Scaly wood mushroom - Agaricus langei
- The Foraging Course Company
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Edible mushroom - novice Season - summer to autumn Common names Scaly wood mushroom, great wood mushroom
Scientific name meaning: Agaricus comes from the Greek Agarikon, meaning mushroom. Langei is derived from the name Johan Lange, a prominent Danish botanist born in the 19th century
Habitat  The scaly wood mushroom grows in woodland and under trees. |
Overall structure and growth  The scaly wood mushroom is a saprobic fungus living in the ground and feeding on dead and decaying leaf litter. It can be found in small groups and individually. |
Cap  The cap surface colour is a very pale brown, although the flesh is white underneath that, and is covered in red-brown scales that often look like tufted hair. When the fruit is young, it is dome-shaped, becoming flattened as it ages. The size of the cap can be between 5cm and 15cm. It bruises red, later turning brown, when damaged. |
Gills and spores  The gills are crowded and free (don't meet the stem). Starting off pink, they redden before turning dark brown. The spore colour is chocolate brown. |
Stem  Sturdy and white in colour, the stem is usually 1 to 2cm wide and 5 to 10cm tall. It has ring, or skirt, which is often a double ring. There are often brown cogwheel-like scales on the underside of the ring/skirt. The base of the stem is cylindrical or tapered. |
Flesh, taste and smell  The flesh is white, bruising red and eventually turning brown when damaged. The smell is mushroomy and a little meaty. The taste is mild. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with the blushing wood mushroom (Agaricus sylvaticus), pictured, but this is also edible. The blushing wood mushroom has a more bulbous stem base and more intense red bruising. |
Use as food Must be cooked and can be used exactly as a cultivated mushroom. It has a very rich meaty flavour and is one of our favourite tasting mushrooms 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 None known
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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