Appearance
The cap is white, may have fine scales, and is 5 to 10 centimetre in diameter; it is first hemispherical in shape before flattening out with maturity.The gills are initially pink, then red-brown and finally a dark brown, as is the spore print. The 3 to 10 centimetres tall stipe is predominantly white and bears a single thin ring. The taste is mild. The white flesh bruises a dingy reddish brown, as opposed to yellow in the inedible "Agaricus xanthodermus" and similar species.
The thick-walled, elliptical spores measure 5.5–8.0 µm by 4–5 µm. Cheilocystidia are absent.
Naming
Several species may be confused with "Agaricus campestris". "Amanita virosa" and similar, closely related species, are morbidly toxic. "Agaricus xanthodermus" causes gastrointestinal problems."Agaricus arvensis", the horse mushroom, is an excellent edible. White "Clitocybe" species that also grow on lawns, and in grassy places may be dangerous to eat.
Distribution
"Agaricus campestris" is 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, 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. This species is rarely found in woodland.The mushroom has been reported from Asia, Europe, northern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.
Habitat
"Agaricus campestris" is 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, 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. This species is rarely found in woodland.The mushroom has been reported from Asia, Europe, northern Africa, Australia
, New Zealand, and North America.
Uses
Research into fungal dressings for the treatment of ulcers, and bed sores, using fungal mycelial filaments, is ongoing. In the past, slices of "A. campestris" were applied to scalds and burns in parts of Scotland.References:
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