Agaricaceae
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The Agaricaceae are a
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of
basidiomycete Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Bas ...
fungi and include the
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Agaricus'', as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae.


Taxonomy

The family Agaricaceae was published by French botanist François Fulgis Chevallier in 1826. It is named after the
type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal ...
''
Agaricus ''Agaricus'' is a genus of mushrooms containing both edible and poisonous species, with over 400 members worldwide and possibly again as many disputed or newly-discovered species. The genus includes the common ("button") mushroom ('' Agaricus bi ...
'', originally circumscribed by
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, ...
in his 1753 work ''
Species Plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...
''. In his authoritative 1986
classification Classification is a process related to categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Classification is the grouping of related facts into classes. It may also refer to: Business, organizat ...
of the
Agaricales The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms (for their distinctive gills) or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13,000 described species, alo ...
,
Rolf Singer Rolf Singer (June 23, 1906 – January 18, 1994) was a German-born mycologist and one of the most important taxonomists of gilled mushrooms ( agarics) in the 20th century. After receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna in 1931 he worked ...
divided the Agaricaceae into four
tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...
distinguished largely by spore color: ''Leucocoprineae'', ''Agariceae'', ''Lepioteae'', and ''Cystodermateae''. Genera once classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Battarreaceae, Lycoperdaceae, and Mycenastraceae have since been moved to the Agaricaceae based on
molecular phylogenetics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
studies. According to a standard reference text, the Agaricaceae contains 85 genera and 1340 species.


Description

Agaricaceae species use a wide variety of fruit body morphology. Although the pileate form (i.e., with a
cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
and stipe) is predominant, gasteroid and secotioid forms are known. In pileate species, the
gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...
are typically thin, and free from attachment to the stipe. Caps are scurfy to smooth, and range from roughly flat to umbonate. They typically have a centrally attached stipe and a membrane-like
partial veil In mycology, a partial veil (also called an inner veil, to differentiate it from the "outer", or universal veil) is a temporary structure of tissue found on the fruiting bodies of some basidiomycete fungi, typically agarics. Its role is to isola ...
. The species formerly classified in the family Lycoperdaceae are also known as the "true
puffball Puffballs are a type of fungus featuring a ball-shaped fruit body that bursts on impact, releasing a cloud of dust-like spores when mature. Puffballs belong to the division Basidiomycota and encompass several genera, including '' Calvatia'', '' ...
s". Their fruiting bodies are round and are composed of a tough skin surrounding a mass of spores. When they mature, the skin splits open and they release their spores. The
spore print 300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5-centimeter ...
color of Agaricaceae species is highly variable, ranging from white to greenish to ochraceous to pink or sepia; rusty-brown or cinnamon brown colours are absent. Microscopically, the spore surface ranges from smooth to ornamented, and the presence of a germ pore is variable. Amyloidity (i.e. sensitivity to
staining Staining is a technique used to enhance contrast in samples, generally at the microscopic level. Stains and dyes are frequently used in histology (microscopic study of biological tissues), in cytology (microscopic study of cells), and in th ...
in Melzer's reagent) is also variable. The
basidia A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is highly- ...
(spore-bearing cells) are usually small, four-spored, and may have interspersed cystidia.


Genera

The extinct genus '' Coprinites'' is one of four known Agaricaceae genera in the fossil record. Others include '' Aureofungus'', ''
Protomycena ''Protomycena'' is an extinct monotypic genus of gilled fungus in the family Mycenaceae, of order Agaricales. At present it contains the single species ''Protomycena electra'', known from a single specimen collected in an amber mine in the ...
'', and '' Archaeomarasmius''. ''Archaeomarasmius leggeti'', from
Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...
amber, is 90–94  Ma); the other fossil genera are from Dominican amber and date to 15–20 Ma. The family currently includes the following genera: *''
Agaricus ''Agaricus'' is a genus of mushrooms containing both edible and poisonous species, with over 400 members worldwide and possibly again as many disputed or newly-discovered species. The genus includes the common ("button") mushroom ('' Agaricus bi ...
'' *'' Barcheria'' *'' Bovista'' *'' Calbovista'' previously in family
Lycoperdaceae The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and include the genus ''Agaricus'', as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. Taxonomy The family Agaricaceae was publishe ...
. *''
Calvatia ''Calvatia'' is a genus of puffball mushrooms that includes the spectacular giant puffball ''C. gigantea''. It was formerly classified within the now-obsolete order Lycoperdales, which, following a restructuring of fungal taxonomy brough ...
'' *'' Chamaemyces'' *'' Chlorophyllum'' *'' Clarkeinda'' *'' Coniolepiota'' *
A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...
'' Coprinites'' *'' Coprinus'' *'' Cystoagaricus'' *'' Cystolepiota'' *'' Disciseda'' *''
Endoptychum ''Endoptychum'' is a genus of secotioid fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Like the majority of secotioid taxa, the individual species of ''Endoptychum'' are thought to be recent mutations from agaricoid species, hence, ''Endoptychum'' is likely no ...
'' *''
Eriocybe ''Eriocybe'' is a fungal genus in the family Agaricaceae. Circumscribed by mycologist Else Vellinga in 2011, it is a monotypic genus, containing the single species ''Eriocybe chionea'', found in northern Thailand. The genus name is derived from th ...
'' *'' Gyrophragmium'' *''
Handkea ''Handkea'' is a genus of puffball mushrooms in the family Agaricaceae. In 1989, German mycologist Hanns Kreisel described the genus ''Handkea'' to include species of ''Calvatia'' with distinct microscopic features, including a unique type of capi ...
'' *''
Heinemannomyces ''Heinemannomyces'' is a fungal genus in the family Agaricaceae. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single species ''Heinemannomyces splendidissima'', which was defined in 1998 by Roy Watling. It is found in peninsular Malaysia and Chin ...
'' *'' Hymenagaricus'' *'' Lepiota'' *'' Leucoagaricus'' *''
Leucocoprinus ''Leucocoprinus'' is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Its best-known member is the distinctive yellow mushroom '' Leucocoprinus birnbaumii'', which is found in plant pots and greenhouses worldwide. The type species is '' Leucocoprinus ...
'' *''
Lycoperdon ''Lycoperdon'' is a genus of puffball mushrooms. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 50 species. In general, it contains the smaller species such as the pear-shaped puffball and the gem-studded puffball. It was formerly cla ...
'' *'' Macrolepiota'' *'' Melanophyllum'' *'' Micropsalliota'' *''
Montagnea ''Montagnea'' is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in subtropical dry areas, and contains six species. ''Montagnea'' was circumscribed by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries in 1836. The genus ...
'' *'' Podaxis'' *'' Ripartitella'' *'' Rugosospora'' *'' Sericeomyces'' *'' Smithiomyces'' *''
Tulostoma ''Tulostoma'' is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Species in the genus are commonly known as stalkballs, or stalked puffballs. Fossils of ''Tulostoma'' have been reported from 12 million year old rocks in central England and 13.5 mill ...
'' *'' Verrucospora''


Ecology

The ''Agaricaceae'' are widely distributed. Most species are
saprobic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ( ...
and prefer
grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
and
woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
habitats. Genera '' Leucoagaricus'' and ''
Leucocoprinus ''Leucocoprinus'' is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Its best-known member is the distinctive yellow mushroom '' Leucocoprinus birnbaumii'', which is found in plant pots and greenhouses worldwide. The type species is '' Leucocoprinus ...
'' are known to be cultivated by fungus-growing ants in ant-fungus mutualism.


Economic significance

The genus ''
Agaricus ''Agaricus'' is a genus of mushrooms containing both edible and poisonous species, with over 400 members worldwide and possibly again as many disputed or newly-discovered species. The genus includes the common ("button") mushroom ('' Agaricus bi ...
'' includes some species that are cultivated commercially throughout the world. The common "button mushroom", ''
Agaricus bisporus ''Agaricus bisporus'' is an edible basidiomycete mushroom native to grasslands in Eurasia and North America. It has two color states while immature – white and brown – both of which have various names, with additional names for the matur ...
'', is the most widely cultivated edible mushroom. '' Agaricus blazei'' is a well-known medicinal mushroom used for a number of therapeutic and medicinal purposes. Several species are
poisonous Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
, such as some '' Lepiota'', ''Agaricus sect. Xanthodermatei'' and '' Chlorophyllum'' species .


See also

*
List of Agaricales families The Agaricales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes (division Basidiomycota). It is the largest group of mushroom-forming fungi, and includes more than 400 genera and over 13,000 species. Molecular phylogenetics analyses of ribosomal ...
*
List of Basidiomycota families This is a list of families in the phylum Basidiomycota of kingdom Fungi. The Basidiomycota are the second largest phyla of the fungi, containing 31515 species. The phylum is divided into three subphyla, the Pucciniomycotina (rust fungi), the Ustilag ...


References


External links


Agaricaceae
i
BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database
{{Authority control Agaricales families Extant Burdigalian first appearances