Description: Cap 5-12 cm, convex with incurved margin, matt, white to faintly yellowish or faintly pinkish. Gills emarginate, close, white. Stipe 3-10 cm tall, 1-3 cm thick, cylindric or thicker towards base, white. Smell and taste strong, farinaceous. Spores 5-6 x 3-3.5 m m. Basidia with siderophilous granulation. Clamps present.

Norwegian range: Belongs to The eastern element on calcareous ground; occurs in nemoral to boreonemoral vegetation regions.

Global range: Eurasian - North-African, Amphi-Beringian, boreal - temperate.

Distribution: Distributed over most of the European and Asian continents with a northern limit in Fennoscandia; occurring up to 2.400 m in the Alps (1, 2, 3). In Fennoscandia its distribution is mainly southern and central; its northernmost known locality is in Central Norway, at the Trondheimsfjord (Verdal County). The Norwegian distribution has two centres, both in areas with predominantly calcareous bedrock (Cambro-Silurian), one in eastern South Norway (West to Kristiansand) and one in Central Norway, around the Trondheimsfjord (4).

The species also occurs on the African continent and on the Canary Islands (5, 6). The only record we are aware of from the North American continent is from south-western Canada, from Alberta, where it has only been collected in the autumn (7).

Ecology: This is an open forest and grassland species, apparently with requirements for high level of Ca in the soil. Deciduous, herb-rich forest, grassy sand banks along ocean shores, pastures and lawns are favoured types of habitats, but it may also grow among dead needles in coniferous forests on calcareous ground. A fairy ring forming, saprophytic species.

Season (Norway): May and June, with 26% and 71% of the records respectively, constitute the main season for this species. The earliest recorded date is 11 May. Five of the collections/records are from the autumn (*).

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