Dinner plate Agaricus

[FungiJohn]

Found this large Agaricus species on a road side grass verge next to my hotel near Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire. The larger fruit body cap diameter was in excess of 8 inches.



I’m really missing my usual fungal fix

John

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

Found this large Agaricus species on a road side grass verge next to my hotel near Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire. The larger fruit body cap diameter was in excess of 8 inches.



I’m really missing my usual fungal fix

John

The roadside habitat suggests Agaricus bernardii, which can get very large, John - not infrequent in coastal meadows or saltmarsh grassland (where affected by salt-spray from the sea) but apparently becoming more and more frequent inland with the tons of salt used to de-ice roads in the winter.

Did you notice a strong smell (said to resemble old urine !) when you photographed it ?

Possibly also the reason that one sees so much Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia danica) along the central reservations of inland roads or motorways nowadays !

Nick

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by mykonik

The roadside habitat suggests Agaricus bernardii, which can get very large, John - not infrequent in coastal meadows or saltmarsh grassland (where affected by salt-spray from the sea) but apparently becoming more and more frequent inland with the tons of salt used to de-ice roads in the winter.

Did you notice a strong smell (said to resemble old urine !) when you photographed it ?

Possibly also the reason that one sees so much Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia danica) along the central reservations of inland roads or motorways nowadays !

Nick

Thanks Nick. I was quite surprised over the lack of any distintive smell given the size. It certainly didn't resemble old urine ... or fresh

John

[fairplay]

I agree with the increase of salt being used on icy roads A. bernardii is showing more often on inland verges e.t.c. but the cap does not look fluffy or scaly enough to me to be A. bernardii, also I would expect the cap to be very in-rolled and sturdier or thicker fleshed.

And they taste awful by the way, I collected 5 massive ones from a coastal grazing marsh and I spat out the first nibble (after frying it in butter).
My recollection is it tasted very earthy. Yuk!!

Neil.

[Leif]

I wondered about a Horse Mushroom, but the ring is not as expected, and the absence of an aniseed smell would rule it out.

[fungi2bwith]

Agaricus bernardii colours orange when cut. The ones I have found at my place of work were at the (private) road side where salt was regularly spread. I was told they taste fishy, I am not sure I agree with that after trying a small piece, but they are not pleasant.

Unlike the shaggy parasols I just had for lunch, they were delicious.