AGARICUS CAMPESTRIS: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, REPRODUCTION, NUTRITION - BIOLOGY - 2025

Agaricus campestris is a Basidiomycota fungus of the Agaricaceae family. It grows in meadows and grasslands, feeds on decaying organic matter, and requires nitrogen-rich soils in order to thrive properly. It can grow alone or in elf rings.

It is characterized by having a cap that can reach up to 12 cm in diameter, with separate blades that present a pink coloration in young organisms and then darken. It also has a foot that can reach up to 7 cm high by 2 cm thick and with a simple ring.

Mushroom Agaricus campestris. Taken and edited from: This image was created by user Christine Braaten (wintersbefore) at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images.You can contact this user here.English - español - français - italiano - македонски - português - + / -.

It is an edible mushroom highly appreciated by mushroom lovers, rich in vitamins and minerals and low in carbohydrates, but it can be confused with some very toxic species.

characteristics

Illustration of Agaricus campestris made by T. Taylor in 1893. Taken and edited from Thomas Taylor.

Habitat and distribution

As its specific epithet indicates, A. campestris is a species that preferentially inhabits fields and grasslands; and it rarely grows in wooded areas. Its fruiting body can appear both in spring and autumn, in solitary form or it can grow in elf rings.

It needs land with abundant nitrogen for its development. It can grow in gardens and squares and also near cultivated land where nitrogen fertilizers are used. It is currently not very abundant in some areas, mainly due to environmental degradation, but it is still very abundant in other locations.

This species is cosmopolitan and is distributed in North America, Asia, Europe, North Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Reproduction

The sexual reproduction of Agaricus campestris is typical of Agaricus, with heterothallic crosses, dikaryotic mycelia and production of haploid spores after a process of karyogamy (fusion of haploid nuclei) and meiotic division that occurs in the basidia.

Agaricus campestris spores. Taken and edited from: This image was created by user Byrain at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images.You can contact this user here.English - español - français - italiano - македонски - português - +/−.

Nutrition

Agaricus campestris is an obligate saprophytic species, that is, it requires the presence of decomposing organic matter for its food. It is also a nitrophilic species, that is, it requires that the soils be rich in nitrogen in order to develop.

Digestion in this species, as in other species of saprophytic fungi, is extracellular, that is, the fungus secretes into the soil the enzymes necessary to degrade organic matter from dead organisms, plant remains, excrement, etc. In this way, simple molecules are produced from more complex ones.

After degrading the food, the fungus proceeds to absorb part of the digested material, always remaining in the soil, simple molecules that can be assimilated by the plants and that were not used by the fungus.

In this way, fungi play an important role in the nutrient cycle of the ecosystem, providing nutrients for plants and fertilizing the soil as they feed.

Edibility

It is an edible species, even raw. It is perhaps the most sought after and consumed wild mushroom in the world, although it is not commercially cultivated due to its long life cycle and the short duration of its fruiting body.

Its flavor is very pleasant and some people even consider it better tasting than cultivated mushrooms of the Agaricus bisporus species. It is advisable to collect and consume young organisms, which are recognized because their sheets are light in color.

In case of having mature organisms, that is to say that they present the sheets of dark colors, these sheets must be removed before preparing and consuming the mushrooms, not only because of their unpleasant appearance and poor gastronomic quality but also because their intake can cause digestive problems in sensitive people.

It is also not advisable to consume organisms harvested on land where agrochemicals are used or in the vicinity of heavily traveled asphalt roads, due to their ability to accumulate compounds that can be toxic.

This species is consumed in a wide variety of ways, from raw in salads and garnishes to elaborate dishes, as well as stews and stir-fries. It is also very popular in vegetarian cuisine.

Possible confusion

Although it is true that Agaricus campestris is completely edible, even raw, it is a species that can be confused with other species, including some very toxic, so it is important to make an exact identification of the species before its ingestion. Among the toxic species that can be confused with A. campestris are:

Amanita Verna,

These species are very toxic and are perhaps among the easiest to confuse with A. campestris. The most important difference is that the first three always have their white plates and have volva. However, it must be taken into consideration that the volva may be partially or totally hidden in the sediment.

Amanita arvensis

Unlike Agaricus campestris, this species quickly turns yellow to the touch and cut, has an aniseed scent, and has two rings.

Agaricus bitorquis, A. sylvaticus

These three toxic species turn reddish to the touch and to the cut, which does not happen with Agaricus campestris. Additionally, A. bitorquis has two rings and the other two species differ from A. campestris due to their habitat, since the first is typical of coniferous forests and A. littoralis grows in mountains and grasslands.

Agaricus xanthodermus

This species is very similar in its external morphology to Agaricus campestris, however in adult organisms its hat is larger and more cubic in shape than that of A. campestris. In addition, this species gives off a strong and unpleasant iodine aroma and the stem is shorter and yellow at the base.

Entoloma lividum

This species gives off a very characteristic flour smell and its foot lacks a ring.

Lepiota naucina

Lepiota naucina has a much longer and thinner foot than that of Agaricus campestris.

Properties

Nutritional

This species, like other species of mushrooms, has a high water content, which can represent up to 90% of the total weight of the mushroom. In addition, its carbohydrate content is low, while that of minerals and vitamins is high, especially vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin).

These qualities, and the feeling of satiety produced by its intake and its low caloric intake make this species widely used in diets, or for the feeding of overweight people. Vegetarians also use it a lot.

Among the minerals that this species presents in appreciable quantities is selenium, with antioxidant properties that help reduce the risks of suffering from heart disease and prostate cancer. Potassium, also present in the fungus, counteracts fluid retention and facilitates nerve transmission.

Additionally, it is rich in phosphorus, an element of great importance for its role in the hardening of teeth, as well as in the proper functioning of the mind.

Bioactive

Researchers have found that aqueous extracts of A. campestris have the property of enhancing the body's insulin production, and that in in vitro tests, they have effects similar to those of insulin on glucose metabolism. However, they still require further research to understand the process.

They have also found that said extracts have antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal activities.

References

1. J. Glamočlija, D. Stojković, M. Nikolić, A. Ćirić, FS Reis, L. Barros, IC Ferreira, & M. Soković (2015). A comparative study on edible Agaricus mushrooms as functional foods. Food and Function.
2. Agaricus campestris. On Wikipedia. Recovered from: en.wikipedia.org.
3. AM Gray & PR Flatt (1998). Insulin-releasing and insulin-like activity of Agaricus campestris (mushroom). The Journal of Endocrinology.
4. RTV Fox (2006). Fungal foes in your garden: fairy ring mushrooms. Mycologist
5. Agaricus campestris. In mycological initiation course. Recovered from: chipsmicologicas.com
6. Agaricus campestris Linnaeus - (1753). In El Royo Mycological Association. Recovered from: amanitacesarea.com