''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 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 ...

in the genus '' Cyclocybe'' which is commonly known as the poplar fieldcap or poplar mushroom, or velvet pioppini (). In Japan, it is called .

Description

It belongs to the white rot fungi and is a medium-sized

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. It is a type of mushroom (or toadstool) ...

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 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.

Uses

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

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 ...

, Italy, Australia and China. The cultivation in the Mediterranean region is very old, e.g. it is described in the book ''

Naturalis Historia The ''Natural History'' () is a Latin work by Pliny the Elder. The largest single work to have survived from the Roman Empire to the modern day, the ''Natural History'' compiles information gleaned from other ancient authors. Despite the work' ...

'' by

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

. In

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

, it is often used as a

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...

.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 mushroom is a 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. Along with ''

Mycetinis alliaceus ''Mycetinis alliaceus'' ( syn. ''Marasmius alliaceus''), commonly known as the garlic parachute, is one of the larger mushrooms formerly in the genus '' Marasmius'', having a beige cap of up to 4 cm and a long tough slender stipe. It emana ...

'' and ''

Chondrostereum purpureum ''Chondrostereum purpureum'' is a fungal plant pathogen which causes silver leaf disease of trees. It attacks most species of the rose family Rosaceae, particularly the genus ''Prunus''. The disease is progressive and often fatal. The common name ...

'', it is suitable for counteracting olive-mill wastewater 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 Fungus species