''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 ''Cyclocybe'' is a genus of fungi belonging to the family Strophariaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Cyclocybe'': * ''Cyclocybe aegerita ''Cyclocybe aegerita'', also ...

'' which is commonly known as the ''poplar mushroom'', or ''velvet pioppini'' (Chinese: ''cha shu gu'', 茶树菇, literally "Tea Tree Mushroom"). In

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, it is called '' Yanagi- matsutake'' ( Japanese:柳松茸).

Description

It belongs to the white rot fungi and is a medium-sized agaric having a very open and convex cap, almost flat, with a diameter of . Underneath, it has numerous whitish radial plates adherent to the foot, later turning to a brownish-grey colour, and light elliptic spores of 8–11 by 5–7 micrometres. The white fibre foot is generally curved, having a membranous ring on the top part which promptly turns to tobacco colour due to the falling spores. When very young, its colour may be reddish-brown and later turn to a light brown colour, more

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

towards the centre, whiter around its border. It grows in tufts on logs and holes in

poplars ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

, and other large-leaved trees.

Edibility

The mushroom is cultivated commercially and it is typical ingredient found in both Southern European and Chinese cuisine. In East Asia, it is used fresh and rehydrated in various dishes, including stir-fry, soup, stew, and hot pot. It has a soft cap and a harder stem. Picking specimens from the wild is not recommended due to the difficulty of identification.

Uses

It is cultivated and sold in the United States, Chile,

, Korea, Italy,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The cultivation in the Mediterranean region is very old, e.g. it is described in the book Naturalis Historia by Pliny the Elder. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is often used as a diuretic.Ying, J.Z., Mao, X.L., Ma, Q.M., Zong, Y.C. and Wen, H.A. 1987. Icons of Medicinal Fungi from China (Transl. Xu, Y.H.), Science Press, Beijing. The fungi C. aegerita, M. alliaceus and C. purpureum are suitable organisms for counteracting OMW plant toxicity.

Gallery

Agrocybeaegerita5.jpg, Fresh ''Agrocybe aegerita'' Agrocybe aegerita 221.jpg Agrocybe aegerita 22.jpg Agrocybe aegerita 2212.jpg Agrocybe aegerita 222.jpg

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q27668537 Edible fungi Fungi in cultivation Strophariaceae