JohnW Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 Howdy all, I get these growing from the grassy ground under an apple tree near a pond, this is the 3rd year I've found these. I'm at 44 degrees N in Northern Michigan. Spore print looks dark brownish. This sample is around 7"+ in diameter. It has a ring. Has a clean pleasant scent, not really 'mushroomy'. So is it Agaricus? If so, any idea of the specie? Many thanks, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCn15 Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 Spore print and gill color confirm it's Agaricus to me. Does the ring have a cogwheel pattern? If so then horse mushroom. Could also be agaricus bitorquis or campestrus. No yellow staining and pleasant odor would seem to rule out Agaricus Xanthodermus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 It's an Agaricus alright. Perhaps the most telling trait is the that the gills are "free", meaning they do not reach the stalk (and have not broken away form the stalk). Probably a species from section Arvenses. The species from this section that produce large mushrooms with the "cogwheel" ring on the stalk are called "Horse Mushrooms", and are considered to be excellent edibles. However there are some potential problems with eating Agaricus mushrooms. First, there are toxic types that can be confused with edible ones. The "pleasant scent" is a good sign. Horse Mushrooms have a pleasant almondy scent. But the other problem is that Agaricus mushrooms are known to uptake substances found in the soil. So, before you prepare an Agaricus mushroom for eating, make sure the environment where it was found is not contaminated... ie, not a roadside, chemically treated lawn, golf course, or other environment where toxins are likely present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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