Agaricus
Sp. pl.: 1171. 1753.
Agaricus is a genus of mostly medium to large gilled mushrooms. Well known members of the genus Agaricus are A. bisporus, the "button mushroom" common in supermarkets and A. campestris, the "meadow mushroom", a popular edible mushroom which is common in pastures and grasslands in many temperate areas of the world.
Principle characteristics of the genus Agaricus:
- Spore deposit chocolate-brown, purplish-brown, blackish-brown
- Lamellae free
- Stipe is clearly separable from pileus
- Annulus present
- Volva absent
- Spores smooth
Keys and descriptions of the genus Agaricus:
- Fred Stevens: Trial Key to Common Agaricus Species of the Central California Coast (60 KB PDF)
- Pacific Northwest Key Council (Margaret Dilly): Trial field key to the species of Agaricus in the Pacific Northwest
- Pacific Northwest Key Council (Laverne R. Chariton): Trial field key to the species of Agaricus in the Pacific Northwest
- MushroomExpert.com: The Genus Agaricus
- Illinois Mycological Association: Agaricus
- Kerrigan, R.W. (1986). The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California. 6. Agaricaceae. Mad River Press: Eureka, CA.
Agaricus species known to occur in California:
- Agaricus albolutescens
- Agaricus altipes
- Agaricus arorae
- Agaricus arvensis
- Agaricus augustus
- Agaricus benesii
- Agaricus bernardii
- Agaricus bisporus
- Agaricus bitorquis
- Agaricus californicus
- Agaricus campestris
- Agaricus comptuloides
- Agaricus comtulus
- Agaricus crocodilinus
- Agaricus cupreo-brunneus
- Agaricus diminutivus
- Agaricus fusco-fibrillosus
- Agaricus fuscovelatus
- Agaricus hondensis
- Agaricus lilaceps
- Agaricus micromegathus
- Agaricus osecanus
- Agaricus parkensis
- Agaricus pattersonae
- Agaricus perobscurus
- Agaricus placomyces var. microsporus
- Agaricus praeclaresquamosus
- Agaricus rubronanus
- Agaricus rutilescens
- Agaricus semotus
- Agaricus sequoiae
- Agaricus smithii
- Agaricus spissicaulis
- Agaricus subfloccosus
- Agaricus subrufescens
- Agaricus subrutilescens
- Agaricus summensis
- Agaricus sylvicola
- Agaricus vinaceovirens
- Agaricus xanthodermus