Phylum: Basidiomycota Class: Basidiomycetes

Order: Agaricales Family: Agaricaceae

Species: Agaricus bernardii (Quél.) anon.{?}

Synonyms: Agaricus campestris subsp. bernardii

Psalliota bernardii

Agaricus bernardii

synonyms: Dünen-Egerling

location: Europe
edibility: Edible
fungus colour: White to cream, Red or redish or pink
normal size: 5-15cm
cap type: Convex to shield shaped
stem type: Ring on stem
flesh: Flesh discolours when cut, bruised or damaged, Mushroom has distinct or odd smell (non mushroomy)
spore colour: Purplish to black
habitat: Found in fields, lawns or on roadsides

Agaricus bernardii (Quél.) Sacc. syn. A. campestris subsp. bernardii (Quél.) Konrad & Maubl.

Dünen-Egerling Cap 1–15cm across, hemispherical then flattened convex and often depressed, whitish to light brown, bruising reddish on handling, surface soon disrupting into coarse brownish scales. Stem 50–70 x 20–40mm, whitish, narrowing slightly at the greyish-brown base; ring sheathing, whitish and narrow. Flesh white becoming reddish orange on cutting. Taste slightly unpleasant, smell fishy. Gills pale grey then flesh-coloured becoming dark brown. Cheilocystidia thin-walled, elongate, cylindric, clavate or fusiform. Spore print dark brown. Spores broadly ovoid, 5.5–7 x 5–5.5µ. Habitat on sand dunes and meadows near the sea, also on roadsides inland, possibly due to the practice of salting the roads in icy weather. Season autumn. Uncommon. Edible. Found In Europe.

Agaricus bernardii

Quélet apud Cooke & Quélet

Clav. Syn. Hym. Europ. 89. 1878.

Common Name: none

Pileus

Cap 7-16 cm broad, convex at first, margin incurved, becoming plane, disk frequently depressed at maturity; surface white, smooth, though typically with warts or cottony scales. Cap tissue turning reddish-orange when cut. Odor, of brine or iodine.
Lamellae

Gills free, close, pinkish-tan becoming chocolate brown, finally blackish brown.
Stipe

Stipe 4-7 cm long, 3-4.5 cm thick, smooth, narrower at base; veil membranous, sheathing the stipe base, forming a medial ring.
Spores

Spores 5.5-7.0 x 5.5-6.5 µm, smooth elliptical. Spore print blackish-brown.
Habitat

Found spring, summer and fall primarily in grassy areas, sandy soils, occasionally under Monterey cypress; gregarious sometimes forming arcs but rarely complete fairy-rings. In grass it often fruits with Agaricus californicus, A. arvensis, Marasmius oreades, and Leucoagaricus naucinus.
Edibility

Edible and excellent, although the briny taste deters some people.
Comments

Agaricus bernardii is a short, stocky, white mushroom that resembles Agaricus bitorquis, even possessing a sheathing veil and a propensity for partial emergence. However, it can easily be told apart by the reddish-brown staining of cap and stipe tissue as well as its briny odor. Along the coast, particularly in sandy soils, Agaricus bernardii is considerably more common than A. bitorquis.