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Agaricus campestris |
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The Field Mushroom, Agaricus campestris, is the
most commonly eaten wild mushroom in the British Isles. Meadows grazed
by sheep, cattle or horses often produce vast quantities.
Identification guide |
Cap
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3 to 10 cm in diameter, the cap is creamy
white, sometimes developing small scales as it matures. Usually the
margin remains down-turned or slightly in-rolled even when the cap has
expanded fully.
The thick flesh is white, sometimes turning slightly pink when cut but never staining yellow. |
Gills |
Deep pink at first, the free crowded gills
turn dark brown and eventually almost black as the fruit body matures.
Old specimens may become infested by maggots, which enter the cap flesh via the gills. Careful inspection is necessary, and it is inadvisable to include very old specimens in collections intended for food. |
Stipe |
3 to 10 cm tall and 1 to 2 cm in diameter,
the white stem is smooth above the single, delicate ring and somewhat
scaly below. It is more or less parallel and does not turn yellow when
cut.
The ring itself is ephemeral, and by the time the fruit body is fully developed there is rarely much evidence of a ring remaining. |
Spore print |
Deep chocolate brown. |
Odour/taste |
Not distinctive. |
Habitat |
On soil among grass in pastures, playing fields and parks. |
Season |
June to October. |
Occurrence |
Frequent |
Similar species |
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First Nature Multimedia
Guide to Fungi There is a lot more about this species and hundreds of other beautiful and fascinating mushrooms and toadstools on our CD-ROM for PCs with Internet Explorer. Details...
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