Agrocybe aegerita


Agrocybe aegerita, also called Agrocybe cylindracea or Pholiota aegerita, is a mushroom in the genus Agrocybe which is commonly known as the poplar mushroom or velvet pioppini (Chinese: 茶树菇). In Japan, it is called Yanagi-matsutake (Japanese:柳松茸).
It belongs to the white rot fungi and is a medium-sized agaric having a very open and convex cap, almost flat, with a diameter of 3–10 centimetres (1.2–3.9 in). 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 towards the centre and whiter around its border. It grows in tufts on logs and holes in the poplars, and other trees of large leaves.