Agaricus bernardii - Dune Mushroom

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Distinctive large brown cap scales and a coastal grassland habitat make this a fairly easy species to identify, and being remarkably tolerant of salt-laden air this large edible mushroom is occasionally seen in grassland very close to beaches.

Dune Mushrooms can occur as solitary specimens, but more often they are in groups jostling one another for space, and as a result some of the caps develop contorted margins.

Identification guide

Cap	7 to 15cm across; initially hemispherical, becoming convex; surface background white, covered in coarse brown scales that give it a cracked appearance; margin slightly inrolled; white flesh turns reddish when cut.
Gills	Free; crowded; pink, becoming chocolate-brown as the spores mature.
Stem	4 to 8cm long and 2 to 4cm dia.; narrow sheathing ring with an upturned rim.
Spore print	Chocolate-brown.
Odour/taste	Taste not distinctive. Strong odour of aniseed.
Habitat	In grassland, including coastal dune slacks.
Season	July to November.
Occurrence	Infrequent.
Similar species	The Prince, Agaricus augustus, is usually somewhat larger and has a purple-brown spore print; it is a mushroom of forests and woodland edges.