Field Mushroom

Agaricus campestris L.

1 Observations

2 months ago Last Observed

The Field Mushroom (Agaricus campestris) is the classic wild mushroom of pastures, lawns and playing fields, and a close relative of the Cultivated Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) sold in shops.

Its white to cream cap sits above free gills that are bright pink when young and darken to dark brown and almost black with age, and the short white stem carries a thin, fragile ring that often disappears. It grows in grassland rather than woodland, from late spring into early winter. It is a popular edible, which makes its lookalikes important.

The Yellow Stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus) turns bright chrome-yellow at the stem base when cut and smells of ink or chemicals, and it is poisonous. White Amanitas such as the Deathcap (Amanita phalloides) and Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa) have white gills and a volva at the base: always dig up the whole stem and check.

Spore Print

Season

Native

non-toxic

Distribution

Widespread and common

Habitat

Occurs in grass and open land

Etymology

Agaricus is an ancient name used by Pliny and Dioscorides for a kind of fungus, later applied to gilled mushrooms. campestris is Latin for 'of the fields', after its grassland habitat.

Conservation

LC - Least Concern

IUCN Red Data List - Agaricus campestris
Assessment date: 2019

Cap

White to cream, smooth or with fine scales; margin often overhanging with remnants of the veil.

Colour
Shape	Convex, Flattened
Surface	Smooth, Squamose
Width	5 - 10 cm
Margin	Appendiculate

Gills

Free and crowded; bright pink when young, darkening to dark brown and almost black. Never white.

Colour
Attachment	Free
Spacing	crowded

Flesh

The flesh is white and stains slightly pinkish red when cut, but does not turn yellow. It has a pleasant smell of anise or almonds or of commercial mushrooms, and a mild, mushroomy taste.

Colour
Odour	Pleasant, of anise or almonds or of commercial mushrooms
Taste	Mild, mushroomy

Stem

The stem is white, tapering and fibrillose. The ring is thin and soon torn, often missing but leaving a faint ring zone near the top of the stem, and there is no volva at the base.