Portal:Fungi/Selected species/41

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Leucopaxillus giganteus, commonly known as the giant leucopax (formerly as the giant clitocybe) or the giant funnel, is a saprobic species of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae. As its common names imply, the fruit body, or mushroom, can become quite large—the cap reaches diameters of up to 40 cm (16 in). It has a white or pale cream cap, and is funnel-shaped when mature, with the gills running down the length of the stem. Considered by some to be a choice edible when young, this species has a cosmopolitan distribution, and is typically found growing in groups or rings in grassy pastures, roadside hedges, or woodland clearings. Leucopaxillus giganteus contains a number of bioactive compounds, one of which has displayed antibiotic and anti-tumor properties in laboratory tests.