Medium to very large agarics growing on the ground or among mulch, with a white spore print. Pileus pale or white with brown scales and a large central brown patch, not viscid. Lamellae remote or free. Stipe central. Partial veil remnants a membranous annulus. Spores hyaline, dextrinoid, smooth; with broad germ pore. Cheilocystidia present. Lamellar trama regular or interwoven. Pileipellis a hymeniderm of subclavate or clavate elements or sometimes an epithelium. Clamp connections present or absent.

The other species of Chlorophyllum differ by the green spore print (C. molybdites) or the absence of a germ pore (C. hortense). The genus Macrolepiota is very similar macroscopically, but it has a trichodermal pileipellis of cylindrical elements, whereas the pileipellis of Chlorophyllum is typically a hymeniderm (or epithelium) of subclavate to clavate elements. In addition, the hyaline cap present over the germ pore in Macrolepiota is absent in Chlorophyllum. The common species C. brunneum can have a volva at the stipe base, thus resembling Amanita, but this often has amyloid spores, and the lamellar trama is bilateral. Moreover, in Amanita the pileus has patches or scales from the universal veil, rather than breaking up into a central patch and surrounding scales as in Chlorophyllum. Among other white-spored agarics with free lamellae and a membranous annulus, Limacella has a viscid or glutinous pileus, Lepiota is usually smaller and lacks a germ pore, Leucocoprinus has a pleated pileus margin, and in Leucoagaricus the germ pore is absent or narrow. Furthermore, these four genera rarely have a hymeniform pileipellis.

The genus has four species in Australia: Chlorophyllum brunneum (= Macrolepiota rachodes as applied by Australian authors) and C. nothorachodes, along with Chlorophyllum hortense (keyed out separately because it lacks a germ pore) and C. molybdites (keyed out separately because it has a green spore print).

The sequestrate (truffle-like) species Chlorophyllum agaricoides (= Endoptychum agaricoides) has been recorded from Australia, but records are likely to be of sequestrate species of Agaricus (T. Lebel, pers. comm.).

W.A., S.A., N.S.W., Vic. and Tas. (and probably also N.T. and Qld).

In gardens, parks and near planted trees on farms.

On the ground or in compost.

Saprotrophic.

Bougher, N.L. (2009a), Fungi of the Perth region and beyond: a self-managed field book, Western Australian Naturalists' Club (Inc.), Perth. [Description and Illustration of C. brunneum]

Bougher, N.L. & Syme, K. (1998), Fungi of Southern Australia. University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands. [Description, Illustration and Microcharacters of C. brunneum (as Macrolepiota rachodes)]

Grgurinovic, C.A. (1997a), Larger Fungi of South Australia. The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium and The Flora and Fauna of South Australia Handbooks Committee, Adelaide. [Description and Microcharacters of C. brunneum (as Macrolepiota rachodes)]

McCann, I.R. (2003), Australian Fungi Illustrated. Macdown Productions, Vermont. [Illustration of C. brunneum (as Macrolepiota rachodes)]

Vellinga, E.C. (2003a), Chlorophyllum and Macrolepiota (Agaricaceae) in Australia, Austral. Syst. Bot. 16: 361–370. [Description and Microcharacters of C. brunneum and C. nothorachodes]Vellinga, E.C. (2003b), Type studies in Agaricaceae - Chlorophyllum rachodes and allies, Mycotaxon 85: 259–270. [Description and Microcharacters of C. brunneum, along with Key to C. rachodes and allies, and discussion of correct names for species in this group]