Species: Tufted Wood Mushroom (Agaricus impudicus)
Family: Gilled Mushrooms (AGARICACEAE)
Category: Fungi
Location: One Sighting
A. Fungi
More extensive information on fungi can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Gilled Mushrooms (AGARICACEAE)
This fungal family comprises many important decomposers which survive on dead wood, mulch, leaf litter, and logs. They can be seen growing in grassy areas of the cemetery and are generally feeding off surrounding plant roots and debris. The mushrooms in this group generally have dark/black spore prints, which may be seen when the caps are left to rest, gills down, on paper or glass overnight. Moisten the cap with water and put a glass over it to stop it drying out.
C. Tufted Wood Mushroom (Agaricus impudicus)
As with all Agaricus species, the gills are free, its colour progressively darkens with age, and spores are dark brown. The stipe (stem) has a clear annulus (ring).
Additional Information
Agaricales Order Information
This group contains the familiar gilled mushrooms, some being edible, some poisonous, and species with a variety of other fruiting bodies. Most are saprotrophic, but some are parasitic and some mycorrhizal. The oldest known fossilised mushroom is a member of this group, 125 million years old.
Images
Tufted Wood Mushroom
As with all Agaricus species, the gills of the Tufted Wood Mushroom are free, its colour progressively darkens with age.
