 The fruit body of Tricholoma pardinum is an imposing mushroom with a pale grey cap up to 15 cm ( 6 in ) in diameter that is covered with dark brownish to greyish scales . The gills are whitish , and are not attached to the stout white to pale grey @-@ brown stalk . The spore print is white . One of the more toxic members of the genus Tricholoma , the species has been implicated in a number of episodes of mushroom poisoning , probably because it is a large , attractive mushroom with a pleasant smell and taste , and it bears a superficial resemblance to several edible species , like Tricholoma terreum . Ingesting T. pardinum — even in small quantities — results in a severe , persistent gastroenteritis caused by an unknown mycotoxin . 
