The Swedish mycologist E. M. Fries described the mushroom Tricholoma colossus in 1836 as remarkable for its large size and tough flesh. He called it “maximus et durissimus Agaricus in orbe” – the largest and hardest gilled fungus in the world. Later detailed descriptions and illustrations confirmed this species, which has been found sporadically across Europe. The first correct report in Czechoslovakia is credited to R. Veselý in 1930. An earlier mention by J. Velenovský (1920) is considered a misidentification, possibly of Hygrophorus russula. The paper reviews past reports and confirms T. colossus as rare but valid in the region.
Herink J. (1965): Der Riesen-Ritterling, Tricholoma colossus (fr.) Quél. In der Tschechoslowakei (tab. 59). – Česká Mykologie 19(4): 197–200.
