Agrocybe is a genus of mushrooms in the family Strophariaceae (previously placed in the Bolbitiaceae). The genus has a widespread distribution, and contains about 100 species.

Distribution

In Europe, toxic forms are not normally found, but Agrocybe molesta could be confused with poisonous white Agaricus species or with poisonous Amanita species.

Uses

Mushroom cultivation began with the Romans and Greeks, who grew the small Agrocybe aegerita. The Romans believed that fungi fruited when lightning struck. A. aegerita is commonly known as the poplar mushroom, chestnut mushroom or velvet pioppino (Chinese: 茶樹菇). It is a white rot fungus. It is cultivated and sold in Japan, Korea, Australia and China. It is an important valuable source of bioactive secondary metabolites such as indole derivatives with free radical scavenging activity, cylindan with anticancer activity, and also agrocybenine with antifungal activity. Agrocybe farinacea of Japan, a species closely related to Agrocybe putaminum, has been reported to contain the hallucinogen psilocybin; however, there has been no recent chemical analysis carried out on this mushroom, nor any modern reports of psychoactivity.

Selected list of species

• Agrocybe acericola (maple agrocybe) • Agrocybe aegerita • Agrocybe allocystis • Agrocybe amara • Agrocybe arvalis • Agrocybe dura (edible) • Agrocybe erebia • Agrocybe farinacea (possibly contains psilocybin) • Agrocybe firma • Agrocybe lazoi • Agrocybe ludoviciana • Agrocybe molesta • Agrocybe paludosa • Agrocybe pediades (common lawn mushroom) • Agrocybe praecox (common and widespread) • Agrocybe procera • Agrocybe putaminum • Agrocybe retigera • Agrocybe rivulosa • Agrocybe semiorbicularis • Agrocybe sororia • Agrocybe vervacti • Agrocybe viscosa