Gymnopilus zenkeri

What it is

Gymnopilus zenkeri is a gilled mushroom of the genus Gymnopilus, a group of agarics; the catalogue records this species as a forest saprotroph. The catalogue describes the species as a forest saprotroph. It has no common name in the catalogue.

The genus is known for a safety problem. Its members are not reliably separated from the poisonous Galerina by eye, and some Gymnopilus species contain psilocybin. A name in this genus should not be taken as a sign of a safe food.

Food use in DR Congo

The catalogue records the species as locally consumed in interviews from Tshopo province, backed by herbarium vouchers. The record does not say how the mushroom is cooked, which dishes it appears in, or how often it is gathered.

A wider study of wild fungi around Yangambi and Yoko found that local communities use many species for food, and that women carry most of the harvesting knowledge. That study is the setting for the food record, but the part of that study read in a search summary did not name Gymnopilus zenkeri. The genus overview cites earlier reports that at least one Gymnopilus species is eaten in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; it does not name the species.

Safety

The genus overview states that the use of Gymnopilus as food is not safe. It also records that several Galerina species are lethal, that the two genera can look alike, and that only microscopic examination separates them with certainty. A field identification is therefore not enough to eat a Gymnopilus.

Fourteen Gymnopilus species are recorded as containing psilocybin. The overview notes no indication that African Gymnopilus are used for recreational purposes. None of the sources reviewed here tests the constituents of Gymnopilus zenkeri, so whether this species contains psilocybin or any other compound is not established.

The catalogue states that its food record is not an independent toxicological assessment. No preparation that makes this species safe has been established, and this page gives none.

Notes

Open points: the preparation, the local name, the frequency of use and any constituent or toxicity data for Gymnopilus zenkeri are unknown from the sources reviewed. The 2018 Tshopo species list should be checked directly before the species is treated as a documented food.