Agaricus campestris

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Agaricus campestris

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1
)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Agaricaceae
Genus: Agaricus
Species:
A. campestris
Binomial name
Agaricus campestris
L. (1753)
Agaricus campestris
saprotrophic
Edibility is choice

Agaricus campestris is a widely eaten gilled mushroom closely related to the cultivated A. bisporus (button mushroom). A. campestris is commonly known as the field mushroom or, in North America, meadow mushroom.

Taxonomy

This species was originally noted and named in 1753 by

Lucien Quelet in 1872. Some variants have been isolated over the years, a few of which now have species status, for example, Agaricus bernardii Quel. (1878), Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Imbach (1946), Agaricus bitorquis (Quel.) Sacc. (1887), Agaricus cappellianus Hlavacek (1987), and Agaricus silvicola (Vittad.) Peck (1872). Some were so similar they did not warrant even varietal
status, while others have retained it. Agaricus campestris var. equestris (F.H.Moller) Pilat (1951) is still valid. A. campestris var. isabellinus (F.H.Moller) Pilat (1951), and A. campestris var. radicatus, are possibly still valid too.

The

specific epithet campestris means "of the fields". Common names given to the fungus include "meadow mushroom", "pink bottom",[2]
and "field mushroom".

An analysis of ribosomal DNA of a limited number of members of the genus showed A. campestris to be an early offshoot in the genus and sister taxon to A. cupreobrunneus.[3]

Description

The

Cheilocystidia are absent.[6]

Similar species

Several species may be confused with A. campestris. The most dangerous confusion may be with the deadly Amanita virosa (the destroying angel),[7] or with the deadly Amanita hygroscopica (the pink-gilled destroying angel).[8] In the US, it may be confused with the poisonous Agaricus californicus[4] or A. hondensis. White Clitocybe species that also grow in grassy places may be toxic. According to Moldenke, some authorities believed that the mandrakes referenced in Genesis and in Song of Solomon were not Mandragora Officinarum L, but instead might be Agaricus campestris L.[9]

A less serious, but more common, confusion is with Agaricus xanthodermus[7] (the yellow stainer), which causes gastrointestinal problems in many people. A. arvensis (the horse mushroom) is similar and an excellent edible.

Distribution and habitat

A. campestris is found in fields and grassy areas after rain from late summer onwards worldwide. It is often found on lawns in suburban areas, appearing in small groups, in

fairy rings,[10] or solitary. Owing to the demise of horse-drawn vehicles, and the subsequent decrease in the number of horses on pasture, the old "white outs" of years gone by are becoming rare events.[11] This species is rarely found in woodland
.

The mushroom has been reported from Asia, Europe, northern Africa, Australia,[12] New Zealand, and North America.[13][14]

Uses

Although edible and choice,[4][15] this mushroom is not commercially cultivated on account of its fast maturing and short shelf-life.[16] Culinary uses of the meadow mushroom include eating it sauteed or fried, in sauces, or even sliced raw and included in salads. In flavor and texture, this mushroom is similar to the

white button mushroom available in grocery stores in most Western countries.[7] Among the similar species mentioned above, there have been cases (in fact the most common cause of fatal fungus poisoning in France) where the deadly toxic A. virosa (the destroying angel) has been consumed by individuals who mistook it for this species. The edibility of specimens collected from lawns is uncertain because of possible contamination with pesticides or other chemicals.[citation needed
]

It is nearly identical (except microscopically) to the edible species Agaricus andrewii and A. solidipes.[17][18]

Other uses

Research into fungal dressings for the treatment of ulcers, and bed sores, using fungal mycelial filaments, is ongoing.[citation needed] In the past, slices of A. campestris were applied to scalds and burns in parts of Scotland.[19]

Bioactive properties

Water extracts of A. campestris have been shown to enhance the secretion of

glucose metabolism in vitro, although the mechanism is not understood.[20]

See also
  • List of Agaricus species

Gallery

  • Free hymenium (spore producing tissue layer) (also referred to as gills) of Field Mushroom
    Free hymenium (spore producing tissue layer) (also referred to as gills) of Field Mushroom

References

  1. ^ Linnaeus C. (1753). Species Plantarum (in Latin). Vol. 2. Stockholm: Lars Salvius. p. 1173.
  2. ISBN 978-0-8131-9039-6
    .
  3. S2CID 40265528
    .
  4. ^
    OCLC 797915861
    .
  5. ISBN 978-0-14-063006-0
    .
  6. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4930-2669-2
    .
  8. ^ "Amanita hygroscopica - Amanitaceae.org - Taxonomy and Morphology of Amanita and Limacella". www.amanitaceae.org.
  9. ^ Moldenke, Harold N., and Alma L. Moldenke. “132. Mandragora Officinarum L.” Essay. In Plants of the Bible, 137–39, 283. New York, NY: Kegan Paul, 2002.
  10. doi:10.1016/j.mycol.2005.11.013
    .
  11. ^ Mabey R. (1972). Food For Free, A Guide to the Edible Wild Plants of Britain. Fontana/Collins.
  12. ^ J. H. Maiden (1889). The useful native plants of Australia : Including Tasmania. Turner and Henderson, Sydney.
  13. ISBN 978-0-226-72117-0
    .
  14. PMID 24597704. Open access icon
  15. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1
    .
  16. ISBN 978-0-14-046273-9
    .
  17. ISBN 978-1-55407-651-2
    .
  18. ^ Murrill, William (1922). "Dark-Spored Agarics". Mycologia. 14. New York Botanical Garden: 203.
  19. ISBN 978-0-00-728464-1
    .
  20. PMID 9659289
    .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Agaricus campestris.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Agaricus_campestris&oldid=1216618726"