# Wood Mushroom

*Agaricus sylvicola*

When bruised or scratched, its white cap slowly stains a delicate yellow and releases a distinct fragrance of almonds and anise.

- **Taxonomy:** Fungi › Basidiomycota › Agaricomycetes › Agaricales › Agaricaceae › Agaricus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous and coniferous woodland floors, growing in deep leaf litter and rich soil.
- **Diet:** Saprotrophic decomposer (absorbs nutrients from decaying organic matter like leaf litter).
- **Range:** North America, Europe, Asia
- **Size:** Cap: 5 to 12 cm in diameter; Stem: 8 to 15 cm tall.
- **Lifespan:** The underground mycelium can live for decades, while the visible mushroom cap lasts only 7 to 14 days.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Deforestation, soil compaction from heavy foot traffic, and severe drought.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to touch and observe. However, never consume wild mushrooms unless identified by an expert, as highly toxic lookalikes exist. If accidentally ingested and symptoms occur, seek medical help immediately.

## About

Agaricus silvicola , also known as the wood mushroom , is a species of Agaricus mushroom related to the button mushroom.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/0d69b4c4-ad49-476c-958e-7a60133d6a05
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/154291
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus sylvicola
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/680831/medium.jpg (Stanislav Krejčík, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.