Agaricus silvicola
Encyclopedia
Agaricus silvicola, also known as the Wood Mushroom is a species of Agaricus
Agaricus
Agaricus is a large and important genus of mushrooms containing both edible and poisonous species, with possibly over 300 members worldwide...

 mushroom related to the button mushroom
Button mushroom
Agaricus bisporus—known variously as the common mushroom, button mushroom, white mushroom, table mushroom, champignon mushroom, crimini mushroom, Swiss brown mushroom, Roman brown mushroom, Italian brown, Italian mushroom, cultivated mushroom, or when mature, the Portobello mushroom—is an edible...

.

Description

The cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...

 is light cream, and bruises yellow ochre when damaged. (See photograph). It is 5–10 cm in diameter, which makes it slightly smaller than its close relative Agaricus arvensis
Agaricus arvensis
Agaricus arvensis, commonly known as the Horse Mushroom, is a mushroom of the genus Agaricus.-Taxonomy:Described as Agaricus arvensis by Jacob Christian Schaeffer in 1762, and given numerous binomial descriptions since. Its present name arvensis means 'of the field'.-Description:The cap is similar...

, the Horse Mushroom. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...

 is long, slim, and usually has a bulbous base. It is much the same colour as the cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...

, and has a fragile drooping ring. The flesh is thin and white, and smells of aniseed. It looks fairly similar to a young Death Cap
Death cap
Amanita phalloides , commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Widely distributed across Europe, A. phalloides forms ectomycorrhizas with various broadleaved trees. In some cases, death cap has been introduced to new regions with...

, it is believed by some mycologists.

Distribution and habitat

A. silvicola grows in both deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...

and coniferous woodland in Britain, Europe, and North America. Appearing in the autumn, it is rarely seen in huge numbers, usually just a few, or solitary. Occasional.

Edibility

It is edible and popular in Europe. Presumed to have caused an allergic reaction in a few people in North America.

Similar species

  • Agaricus osecanus
  • Agaricus xanthodermus
    Agaricus xanthodermus
    Agaricus xanthodermus, commonly known as the yellow-staining mushroom, is a mushroom of thegenus Agaricus, which displays a strong yellow colouration at the base of the stem when cut...

    The Yellow Stainer.
  • Agaricus arvensis
    Agaricus arvensis
    Agaricus arvensis, commonly known as the Horse Mushroom, is a mushroom of the genus Agaricus.-Taxonomy:Described as Agaricus arvensis by Jacob Christian Schaeffer in 1762, and given numerous binomial descriptions since. Its present name arvensis means 'of the field'.-Description:The cap is similar...

    The Horse Mushroom.
  • Agaricus campestris
    Agaricus campestris
    Agaricus campestris is commonly known as the field mushroom or, in North America, meadow mushroom. It is a widely eaten gilled mushroom closely related to the cultivated button mushroom Agaricus bisporus.-Taxonomy:...

    The Field Mushroom
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