''Stropharia aeruginosa'', commonly known as the verdigris agaric, is a medium-sized green, slimy

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (se ...

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

, found on lawns, mulch and woodland from spring to autumn. The edibility of this mushroom is controversial - some sources claim that it is

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from "eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...

, while others claim it to be

poisonous Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

, although effects are little known and its toxic constituents undescribed.

Taxonomy

The French mycologist

Lucien Quélet Lucien Quélet in 1869 Lucien Quélet (14 July 1832 – 25 August 1899) was a French naturalist and mycologist. Quélet discovered several species of fungi and was the founder of the Société mycologique de France, a society devoted to mycolo ...

gave it its current binomial name in 1872, after it was initially described as ''Agaricus aeruginosus'' by William Curtis in 1784. The Dutch mycologist Machiel Noordeloos placed it in the genus ''

Psilocybe ''Psilocybe'' ( ) is a genus of gilled mushrooms, growing worldwide, in the family Hymenogastraceae. Most or nearly all species contain the psychedelic compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Taxonomy Taxonomic history A 2002 study of the mol ...

'' in 1995. The specific epithet ''aerūgǐnōsa'' is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "covered in

verdigris Verdigris is the common name for blue-green, copper-based pigments that form a patina on copper, bronze, and brass. The technical literature is ambiguous as to its chemical composition. Some sources refer to "neutral verdigris" as copper(II) ...

(copper-rust)".

Description

The

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 ...

is convex, broadening, and becoming

umbonate '' Cantharellula umbonata'' has an umbo. The cap of '' Psilocybe makarorae'' is acutely papillate.">papillate.html" ;"title="Psilocybe makarorae'' is acutely papillate">Psilocybe makarorae'' is acutely papillate. An umbo is a raised area in the ...

with age. It is from 2–8 cm in diameter. At first it is a vivid blue/green, and very glutinous (slimy), with a sprinkling of white

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 around the edge. The colour in the gluten fades, or is washed off as it matures, and it becomes yellow ocher, sometimes in patches, but mostly at the centre. Finally, it will lose the blue-green coloration completely. The white stem is quite long and of uniform thickness. It has a fragile brown/black

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

, and below this the stem is covered in fine white scales, or flakes. The

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 ...

are initially white, then clay-brown, and sometimes have a white edge. The

spore print 300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5-centimeter ...

is brownish-purple, and the oval

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, ...

7–10 x 5 μm.

Similar species

*'' Stropharia caerulea'' Kreisel – a dowdier cousin. *'' Stropharia pseudocyanea'' (Desm.) Morgan – a smaller; slighter, but strikingly similar grassland species, with a very fleeting ring.

Distribution and habitat

Stropharia aeruginosa in nature park Jesenicko in 2014

This mushroom is common in grassy woods, and on roadside verges in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, Asia (Iran) and parts of North America, growing on rotting wood. It particularly favours wood-chip mulches in gardens, and parks.

Edibility and toxicity

The verdigris agaric is reported as

in many guidebooks printed in the Western Hemisphere, yet the effect of poisoning is little known and toxic constituents unknown. According to some European guidebooks the verdigris agaric is edible, but undesirable to some due to its mildly spicy taste.STROPHARIA AERUGINOSA, СТРОФАРИЯ СИНЕ-ЗЕЛЕНАЯ
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References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1552361 Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Strophariaceae