Agrocybe praecox
Species of fungus
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It appears early in the year in woods, gardens, and fields in Eurasia, North Africa, and North America. It is of debatable culinary interest.
Taxonomy
The mushroom was first described by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1800 as Agaricus praecox. In 1889, Victor Fayod devised the new genus Agrocybe and made A. praecox the type species.
A 1990 study by Timothy Flynn and O. K. Miller finds that A. praecox is one of four species which are indistinguishable using superficial characteristics but which can be separated through their habitat and location. If this proposal is accepted, the cluster consists of A. molesta and three other species which do not yet have proper names, but which are referred to as "Flynn & Miller Species I–III". The three provisional species correspond to the older names A. acericola, A. elatella, A. praecox, and A. sphaleromorpha combined; and their synonyms. According to the traditional system, various detailed morphological characteristics can be used to choose between the species, but such is variation amongst individuals that it is difficult to achieve a consistent identification in this way.
The Latin epithet praecox ('early') is related to the word "precocious" and refers to the fact that this species often appears early in the year.
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Description
Agrocybe praecox belongs to a group of species which are difficult to distinguish consistently.
The cap is up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) wide, bun-shaped and brownish then convex and lightening to tannish (beige when dry and yellowish-brown when moist), and smooth. Veil remnants are often visible around the rim. The gills are initially pale grayish, later brown. The stem is pale, 4 to 12 cm (1+1⁄2 to 4+3⁄4 in) long and up to about 2 cm thick, with a fragile ring. They often have white mycelial cords at the base. The odor and taste are floury. The taste may be bitter.
The spores are 8–10 x 5–7 μm, elliptical, and brown en masse.
Similar species
The following species are closely related to A. praecox, according to Index Fungorum and other sources.
Another similar species is A. smithii.
Habitat and distribution
It can grow alone or gregarious in grass, compost, or on wood debris in woods and gardens. Like other Agrocybes, it is a saprophyte.
It has a widespread distribution in North America (spring to summer), Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Also it has been reported from Mongolia, Siberia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Argentina and Colombia.
Uses
The species is not flavorful but is sometimes considered edible, but because it belongs to a group, it may overlap with some inedible taxa. According to one French source, due to its bitterness and soft consistency, it is best left aside. One site says that it is edible but needs to be well cooked. Roger Phillips lists it as inedible.