WILD MUSHROOM: CHARACTERISTICS, MORPHOLOGY AND HABITAT - BIOLOGY - 2025

The wild mushroom (Agaricus campestris) is a species of superior, macroscopic multicellular fungus with complex morphology. It is also popularly known as the peasant mushroom, meadow mushroom, and peasant mushroom. It is a highly valued edible species.

This species appears in the spring -between the months of April to May, for the terrestrial northern hemisphere- with a frequent second appearance in late summer and during autumn. It grows in circles or in groups and also in isolation.

Figure 1. Wild mushroom Agaricus campestris. Source: Nathan Wilson via wikipedia.org

Amanita verna and Amanita virosa are white mushrooms similar in appearance to Agaricus campestris, but extremely poisonous. They differ from this last species in that they always have their white blades and have volva.

Come back

The volva is a cup or cup-shaped structure, similar to a fleshy cap, located at the base of the foot of some mushrooms. This structure is very important from the point of view of taxonomic classification to distinguish poisonous wild fungi, especially species of the genus Amanita.

The genus Amanita presents a high number of poisonous species that have this structure called volva, observable with the naked eye.

However there is a problem; the volva can be partially or totally below the surface of the soil, and by cutting the fungus the structure can be buried and not be detected. For this reason you have to be very careful.

Figure 3. Volva (indicated with a red arrow) in a species of the genus Amanita, a key structure to distinguish these highly poisonous fungi. Source: Archenzo via: es.m.wikipedia.org

Amanita xanthodermus

Amanita xanthodermus is a toxic fungus that is distinguished from Agaricus campestris by having a shorter foot, an unpleasant odor similar to that of iodine, and additionally it acquires a yellow color with the only rubbing on the base of the foot or the hat.

Amanita phalloides

The highly toxic species Amanita phalloides and Entoloma lividum differ from Agaricus campestris in the following traits: Amanita phalloides has white blades and presents volva. Entoloma lividum has a characteristic flour odor and does not have a ring on the foot.

Amanita arvensis, Agaricus bitorquis, A. sylvaticus

The wild mushroom Agaricus campestris does not turn yellow when touched or cut, it does not smell like anise and has a single ring. These traits distinguish it from Amanita arvensis.

The Agaricus bitorquis has two rings; the species A. sylvaticus, which inhabits coniferous forests, and A. littoralis, which grows in mountains and meadows, turn reddish when touched to the touch and cuts.

Agaricus xanthoderma

Agaricus xanthoderma is toxic and very similar in its external morphology to Agaricus campestris, but it has a hat that acquires a shape similar to that of a cube in its adult state, up to 15 cm in diameter. It has a strong and unpleasant odor and the stem is yellow at the base.

Lepiota naucina

Agaricus campestris can also be confused with Lepiota naucina, a fungus that can be mistakenly identified as edible, since it causes intestinal problems.

This Lepiota naucina mushroom has a much longer and thinner foot, 5 to 15 cm high and 0.5 to 1.5 cm thick, while the Agaricus campestris has a straight and wider foot, 2 to 6 cm long and 2.5 cm thick.

Poisonings from these fungi include symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating, drowsiness, severe stomach aches, and diarrhea.

The best recommendation is that the determination of the fungus be carried out and certified by a mycologist specialist or by an official sanitary control center in each country. A wrong determination can cause fatal harm from poisoning or lethal intoxication.

References

1. Tressl, R., Bahri, D. and Engel, KH (1982). Formation of eight-carbon and ten-carbon components in mushrooms (Agaricus campestris). Agric. Food Chem. 30 (1): 89–93. DOI: 10.1021 / jf00109a019 Elsevier
2. Nearing, MN, Koch, I. and Reimer, KJ (2016). Uptake and transformation of arsenic during the reproductive life stage of Agaricus bisporus and Agaricus campestris. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 49: 140-149. doi: 10.1016 / j.jes.2016.06.021
3. Zsigmonda, AR, Varga, K., Kántora, A., Uráka, I., Zoltán, M., Hébergerb, K. (2018) Elemental composition of wild growing Agaricus campestris mushroom in urban and peri-urban regions of Transylvania (Romania). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 72: 15-21. doi: 10.1016 / j.jfca.2018.05.006
4. Glamočlija, J., Stojković, D., Nikolić, M., Ćirić, A., Reis, FS, Barros, L., Ferreira, IC and Soković, M. (2015). A comparative study on edible Agaricus mushrooms as functional foods. Food and Function. 6:78.
5. Gąsecka, M., Magdziak, Z., Siwulski, M. and Mlecze, M. (2018). Profile of phenolic and organic acids, antioxidant properties and ergosterol content in cultivated and wild growing species of European Food Research and Technology. 244 (2): 259-268. doi: 10.1007 / s00217-017-2952-9
6. Zouab, H., Zhoua, C., Liac, Y., Yangb, X., Wenb, J., Hub, X. and Sunac, C. (2019). Occurrence, toxicity, and speciation analysis of arsenic in edible mushrooms. Food Chemistry. 281: 269-284.doi: 10.1016 / j.foodchem.2018.12.103