Agaricaceae
27 genera
134 species
3 subspecies and varieties
134 species
3 subspecies and varieties
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Index to genera:
Agaricus, Battarrea, Bovista, Calbovista, Calvatia, Chlamydopus, Chlorophyllum, Coprinus, Crucibulum, Cyathus, Cystoderma, Cystodermella, Cystolepiota, Disciseda, Floccularia, Gymnopus, Lepiota, Leucoagaricus, Leucocoprinus, Lycoperdon, Melanophyllum, Montagnea, Nidula, Nidularia, Phaeolepiota, Tulostoma, VascellumAgaricus 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 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.
Battarrea phalloides – desert drumstick, flatcap stalked puffball, scaly-stalked puffball, sandy stiltball
Description: The Sandy Stiltball emerges from a whitish, buried “egg” that may remain at the stem base or disintegrate. The cap or head is covered by a white, membranous skin at first, but this later splits apart to reveal a rusty brown spore mass. The stem is hard, dry, shaggy-scaly, and pale brown.
Habitat: Dry woodland, scrub, and desert
Description: The Sandy Stiltball emerges from a whitish, buried “egg” that may remain at the stem base or disintegrate. The cap or head is covered by a white, membranous skin at first, but this later splits apart to reveal a rusty brown spore mass. The stem is hard, dry, shaggy-scaly, and pale brown.
Habitat: Dry woodland, scrub, and desert
Bovista pila – tumbling puffball
Description: Spore case globose to subglobose, 2– 7 cm across; at first with white, fuzzy surface, wearing off to expose inner skin that is papery thin, metallic bronzy purplish, smooth; an irregular apical pore or simple ragged tear eventually forms near the top, releasing the spore mass; sterile base absent; base attached to soil by a single cordlike extension. Spore mass/gleba at first white, then becoming deep purplish, powdery; odor and taste mild.
Habitat: open woods and shrublands
Substrate: soil and leaf debris
Spores: late summer to fall
Description: Spore case globose to subglobose, 2– 7 cm across; at first with white, fuzzy surface, wearing off to expose inner skin that is papery thin, metallic bronzy purplish, smooth; an irregular apical pore or simple ragged tear eventually forms near the top, releasing the spore mass; sterile base absent; base attached to soil by a single cordlike extension. Spore mass/gleba at first white, then becoming deep purplish, powdery; odor and taste mild.
Habitat: open woods and shrublands
Substrate: soil and leaf debris
Spores: late summer to fall
Bovista plumbea – grey puffball, lead-colored puffball, tumbling puffball, tumble-ball
Substrate: grass
Spores: fall and winter
Substrate: grass
Spores: fall and winter
Calbovista subsculpta – sculptured giant puffball, sculptured puffball, warted giant puffball
Description: Calbovista subsculpta has low, somewhat flattened, pyramidal warts; it has a distinct sterile base below the gleba.
Spores: late spring through summer
Description: Calbovista subsculpta has low, somewhat flattened, pyramidal warts; it has a distinct sterile base below the gleba.
Spores: late spring through summer
Calvatia cyathiformis – purple-spored puffball, vase puffball
Description: Spore case 5– 19 cm across and 8– 15 cm high, often pear-shaped with a tapered sterile base; outer surface at first whitish tan becoming brown, soon cracking irregularly and flaking off as it ages. Sterile base chambered, prominent, occupying most of the narrow lower part of the fruiting body, often persisting as vase-shaped remnants when the spores have been dispersed. Gleba (interior) at first whitish, becoming yellow grayish, finally colored purple-brown as spores mature.
Habitat: Prairie grasslands, fields, and desert communities
Spores: summer to fall
Description: Spore case 5– 19 cm across and 8– 15 cm high, often pear-shaped with a tapered sterile base; outer surface at first whitish tan becoming brown, soon cracking irregularly and flaking off as it ages. Sterile base chambered, prominent, occupying most of the narrow lower part of the fruiting body, often persisting as vase-shaped remnants when the spores have been dispersed. Gleba (interior) at first whitish, becoming yellow grayish, finally colored purple-brown as spores mature.
Habitat: Prairie grasslands, fields, and desert communities
Spores: summer to fall
Calvatia gigantea – giant puffball
Substrate: fields, pastures, open woods, cemeteries, on exposed hillsides, along roads, in drainage ditches, etc.
Substrate: fields, pastures, open woods, cemeteries, on exposed hillsides, along roads, in drainage ditches, etc.
Calvatia lycoperdoides – cotton-spored puffball
Calvatia sculpta – sculptured puffball, Sierran puffball
Calvatia subcretacea – small warted mountain puffball
Chlorophyllum agaricoides – puffball parasol
Description: chlorophyllum agaricoides produces a puffball-like fruitbody with a half-internal stem. The cap surface is smooth at first, then scaly, and white to cream, becoming buff to brownish. The inner spore mass is white at first, becoming yellowish to brown. The short stem is cap-colored with an indistinct ring joined to the base of the cap.
Habitat: Grass
Description: chlorophyllum agaricoides produces a puffball-like fruitbody with a half-internal stem. The cap surface is smooth at first, then scaly, and white to cream, becoming buff to brownish. The inner spore mass is white at first, becoming yellowish to brown. The short stem is cap-colored with an indistinct ring joined to the base of the cap.
Habitat: Grass
Chlorophyllum brunneum – shaggy parasol
Coprinus comatus – shaggy inkcap, lawyer's-wig, shaggy-mane
Crucibulum laeve – common bird's nest fungus, yellow bird's nest fungus, common birds' nest, white-egg bird's nest
Cyathus stercoreus – splash-cup bird's-nest, dung-loving bird's-nest fungus, dung bird's nest
Cyathus striatus – fluted bird's-nest, streaked bird's-nest, splash cups, ribbed splashcup
Habitat: It can be common in gardens where woody materials have been added to the planting beds.
Substrate: Cyathus striatus occurs in a number of different habitats on decaying plant materials such as wood chips, small branches, and needles.
Habitat: It can be common in gardens where woody materials have been added to the planting beds.
Substrate: Cyathus striatus occurs in a number of different habitats on decaying plant materials such as wood chips, small branches, and needles.
Cystoderma fallax – conifer Cystoderma
Distribution: Only in North America
Habitat: It occurs in a variety of habitats, including conifer, mixed, and hardwood forests on litter, humus, rotting wood, and in mosses.
Distribution: Only in North America
Habitat: It occurs in a variety of habitats, including conifer, mixed, and hardwood forests on litter, humus, rotting wood, and in mosses.
Floccularia luteovirens – scaly yellow Armillaria, shaggy-stem
Gymnopus acervatus – clustered Collybia, conifer toughshank
Habitat: Conifer forests
Substrate: Rotting logs and stumps, other woody debris
Habitat: Conifer forests
Substrate: Rotting logs and stumps, other woody debris
Gymnopus confluens – tufted Collybia, clustered toughshank
Distribution: Mixed woods with heavy litter accumulations
Distribution: Mixed woods with heavy litter accumulations
Gymnopus dryophilus – common Collybia, oak Collybia, June mushroom, russet toughshank
Spores: whitish to pale yellow, smooth, and do not react in Melzer’s reagent
Spores: whitish to pale yellow, smooth, and do not react in Melzer’s reagent
Gymnopus luxurians
Distribution: It occurs in a variety of urban and suburban habitats including flower beds with wood chips and in lawns around the roots of trees. It can appear in summer, when few other species are fruiting, if sufficient moisture is available, such as from yard-watering.
Distribution: It occurs in a variety of urban and suburban habitats including flower beds with wood chips and in lawns around the roots of trees. It can appear in summer, when few other species are fruiting, if sufficient moisture is available, such as from yard-watering.
Gymnopus perforans – stinking parachute
Gymnopus peronatus – wood woolly-foot
Distribution: G. peronatus is a widespread and often extremely abundant species at lower elevations in the PNW, occurring in mixed woods on leaf litter and woody debris.
Spores: long and narrow and the edges of the gills have long, slender cheilocystidia
Distribution: G. peronatus is a widespread and often extremely abundant species at lower elevations in the PNW, occurring in mixed woods on leaf litter and woody debris.
Spores: long and narrow and the edges of the gills have long, slender cheilocystidia
Lepiota alba – small white parasol
Lepiota clypeolaria – shield dapperling, shaggy-stalked parasol
Lepiota cristata – crested dapperling, stinking dapperling, brown-eyed parasol, stinking parasol
Lepiota flammeotincta – flaming parasol
Lepiota magnispora – yellowfoot dapperling
Leucoagaricus leucothites – white dapperling, ma'am on motorcycle, smooth parasol, woman-on-motorcycle
Habitat: It is a widespread mushroom that occurs mostly in grassy areas, gardens, and other human-influenced habitats, but also occasionally in forests.
Habitat: It is a widespread mushroom that occurs mostly in grassy areas, gardens, and other human-influenced habitats, but also occasionally in forests.
Leucoagaricus rubrotinctus – red-eyed parasol, red-tinged parasol
Habitat: Very common and conspicuous in coastal and lower elevation forests.
Habitat: Very common and conspicuous in coastal and lower elevation forests.
Leucocoprinus brebissonii – skullcap dapperling
Distribution: Common
Habitat: woodland
Spores: Most abundant in summer
Distribution: Common
Habitat: woodland
Spores: Most abundant in summer
Leucocoprinus cepistipes – onion-stalk parasol
Lycoperdon dermoxanthum – dwarf puffball, small tumbling puffball
Lycoperdon molle – smooth puffball, soft puffball
Lycoperdon perlatum – warted puff-ball, gem puffball, gem-studded puffball, devil's snuffbox
Habitat: L. perlatum can be found in disturbed sites, such as forest roadsides, from late summer through fall whenever there is sufficient moisture.
Habitat: L. perlatum can be found in disturbed sites, such as forest roadsides, from late summer through fall whenever there is sufficient moisture.
Lycoperdon pulcherrimum – beautiful puffball
Melanophyllum haematospermum – red-gilled Agaricus, redspored dapperling
Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats including forests, green houses, and manure piles
Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats including forests, green houses, and manure piles
Nidula niveotomentosa – white barrel bird's nest
Phaeolepiota aurea – golden bootleg, gold cup, Alaskan gold, golden false Pholiota
Distribution: Widely distributed
Habitat: Usually found in the north temperate zone in disturbed areas of forests, such as along roadsides.
Distribution: Widely distributed
Habitat: Usually found in the north temperate zone in disturbed areas of forests, such as along roadsides.
