A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Family: Strophariaceae
Agrocybe, including edible fungi such as the Agrocybe cylindracea, is a genus of mushroom with similar characteristics to the Tricholoma matsutake, Agrocybe aegerita and Agrocybe parasitica. Some are poisonous mushrooms. The genus has a widespread distribution, and contains about 100 species. The edible mushrooms species are not easy to identify and it is safer to avoid the entire genus when mushroom hunting for consumption.
Royal Botanical Gardens, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Mushroom cultivation began with the Romans and Greeks, who grew the small Agrocybe aegerita. The Romans, who wrote that fungi were thought to arise when lightning struck, collected truffles. In Europe, toxic forms are not normally found, but the Agrocybe molesta is easily confused with Agaricus (white mushrooms) or with seriously poisonous forms of Amanita.
Spotted on Jul 11, 2011
Submitted on Jul 11, 2011
4 Comments
Thanks, that's very interesting
The cap cuticle is made of spherical cells as opposed to fibrous ones, so they split in all directions. Russula and Lactarius are entirely made of these cells, but the above species only have them in the cap.
Tim, do you know by any chance why they're cracked?
Agrocybe is quite likely. Photos of the underside are very important in fungi identification.