Biology:Agaricus crocodilinus

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Agaricus crocodilinus
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Agaricaceae
Genus: Agaricus
Species:
A. crocodilinus
Binomial name
Agaricus crocodilinus
Murrill
Synonyms
  • Agaricus macrosporus
  • Agaricus urinescens
Agaricus crocodilinus
View the Mycomorphbox template that generates the following list
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Mycological characteristics
gills on hymenium
cap is convex
hymenium is free
stipe has a ring
spore print is brown
edibility: edible

Agaricus crocodilinus, commonly known as the crocodile agaricus[1] or macro mushroom,[2] is a species of mushroom in the family Agaricaceae.

Taxonomy

Agaricus crocodilinus was first described by William Murrill in 1912. The specific epithet is in reference to its warty surface, reminiscent of a crocodile's skin.[3]

Description

The cap starts out round, before becoming broadly convex. It is 5–12 centimetres (2–4 12 in) across when young, but can reach 20–40 cm (8–15 12 in). The stipe is 6–20 cm (2 147 34 in) long and 2–4 cm (341 12 in) wide, with a ring. The gills are free, starting out tannish and later becoming reddish to blackish brown.[1]

Similar species

It can sometimes be confused with Agaricus arvensis and the poisonous A. xanthodermus.[2]

Habitat and ecology

Agaricus crocodilinus often grows in prairies and pastures with a lot of grass.[1] It is saprophytic.[3]

Uses

Agaricus crocodilinus is considered edible and highly regarded,[1] but often contains maggots (even when young) and can be confused with at least one poisonous species.[2] It has also been known to accumulate the toxic chemical cadmium, even in non-polluted areas.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Siegel, Noah; Schwartz, Christian (September 1, 2024). Mushrooms of Cascadia: A Comprehensive Guide to Fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Humboldt County, California: Backcountry Press. pp. 86. ISBN 9781941624197. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Macro Mushroom" (in en-GB). 2017-06-27. https://www.wildfooduk.com/mushroom-guide/agaricus-macrosporus/. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Agaricus crocodilinus (MushroomExpert.Com)". https://www.mushroomexpert.com/agaricus_crocodilinus.html. 
  4. Sácký, Jan; Chaloupecká, Anna; Šantrůček, Jiří; Kaňa, Antonín; Leonhardt, Tereza; Borovička, Jan; Kotrba, Pavel (2025-07-18). "Identification of two metallothioneins in Agaricus crocodilinus reveals gene duplication and domain expansion, a pattern conserved across fungal species". Biometals. doi:10.1007/s10534-025-00721-6. ISSN 1572-8773. PMID 40679729. 

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