''Agrocybe'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

s in the family

Strophariaceae The Strophariaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Under an older classification, the family covered 18 genera and 1316 species. The species of Strophariaceae have red-brown to dark brown spore prints, while the spores themselves a ...

(previously placed in the

Bolbitiaceae The Bolbitiaceae are a family (biology), family of mushroom-forming basidiomycete fungi. A 2008 estimate placed 17 genera and 287 species in the family. Bolbitiaceae was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed by mycologist Rolf Singer in 1948 ...

). The genus has a widespread distribution, and contains about 100 species.

Distribution

In Europe, toxic forms are not normally found, but ''Agrocybe molesta'' could be confused with poisonous white ''

Agaricus ''Agaricus'' is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi 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 ...

'' species or with poisonous ''

Amanita The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded Edible mushroom, edible species (and many species of unknown edibility). The genus is re ...

'' species.

Uses

Mushroom cultivation began with the Romans and Greeks, who grew the small ''

Agrocybe aegerita ''Cyclocybe aegerita'', also called'' Agrocybe cylindracea'', ''Agrocybe aegerita'' or ''Pholiota aegerita'',Mariano García Rollán''Cultivo de setas y trufas'' pg. 167, MUNDI-PRENSA (2007), is a mushroom in the genus '' Cyclocybe'' which is c ...

''. The Romans believed that fungi fruited when lightning struck. ''A. aegerita'' is commonly known as the poplar mushroom, chestnut mushroom or velvet pioppino (Chinese: 茶樹菇). It is a

white rot A wood-decay or xylophagous fungus is any species of fungus that digests moist wood, causing it to rot. Some species of wood-decay fungi attack dead wood, such as ''Serpula lacrymans'', and some, such as '' Armillaria'' (honey fungus), are par ...

fungus. It is cultivated and sold in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. It is an important valuable source of bioactive secondary metabolites such as indole derivatives with

free radical A daughter category of ''Ageing'', this category deals only with the biological aspects of ageing. Ageing Biogerontology Biological processes Causes of death Cellular processes Gerontology Life extension Metabolic disorders Metabolism ...

scavenging activity, cylindan with anticancer activity, and also agrocybenine with antifungal activity. ''

Agrocybe farinacea ''Agrocybe farinacea'' is a species of mushroom in the family Strophariaceae. It has been reported to contain the hallucinogen psilocybin Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a natural produ ...

'' of Japan, a species closely related to ''Agrocybe putaminum'', has been reported to contain the hallucinogen

psilocybin Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a natural product, naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid and Investigational New Drug, investigational drug found in more than List of psilocybin mushroom ...

; however, there has been no recent chemical analysis carried out on this mushroom, nor any modern reports of

psychoactivity A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, mind-altering drug, consciousness-altering drug, psychoactive substance, or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that alters psychological functioning by modulating central nervous system acti ...

Selected list of species

References

External links

Mushroom Expert's Information on ''Agrocybe'' Genus
{{Taxonbar, from=Q341780 Strophariaceae Agaricales genera Taxa described in 1889

Distribution

Uses

Selected list of species

See also

References

External links