Agaricus californicus

Agaricus californicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Agaricaceae
Genus:	Agaricus
Species:	A. californicus
Binomial name
Agaricus californicus Peck (1895) [1]

Agaricus californicus Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex
	Hymenium is free
	Stipe has a ring
	Spore print is brown
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is poisonous

Agaricus californicus, commonly known as the mock meadow mushroom, ^[2] or California agaricus, is a species of fungus in the section Xanthodermati of the genus Agaricus . ^[3]

The mushroom is mildly poisonous, often causing gastrointestinal upset.

Description

The caps are 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in) wide, white, sometimes with a grayish-tan center, dry, and either unchanged or yellowing slightly when bruised. ^[4] The stalk is 3–10 cm (1.2–3.9 in) long and 1–2 wide, perhaps larger at the base. ^[4] It has a persistent ring. ^[3] The spores are brown and smooth. ^[4]

The species, like many members of Agaricus section Xanthodermati, displays a yellowing (then darker) reaction where its flesh has been damaged, although this is not always readily apparent. The cap surface turns yellow in KOH. ^[3]

Similar species

Agaricus californicus resembles many other Agaricus species, including A. arvensis, ^[4] A. bisporus, A. campestris, ^[4] and A. cupreobrunneus, which are edible and thus require careful identification.

The yellowing reaction to bruising is more quickly apparent in A. xanthodermus ^[4] (a relative in the section Xanthodermati).

Toxicity

It is mildly poisonous, causing gastrointestinal upset in many individuals. ^[3] The etiology of these symptoms is unclear and some individuals can eat it without experiencing symptoms, but as there is no way to tell who can eat the mushroom safely it is generally recommended against. ^[5]

See also

• List of Agaricus species

References

1. Peck CH (1895). "New species of Fungi". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 22 (5): 198–211. doi:10.2307/2478162. JSTOR   2478162.
2. Arora, David (February 1, 1991). All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms. Ten Speed Press. ISBN   9780898153880.
3. Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. pp. 327–28. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
4. Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 223–224. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
5. "California Fungi—Agaricus californicus". MykoWeb. Retrieved 2010-07-27.

External links

Agaricus californicus in Index Fungorum
Agaricus californicus in MycoBank .