''Agrocybe praecox'' is a species of brown-spored mushroom which appears early in the year in woods, gardens and fields. According to modern taxonomic analysis, it is just one of a cluster of closely similar species which are often referred to as the ''Agrocybe praecox'' complex. It is found in Europe, North Africa and North America.

Description

''Agrocybe praecox'' belongs to a group of species which are difficult to distinguish consistently. The following description combines several references. *

Cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

: up to , convex, smooth, beige when dry and yellowish brown when imbued with moisture.

Veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...

remnants are often visible around the rim. *

Gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

: Initially whitish, later dark brown. *

Stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

: Pale, (occasionally up to around ), quite thick (to about 1 cm) with a fragile ring. Often with

mycelial cords Mycelial cords are linear aggregations of parallel-oriented hyphae. The mature cords are composed of wide, empty vessel hyphae surrounded by narrower sheathing hyphae. Cords may look similar to plant roots, and also frequently have similar function ...

at the base. *Odor and taste: Floury. Taste may be bitter. *

Spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

: 8–10 x 5–7

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

, ellipsoid, dark brown (en masse). *Habitat: Gregarious in grass or on wood debris in woods, gardens, or other contexts. Like other ''Agrocybes'', it is a saprophyte. *Season: Often observed in spring, but can also occur in summer and autumn.

Taxonomy and related species

The mushroom was first described by

Persoon Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1 February 1761 – 16 November 1836) was a German mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy. Early life Persoon was born in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, the third child of an immig ...

in 1800 as ''Agaricus praecox''. In 1889 Fayod devised the new genus ''Agrocybe'' and made ''A. praecox'' the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

. The Latin

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

''praecox'' ('early') is related to the word "precocious" and refers to the fact that this species often appears early in the year. 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 following table summarizes the names of species which are closely related to ''A. praecox''. Note that

Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names ( scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and the Institute of M ...

has been used as a reference throughout.

General

It has a widespread distribution in North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa. Also it has been reported from Mongolia, Siberia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Argentina and Colombia. The species is not flavorful but is sometimes considered edible. It may be bitter, and one French source says that because of this characteristic and its soft consistency, it is best left aside. Another site says that it is edible but needs to be well cooked. Roger Phillips lists it as inedible. Another similar species is '' A. smithii''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1471958 Strophariaceae Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungi of Africa Fungi described in 1800 Taxa named by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon