''Cyclocybe aegerita'', also called'' Agrocybe cylindracea'', ''Agrocybe aegerita'' or ''Pholiota aegerita'',Mariano García Rollán
''Cultivo de setas y trufas''
pg. 167, MUNDI-PRENSA (2007), is a mushroom in the genus ''

Cyclocybe ''Cyclocybe'' is a genus of fungi belonging to the family Strophariaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Cyclocybe'': * ''Cyclocybe aegerita ''Cyclocybe aegerita'', also ...

'' which is commonly known as the ''poplar mushroom'', or ''velvet pioppini'' (Chinese: ''cha shu gu'', 茶树菇, literally "Tea Tree Mushroom"). In

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, it is called '' Yanagi-

matsutake , ''Tricholoma matsutake'', is a species of choice edible mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in East Asia, Europe, and North America. It is prized in Japanese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor. Etymology The common name and specifi ...

'' (

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

:柳松茸).

Description

It belongs to the white rot fungi and is a medium-sized

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushrooms ...

having a very open and convex cap, almost flat, with a diameter of . Underneath, it has numerous whitish radial plates adherent to the foot, later turning to a brownish-grey colour, and light elliptic spores of 8–11 by 5–7 micrometres. The white fibre foot is generally curved, having a membranous ring on the top part which promptly turns to tobacco colour due to the falling spores. When very young, its colour may be reddish-brown and later turn to a light brown colour, more

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

towards the centre, whiter around its border. It grows in tufts on logs and holes in

poplars ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

, and other large-leaved trees.

Edibility

The mushroom is cultivated commercially and it is typical ingredient found in both Southern European and Chinese cuisine. In East Asia, it is used fresh and rehydrated in various dishes, including stir-fry, soup, stew, and hot pot. It has a soft cap and a harder stem. Picking specimens from the wild is not recommended due to the difficulty of identification.

Uses

It is cultivated and sold in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, Chile,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The cultivation in the Mediterranean region is very old, e.g. it is described in the book

Naturalis Historia The ''Natural History'' ( la, Naturalis historia) is a work by Pliny the Elder. The largest single work to have survived from the Roman Empire to the modern day, the ''Natural History'' compiles information gleaned from other ancient authors. ...

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

. In

Traditional Chinese Medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

, it is often used as a

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics in ...

.Ying, J.Z., Mao, X.L., Ma, Q.M., Zong, Y.C. and Wen, H.A. 1987. Icons of Medicinal Fungi from China (Transl. Xu, Y.H.), Science Press, Beijing. The fungi C. aegerita, M. alliaceus and C. purpureum are suitable organisms for counteracting OMW plant toxicity.

Gallery

Agrocybeaegerita5.jpg, Fresh ''Agrocybe aegerita'' Agrocybe aegerita 221.jpg Agrocybe aegerita 22.jpg Agrocybe aegerita 2212.jpg Agrocybe aegerita 222.jpg

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q27668537 Edible fungi Fungi in cultivation Strophariaceae