Salty mushroom - Agaricus bernardii
- The Foraging Course Company
- Jun 4
- 2 min read
Edible mushroom - novice/intermediate Season - summer to autumn Common names salty mushroom, salt loving mushroom
Scientific name meaning: Agaricus comes from the Greek Agarikon, meaning mushroom. Bernardii comes from the name of the mycologist who named this species
Habitat  The salty mushroom is extremely salt tolerant and often found in grassland near to the coast. However, grass verges near roads that have been treated with salt also provide it with a good habitat. |
Overall structure and growth  A short and chunky mushroom, the salty mushroom is a saprobic mushroom living on dead and decaying organic matter under the sward (top layer of soil underneath the grass). It is found as single fruits or clumps. |
Cap  The cap is white in colour and can appear cracked due to the scales on its surface. It is dome-shaped when young becoming flatter with age and has an inrolled margin. The size of the cap can be up to 15cm. |
Gills and spores  Starting off pink, the gills eventually become chocolate brown. They are crowded and free (do not meet the stem). The spore colour is chocolate brown. |
Stem  Sturdy and white, the stem is 4 to 8cm tall and 2 to 4cm wide and often tapers at the base. It has an upturned ring and can be cylindrical or swollen in the centre. |
Flesh, taste and smell  The flesh is white, bruising a red-pink when damaged. The smell is fishy or like urine and taste can be mushroomy to unpleasant. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with poisonous Agaricus - such as the Yellow Stainer (Agaricus xanthodermis), pictured, but these smell of phenol or bottled ink and/or stain strongly yellow, particularly in the base of the stem, when bruised or cut. Could be confused with the pavement mushroom (Agaricus bitorquis), which grows in a similar habitat but is also edible. |
Use as food Must be cooked and can be used exactly as a cultivated mushroom Hazards This mushroom can grow on the roadside where it can accumulate traffic-related toxins. It is advisable to avoid harvesting from the sides of busy roads
Use in herbal medicine and medicine Some antimicrobial action has been observed under laboratory conditions
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Provides food for a the larvae of a number of invertebrates
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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