Clitocybe amoenolens
Encyclopedia
Clitocybe amoenolens, commonly known as the paralysis funnel, is an agaric
Agaric
An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...

 fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...

 of the large genus Clitocybe
Clitocybe
Hundreds of species of mushrooms compose the fungus genus Clitocybe. They are characterized by white, off-white, buff, cream, pink, or light-yellow spores, gills running down the stem, and pale white to brown or lilac coloration. They are primarily saprotrophic, decomposing forest ground litter...

. It was originally described from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

 in 1975 by the French mycologist Malençon. It was discovered to be poisonous after several people had consumed specimens all found in the alpine Maurienne
Maurienne
Maurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...

 valley in the Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...

 department over three years. They had mistaken it for the edible common funnel cap (C. gibba) or Lepista inversa.

A similar species from Japan, C. acromelalga
Clitocybe acromelalga
Clitocybe acromelalga is a basidiomycete fungus of the large genus Clitocybe found in Japan. It was discovered to be poisonous in 1918, when symptoms of occurred within 3 days of consumption. It had been mistaken for the edible blewit Lepista inversa.Consumption of a related species, C. amoenolens...

, known as the poison dwarf bamboo mushroom, had been discovered to be poisonous in 1918.

The resulting syndrome of fungus-induced erythromelalgia
Erythromelalgia
Erythromelalgia, also known as Mitchell's disease , acromelalgia, red neuralgia, or erythermalgia, is a rare neurovascular peripheral pain disorder in which blood vessels, usually in the lower extremities , are episodically blocked , then become hyperemic and inflamed...

lasted from 8 days to 5 months, although one person exhibited symptoms for three years.
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