Agaric?? ID help please!!

[Steve Wurzel]

I thought this would be a simple ID, but it's proving more challenging..

I thought at first this was an Agaric, but the feel of it once I returned home was more like a parasol, so I've excluded Lepiota with a spore print which was mid-brown, and the ring doesn't fit Macrolepiota which brings me back to Agaric but the stem is hollow, and the cap/gills are airy like Macrolepiota

Cap: 90mm, white flesh stained slightly brown when cut.
Stem: 80mm x 10-15mm bulbous at base, slightly white scurfy below ring. Hollow (especially at close to base) and fibrous.
Gills:Free
Spores: Mid-brown
Smell: mushroomy with chocolate overtones, smells delicious!!



This was at Castle Drogo in Devon, a 3.5 mile circular walk (with a pub halfway!!) through mainly decidous mixed, youngish oak and beech woodland and meadow, which had me stopping every 10 yards for a new fungi

Any help with this appreciated, I've bought 3 new field guides and none are hitting the mark.. the nearest I get is the Prince Agaricus Augustus smell bitter almonds, is that like chocolate??

[KeenTeen17]

youre right! its an a agaricus definitely - not sure which one though!

[flaxton]

Where the cap is broken there seems to be signs of reddening this would put it in the area of Agaricus silvaticus or similar.

Mal

[Andy Overall]

Originally Posted by Steve Wurzel

I thought this would be a simple ID, but it's proving more challenging..

I thought at first this was an Agaric, but the feel of it once I returned home was more like a parasol, so I've excluded Lepiota with a spore print which was mid-brown, and the ring doesn't fit Macrolepiota which brings me back to Agaric but the stem is hollow, and the cap/gills are airy like Macrolepiota

Cap: 90mm, white flesh stained slightly brown when cut.
Stem: 80mm x 10-15mm bulbous at base, slightly white scurfy below ring. Hollow (especially at close to base) and fibrous.
Gills:Free
Spores: Mid-brown
Smell: mushroomy with chocolate overtones, smells delicious!!



This was at Castle Drogo in Devon, a 3.5 mile circular walk (with a pub halfway!!) through mainly decidous mixed, youngish oak and beech woodland and meadow, which had me stopping every 10 yards for a new fungi

Any help with this appreciated, I've bought 3 new field guides and none are hitting the mark.. the nearest I get is the Prince Agaricus Augustus smell bitter almonds, is that like chocolate??

Hi Steve,

Your Agaricus is most likely tom be Agaricus impudicus syn A. variegata. I get this species regularly arounfd Hampstead Heath, yours looks very similar.

Andy

[Steve Wurzel]

Originally Posted by Andy Overall

Hi Steve,

Your Agaricus is most likely tom be Agaricus impudicus syn A. variegata. I get this species regularly around Hampstead Heath, yours looks very similar.

Andy

Thanks Andy that's nailed it Agaricus impudicus

These I assume are some more of the same, (see http://www.nifg.org.uk/species/photo..._impudicus.jpg ) not far away from the one I sampled...


There's not much info on Agaricus impudicus, it doesn't appear in my nice new shiny latest version of Roger Phillips's - Mushrooms, which has been expanded to incorporate some European species, so it's odd he's missed it as it seems to include virtually everything else.

(I'll have to scribble it in I guess!!)


There's no sign of red as such on the sample Flaxton, some intense chestnut brown, perhaps.

Thanks all, for the input, it's very much appreciated.

[Steve Wurzel]

Originally Posted by Steve Wurzel

There's not much info on Agaricus impudicus

It's not in the WAB A-Z of fungi either.. should I upload one of those photos?

[NickCantle]

Steve, it might be worth noting for future reference that the term agaric is used for a general term for a fungus with gills. a Pleurotus is an Agaric, a Tricholoma is an agaric and an Inocybe is an agaric Just pop an 'us' on the end and you're talking about a genus- The Agaricus genus. Might avoid confusion

Nick

[Steve Wurzel]

Thanks Nick, I think my focus was elsewhere when I wrote that

Should the photos be uploaded to the A-Z Gallery? I personally am satisfied with the ID but that doesn't count for much. I don't know if anyone else has doubts or can confirm the ID?

[NickCantle]

Hmm, if you leave them in the image archive Steve, then I can create an entry under Agaricus impudicus at a later date (Maybe a date determined by more confirmation of the ID?) using the photographs in the Image Archive.

Nick

[blewitt]

Agaricus bisporus

??