. It may be confused with toxic Clitocybe species, making accurate identification important. The species is listed as Least Concern, though European grassland fungi broadly face pressure from agricultural intensification, nitrogen deposition, and conversion of diverse meadows to monoculture pastures.

Clitocybe leucodiatreta is a pale agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae native to temperate European forests. The species name combines 'leuco' (white) with the related species epithet 'diatreta,' suggesting morphological similarity to Clitocybe diatreta but with a distinctly paler, more whitish appearance. It inhabits deciduous and mixed woodland floors, fruiting in autumn among accumulated leaf litter where it acts as a saprotrophic decomposer of organic matter. The fruiting bodies display the characteristic Clitocybe form: a depressed to funnel-shaped cap, crowded decurrent gills, and a cylindrical stipe. Distinguishing closely related small, pale Clitocybe species requires careful examination of spore morphology, odor, taste, and ecological context, with molecular phylogenetics increasingly used to resolve taxonomic boundaries within this challenging genus. C. leucodiatreta represents part of the remarkable diversity of saprotrophic fungi in European temperate forests, ecosystems where macrofungal diversity rivals that of the plant and invertebrate communities they help sustain through decomposition.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden