Agaricus didymus
(Woodland Agaricus, Agaricus Silvicola, Agaricus sylvicola)

Habitat

This mushroom is found under various conifers in the mountains. From 7000ft in Ponderosa pine up to subalpine under Spruce. Also found in mixed forest of aspens and conifers. It grows on the ground.

Description

This mushroom stains yellow to golden when bruised or handled. The cap ages from white to a nice golden color. Notice the cogwheel shape on veil (some other Agaricus have this too). It is closely related to Agaricus arvensis (The Horse Mushroom which grows in lawns & fields in the city). It has a distinct almond / cherry smell (when fresh) and a bulbous stem base that is usually curved.

This mushroom is very easy to identify once you smell one and get use to it. We used to call this mushroom Agaricus sylvicola (described from California) which can be found in many books and guides. Our local species was renamed to Agaricus didymus in 2016. There are also several different similar Woodland Agaricus in Colorado, some not even named. A. gemellatus is a closely related, very similar and more robust with a fat bulbed base that is typically straight rather than curved. A. mesocarpus is a smaller similar mushroom. A. sylvicola is a close relative coastal species from the west coast. There are 20 some yellow staining Agaricus in the arvenses section in North America that are still being separated by spore size and DNA sequencing including several in the Rocky Mountains.

They cook up to a nice golden yellow color. Also fantastic as a pizza topping.

Location

Colorado

Smell

Almond

Spore Print

Chocolate Brown

Edibility

Edible

Color

White turning Golden yellow.

Last Updated

Aug 26 2023 09:53 AM

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