Pholiota astragalina

9.9

A mushroom with a smooth orange cap, yellow gills and pale yellow stalk that grows on dead wood

noun

Specialized

: Pholiota astragalina

The smooth orange cap of Pholiota astragalina makes it quite distinctive among woodland fungi.

Examples

We spotted a cluster of Pholiota astragalina growing on a fallen log in the forest.
The Pholiota astragalina can often be found in damp woodlands.
Researchers studied the habitat preferences of Pholiota astragalina throughout the autumn months.
Have you ever seen a Pholiota astragalina in the forest?
The smooth orange cap of Pholiota astragalina makes it quite distinctive among woodland fungi.
We spotted a cluster of Pholiota astragalina growing on a fallen log in the forest.
Researchers studied the habitat preferences of Pholiota astragalina throughout the autumn months.

Surface Forms

Pholiota astragalina singular

Pholiota astragalinas plural

Morphology

Pholiota + astragalina

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) used as a technical name for a fungus; B1 learners who know the parts will not be able to derive the full descriptive meaning (orange cap, yellow gills, etc.) from the constituents. While knowing 'Pholiota' could hint that it is a fungus, the species epithet 'astragalina' is a Latinized label (not a transparent English lexical item) and species names are essentially arbitrary without specialist knowledge, so the phrase is not compositionally interpretable.

Etymology

Pholiota astragalina may come from old Greek and Latin words: Pholiota comes from a word meaning 'scale' for its scaly cap, and astragalina may mean 'pale yellow' or 'small bead'. So the name gives the picture of a scaly orange mushroom with pale yellow gills and a pale stalk, which helps you remember this woodland fungus.