Agaricus
37 species
1 subspecies and varieties
1 subspecies and varieties
Show only taxa with photos
Order by:
Scientific name
Common name
Display as:
Agaricus albolutescens – amber-staining agaricus
Habitat: Oak
Spores: late fall through early spring
Habitat: Oak
Spores: late fall through early spring
Agaricus altipes – tall stem agaricus
Agaricus arvensis – horse agaricus, horse mushroom, prairie mushroom
Description: Gives off a smell of aniseed or almonds when young. Flesh is white to cream but bruises yellow. Cap is smooth to slightly scaly while the stem is smooth with a ring. Gills start out grayish-pink but become chocolate-brown.
Habitat: grasslands and pastures
Description: Gives off a smell of aniseed or almonds when young. Flesh is white to cream but bruises yellow. Cap is smooth to slightly scaly while the stem is smooth with a ring. Gills start out grayish-pink but become chocolate-brown.
Habitat: grasslands and pastures
Agaricus augustus – giant agaric, horse agaric, prince agaricus, the prince
Habitat: Found in particularly in well watered areas under cedars and in disturbed areas, such as campgrounds or along trails or roads.
Habitat: Found in particularly in well watered areas under cedars and in disturbed areas, such as campgrounds or along trails or roads.
Agaricus bernardii – salt-loving agaricus, salt-loving mushroom
Description: Stout and white to being with but usually develops grayish cracks or scales on cap. Gills begin pink and turn chocolate-brown. Stipe has an upturned ring and a sock-like base. Flesh turns reddish brown when cut and may develop a fishy or briny smell.
Habitat: grasslands, roadsides, seashores, and road-salt runoff areas
Description: Stout and white to being with but usually develops grayish cracks or scales on cap. Gills begin pink and turn chocolate-brown. Stipe has an upturned ring and a sock-like base. Flesh turns reddish brown when cut and may develop a fishy or briny smell.
Habitat: grasslands, roadsides, seashores, and road-salt runoff areas
Agaricus bisporus – champignon, button mushroom, commercial mushroom, cultivated mushroom
Description: Generally brown cap with flat feathery scales. Gills begin as pink but turn chocolate-brown. Stem is white and smooth with a slight ring. Flesh may turn pink when cut.
Habitat: parks, gardens, roadsides.
Description: Generally brown cap with flat feathery scales. Gills begin as pink but turn chocolate-brown. Stem is white and smooth with a slight ring. Flesh may turn pink when cut.
Habitat: parks, gardens, roadsides.
Agaricus bitorquis – banded agaric, spring agaric, urban agaric, pavement mushroom, sidewalk mushroom, tork
Agaricus buckmacadooi
Description: Usually large size up to 7" cap diameter and 8" tall, very dark brown appressed fibrils / fine scales on the cap surface, flesh of stem may become slightly yellowish in lower part near base, a rubbery, thick-margined ring that is pendant and intermediate, phenolic odor, no staining, and yellow KOH reaction.
Distribution: Recorded in the Puget Sound area and Olympic Peninsula. Pacific Coast of North America, in Washington and California.
Substrate: Soil.
Description: Usually large size up to 7" cap diameter and 8" tall, very dark brown appressed fibrils / fine scales on the cap surface, flesh of stem may become slightly yellowish in lower part near base, a rubbery, thick-margined ring that is pendant and intermediate, phenolic odor, no staining, and yellow KOH reaction.
Distribution: Recorded in the Puget Sound area and Olympic Peninsula. Pacific Coast of North America, in Washington and California.
Substrate: Soil.
Agaricus campestris – meadow agaricus, pink bottom, champignon, common field mushroom, hot-bed mushroom, meadow mushroom
Description: The popular edible meadow mushroom, as both its scientific and common names suggest, is usually found in fields or pastures (campestris means growing in a field in Latin), especially those rich in manure. The largest fruitings tend to occur when warm and wet weather coincide. It is a stocky, medium-sized, clean white mushroom with bright pink gills when young (another common name is pink bottom); however, as it ages it tends to become brown overall with dark chocolate gills. The cap may be somewhat fibrillose to scaly and, typically, the cuticle extends past the margin, like an overhanging table-cloth. The ring usually is thin and not persistent, and the base of the stipe often is tapered. It occurs nearly worldwide.
Distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Found in fields or pastures, especially those rich in manure
Description: The popular edible meadow mushroom, as both its scientific and common names suggest, is usually found in fields or pastures (campestris means growing in a field in Latin), especially those rich in manure. The largest fruitings tend to occur when warm and wet weather coincide. It is a stocky, medium-sized, clean white mushroom with bright pink gills when young (another common name is pink bottom); however, as it ages it tends to become brown overall with dark chocolate gills. The cap may be somewhat fibrillose to scaly and, typically, the cuticle extends past the margin, like an overhanging table-cloth. The ring usually is thin and not persistent, and the base of the stipe often is tapered. It occurs nearly worldwide.
Distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Found in fields or pastures, especially those rich in manure
Agaricus diminutivus – diminutive agaricus
Agaricus hondensis – felt-ringed agaricus, felt-ringed mushroom
Description: Agaricus hondensis is a medium to large toxic species, with an often pink-tinged, fibrillose cap that darkens with age, solid flesh, smooth stipe, and a large thick (“felty”) ring. The gills are grayish to pale pinkish when young, and the stipe base usually bruises light chrome yellow and exhibits a phenolic odor when the flesh is crushed.
Habitat: Occurs primarily in forests, seems to be restricted to the Pacific Coast, and is more common in California than it is in the PNW.
Description: Agaricus hondensis is a medium to large toxic species, with an often pink-tinged, fibrillose cap that darkens with age, solid flesh, smooth stipe, and a large thick (“felty”) ring. The gills are grayish to pale pinkish when young, and the stipe base usually bruises light chrome yellow and exhibits a phenolic odor when the flesh is crushed.
Habitat: Occurs primarily in forests, seems to be restricted to the Pacific Coast, and is more common in California than it is in the PNW.
Agaricus inapertus – mountain gastroid agaricus
Agaricus micromegethus – anise agaricus
Agaricus moelleri
Description: Agaricus moelleri, usually known as A. praeclaresquamosus (Freeman), is another phenol-smelling, toxic species and is the most common of this group in the PNW. It is a medium to medium-large species with a marshmallow-shaped cap and pallid gills when young, dark gray-brown fibrillose cap, smooth stipe, and well developed ring. It lacks the pinkish tints and markedly solid flesh of A. hondensis, and the flesh in the extreme base of the stipe stains a brighter yellow when cut or crushed.
Description: Agaricus moelleri, usually known as A. praeclaresquamosus (Freeman), is another phenol-smelling, toxic species and is the most common of this group in the PNW. It is a medium to medium-large species with a marshmallow-shaped cap and pallid gills when young, dark gray-brown fibrillose cap, smooth stipe, and well developed ring. It lacks the pinkish tints and markedly solid flesh of A. hondensis, and the flesh in the extreme base of the stipe stains a brighter yellow when cut or crushed.
Agaricus purpurellus – purple agaricus
Agaricus semotus – wine agaricus, rosy wood mushroom, yellow-bulbed mushroom
Agaricus silvaticus – red-staining agaricus, blushing wood mushroom, forest mushroom, red-staining mushroom, scaly wood mushroom, sylvan mushroom
Agaricus silvicola – forest agaric, sylvan agaric, woodland agaricus, woods agaricus, sylvan mushroom, wood mushroom
Description: The key features of Agaricus silvicola are its medium-large size, overall whitish color, tendency to stain yellow on cap and stipe, pleasant (though sometimes very faint) anise odor, and occurrence in forests (silvicola is Latin for forest-inhabiting). It is probably the most frequently encountered agaricus in our woodlands. The name A. abruptibulbus has been applied to forms with bulbous stipe bases, but variation in stipe shape is so great that use of this name has been largely abandoned.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Forests and woodlands
Description: The key features of Agaricus silvicola are its medium-large size, overall whitish color, tendency to stain yellow on cap and stipe, pleasant (though sometimes very faint) anise odor, and occurrence in forests (silvicola is Latin for forest-inhabiting). It is probably the most frequently encountered agaricus in our woodlands. The name A. abruptibulbus has been applied to forms with bulbous stipe bases, but variation in stipe shape is so great that use of this name has been largely abandoned.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Forests and woodlands
Agaricus subrutilescens – wine-colored agaric, wine-colored agaricus, woolly-stemmed agaricus, woolly-stem
Description: Agaricus subrutilescens is a highly esteemed edible mushroom although, like most agaricuses, it is not for everyone. It is a tall statuesque forest-dweller, with a whitish cap overlain with purplish brown fibrillose scales, shaggy white stipe, and persistent, but not especially heavy, skirt-like ring. The flesh is whitish, non-staining, and has a mild odor. The gills are whitish at first, then turn pale pinkish, and finally chocolate-brown. It is not uncommon, but usually does not occur in large numbers. If not restricted to the Pacific Coast, at least it is most common here.
Description: Agaricus subrutilescens is a highly esteemed edible mushroom although, like most agaricuses, it is not for everyone. It is a tall statuesque forest-dweller, with a whitish cap overlain with purplish brown fibrillose scales, shaggy white stipe, and persistent, but not especially heavy, skirt-like ring. The flesh is whitish, non-staining, and has a mild odor. The gills are whitish at first, then turn pale pinkish, and finally chocolate-brown. It is not uncommon, but usually does not occur in large numbers. If not restricted to the Pacific Coast, at least it is most common here.
