Agaricus xanthodermus

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Agaricus xanthodermus
Agaricus xanthodermus section.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Agaricaceae
Genus: Agaricus
Species:
A. xanthodermus
Binomial name
Agaricus xanthodermus
Genev. (1876)
Synonyms [1]
  • Pratella xanthoderma(Genev.) Gillet (1884)
  • Psalliota xanthoderma(Genev.) Richon & Roze (1885)
  • Fungus xanthodermus(Genev.) Kuntze (1898)
Agaricus xanthodermus
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Convex cap icon.svg Cap is convex
Free gills icon2.svg Hymenium is free
Ring stipe icon.svg Stipe has a ring
Transparent spore print icon.svg
Spore print is brown
Saprotrophic fungus.svgEcology is saprotrophic
Mycomorphbox Poison.pngEdibility is poisonous

Agaricus xanthodermus, commonly known as the yellow-staining agaricus, [2] yellow-staining mushroom or yellow-stainer, [3] is a mushroom of the genus Agaricus , which displays a strong yellow colouration at the base of the stem when cut. It has a phenolic smell. It is poisonous for most people, causing gastrointestinal upset, but can be eaten by some without apparent negative effect.

Taxonomy

This species was first officially defined under the name Agaricus xanthodermus in 1876 by Léon Gaston Genevier, in a letter published in the bulletin of the French Botanical Society. [4] [5] Genevier described the Agaricus mushrooms commonly eaten (perhaps sometimes inadvisedly) in the region of Nantes, and attempted to clarify the distinctions between them. He proposed a detailed reclassification into 5 species, including this new one. Apparently up until that time, these yellow-staining mushrooms were considered to be just varieties of other species which are edible: A. arvensis , A. edulis , and A. silvicola . [6]

The epithet xanthodermus is derived from the Ancient Greek words for "yellow" and "skin", which were then given a Latin adjective ending. This is the official name, but the form Agaricus xanthoderma is also often seen. [7] [8] [9] In the latter name, -derma "skin" is a neuter noun which does not have to agree in gender with Agaricus, and so this form is legal according to the rules of botanical nomenclature. [10]

Description

2011-10-13 Agaricus xanthodermus Genev 181971.jpg

The cap ranges from 5–15 cm (2–6 in) in diameter. [11] It is initially convex, with some young specimens having a squarish shape, though flattening with age. It is whitish, with light brown tints towards the centre. The cap is dry and smooth, but can be scaly when old. The gills of this mushroom progress from pale-pink to a chocolate color. Its white stipe measures 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in) tall and 1–3 wide, [11] and is bulbous with a skirt-like ring. Microscopically, the cheilocystidia are club-shaped. The spores are brown, elliptical, and smooth, [11] measuring 6–7 × 3–4  μm.

The main identifying feature is an immediate bright yellow colouration on cutting through the base of the stem, or scraping the flesh; later, the affected area fades to a dull brown. Numerous edible Agaricus species, such as A. augustus , A. arvensis and A. silvicola , turn yellow to a greater or lesser extent, but they do not display such an intense reaction.

After cooking this poisonous species, an intense color change to yellow occurs and the smell of phenol becomes very intense. Karbol-Champignion2.png
After cooking this poisonous species, an intense color change to yellow occurs and the smell of phenol becomes very intense.

Agaricus xanthodermus has an unpleasant characteristic smell, which is phenolic, reminiscent of ink or carbolic soap. The smell is especially strong at the base of the stem. On cooking, the smell becomes very noticeable, and this may deter people from eating it inadvertently. [12]

Distribution and habitat

This mushroom is very common and widely distributed in North America, Europe, West Asia including eastern Anatolia [13] and Iran, [14] North Africa, [8] and southern Africa. [15] It has been introduced into Australia. It occurs in woods, lawns, gardens and hedgerows in autumn. This is a saprobic species.

Toxicity

Although it appears that some people can eat this mushroom without ill effects, [3] [6] [12] it contains toxins which can cause serious gastric problems. [16] It is indigestible and gives rise to symptoms of sweating, flushing, and severe stomach cramps. [3] [7] [12]

Of those who gather Agaricus-style mushrooms, about 50% of the cases of poisoning are from this species.

Agaricus xanthodermus belongs to a group of related species (the "Xanthodermati") which likewise discolour bright yellow and have a phenolic smell. They include A. praeclaresquamosus (formerly A. placomyces ) which has dark grey scales, A. moelleri , and A. pilatianus , which does not have a bulbous stem. [8]

Agaricus californicus is also similar in appearance. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Agaricus bisporus</i> Species of fungus

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<i>Agaricus</i> Genus of mushrooms

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<i>Agaricus moelleri</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus moelleri, commonly known as the flat-top agaricus, inky mushroom, or dark scaled mushroom, is a large mushroom of the genus Agaricus. It appears occasionally in most kinds of woodland, during late summer, in northern temperate zones.

<i>Agaricus arvensis</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus arvensis, commonly known as the horse mushroom, is a mushroom-forming fungus of the genus Agaricus.

<i>Agaricus campestris</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus campestris is a widely eaten gilled mushroom closely related to the cultivated A. bisporus. A. campestris is commonly known as the field mushroom or, in North America, meadow mushroom.

<i>Agaricus augustus</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus augustus, known commonly as the prince, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Agaricus.

<i>Lactarius uvidus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius uvidus, commonly known as the purple staining milk cap, is a European and North American "milk-cap" mushroom, of which the milk turns violet when the flesh is damaged. The fungi generally identified as L. uvidus are part of a complex of closely related species and varieties which are difficult to delimit definitively.

<i>Agaricus silvicola</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus silvicola, also known as the wood mushroom or woodland agaricus, is a species of Agaricus mushroom related to the button mushroom. A. silvicola is a member of Agaricus section Arvenses, a group of morphologically similar mushrooms. A. silvicola, like other species in Agaricus section Arvenses, exhibits a positive Schäffer's reaction and potassium hydroxide reaction, and smells of almonds or anise.

<i>Echinoderma asperum</i> Species of fungus

Echinoderma asperum or Lepiota aspera, sometimes known commonly as the freckled dapperling, is a large, brownish, white-gilled mushroom, with a warty or scaly cap. It lives in woodland, or on bark chips in parks, and gardens.

<i>Agaricus abruptibulbus</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus abruptibulbus is a species of mushroom in the genus Agaricus. It is commonly known as the abruptly-bulbous agaricus or the flat-bulb mushroom. First described by the mycologist Charles Horton Peck, this bulbous-stemmed edible species smells slightly of anise or bitter almond, and turns yellow when bruised or cut. The mushroom is medium-sized, with a white, yellow-staining cap on a slender stipe that has a wide, flat bulb on the base.

<i>Tricholoma terreum</i> Species of fungus

Tricholoma terreum, commonly known as the grey knight or dirty tricholoma, is a grey-capped mushroom of the large genus Tricholoma. It is found in coniferous woodlands in Europe, and has also been encountered under introduced pine trees in Australia and New Zealand. It is regarded as edible. A 2014 article speculated that it may be poisonous, but Sitta et al. in 2016 published in the same journal a counter article demonstrating the unfounded nature of such speculation.

<i>Agaricus semotus</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus semotus is a woodland mushroom of the fungus order Agaricales. Like many of its relatives, it can be found spread throughout wooded, moist areas in the southern United States, and has been found in areas ranging from California to Florida. It is also indigenous to Great Britain and Europe. A. semotus has also been collected in New Zealand. Although various authors disagree about its edibility, its modest size prevents it from being a significant source of nutrition.

<i>Aspropaxillus giganteus</i> Species of fungus

Aspropaxillus giganteus, also Leucopaxillus giganteus, commonly known as the giant leucopax or the giant funnel, is a saprobic species of fungus in the order Agaricales. As its common names imply, the fruit body, or mushroom, can become quite large—the cap reaches diameters of up to 50 cm (20 in). It has a white or pale cream cap, and is funnel-shaped when mature, with the gills running down the length of the stem. Considered by some to be a choice edible when young, this species has a cosmopolitan distribution, and is typically found growing in groups or rings in grassy pastures, roadside hedges, or woodland clearings. It has been shown to contain a bioactive compound with antibiotic properties.

<i>Agaricus albolutescens</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus albolutescens, commonly known as the amber-staining agaricus, is a moderate-sized, stocky-statured mushroom with a pleasant odor; it bruises slowly but persistently yellow.

<i>Agaricus benesii</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus benesii is an agaric mushroom of the genus Agaricus known in English as the mull mushroom. This mushroom can be distinguished by a white cap that bruises pinkish-red when injured, a scaly lower stipe, and a conifer habitat. Similar to Agaricus californicus and A. xanthodermus, the cap discolors brown in age. A distinguishing feature of A. californicus and A. xanthodermus, however, is a thickened annulus at the margin, a phenolic odor, and a yellowing bruise, instead of red. In the case of Agaricus xanthodermus, it occurs quickly, though faintly to not at all in the case of A. californicus. Another similar species, Agaricus bernardii, also stains red and has white flesh, but differentiates on its larger bulk, a sheathing veil, briny odor, and different habitat, namely grass.

<i>Agaricus californicus</i> Species of fungus

Agaricus californicus, commonly known as the mock meadow mushroom, or California agaricus, is a poisonous mushroom in the section Xanthodermati of the genus Agaricus.

<i>Lepiota clypeolaria</i> Species of fungus

Lepiota clypeolaria, commonly known as the shield dapperling or the shaggy-stalked Lepiota, is a common mushroom in the genus Lepiota. It is widely distributed in northern temperate zones, where it grows in deciduous and coniferous forest. Fruit bodies have a brownish cap, a shaggy stipe with a collapsed, sheathing ring or ring zone, and spindle-shaped spores.

<i>Agaricus hondensis</i> Species of fungus in the family Agaricaceae

Agaricus hondensis, commonly known as the felt-ringed agaricus, is a species of fungus in the family Agaricaceae. The species was officially described in 1912 by mycologist William Alphonso Murrill, along with three other Agaricus species that have since been placed in synonymy with A. hondensis. Found in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, A. hondensis fruits in the fall under conifers or in mixed forests.

<i>Infundibulicybe gibba</i> Species of gilled mushroom

Infundibulicybe gibba, and commonly known as the common funnel or funnel cap, is a species of gilled mushroom which is common in European woods.

References

  1. "Agaricus xanthodermus Genev". Species Fungorum. CAB International. Archived from the original on 2018-07-03. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
  2. Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms demystified: a comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi (Second ed.). Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. ISBN   978-0-89815-169-5.
  3. 1 2 3 Roger Phillips. "Agaricus xanthodermus". Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  4. Nowadays there is also a French Mycological Society Archived September 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , but in 1876 fungi were considered under botany.
  5. See the entry in Index Fungorum.
  6. 1 2 Genevier L. G. (1876). "Étude sur les champignons consommés à Nantes sous le nom de champignon rose ou de couche (Agaricus campestris L.)". Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France (in French). 23: 28–35. doi:10.1080/00378941.1876.10825614. The paper is available on-line here. On page 32 it is stated that some people can eat A. xanthodermus with impunity.
  7. 1 2 "Marcel Bon (1987). The Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and North-Western Europe. Hodder & Stoughton. p. 278. ISBN   0-340-39935-X."
  8. 1 2 3 Courtecuisse, R. & Duhem, B. (1994). Guide des champignons de France et d'Europe. Delachaux et Niestlé. p. 258. ISBN   2-603-00953-2. Also available in English.
  9. See Meinhard Moser (1983). Keys to Agarics and Boleti. Translated by Simon Plant. London: Roger Phillips. p. 238. ISBN   0-9508486-0-3.
  10. Binomial names may take the form "noun + adjective", "noun + nominative noun" or "noun + genitive noun" as explained in this section of the Binomial nomenclature article. There is agreement in gender only in the "noun + adjective" case (as in Agaricus xanthodermus, which means something like "yellow-skinned Agaricus"), but Agaricus xanthoderma is the second type (like "Agaricus yellow-skin") and there the endings do not agree. Another similar example is Agaricus silvicola (which means "Agaricus, inhabitant of the woods").
  11. 1 2 3 4 Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 230. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
  12. 1 2 3 Peter Jordan (2000). The Mushroom Guide and Identifier: The Ultimate Guide to Identifying, Picking and Using Mushrooms. London: Hermes House. p. 100. ISBN   1-84038-574-X.
  13. Demirel K, Uzun Y, Kaya A (2004). "Some Poisonous Fungi of East Anatolia" (PDF). Turk J Bot. 28: 215–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-05-05. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  14. Asef Shayan, M.R. (2010). قارچهای سمی ایران (Qarch-ha-ye Sammi-ye Iran)[Poisonous mushrooms of Iran] (in Persian). Iran shenasi. p. 214. ISBN   978-964-2725-29-8.
  15. Van der Westhuizen, GCA and Eicker, A (1994) Mushrooms of Southern Africa, Field Guide. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
  16. Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 276. ISBN   978-0-7627-3109-1.