Agaricus sp. with foetid scent

**Steve_mt** · 19. November 2024

I found fruiting bodies of Agaricus sp. on leaf litter and twigs below Pomegranate trees in a shaded and humid place. Slicing or bruising did not produce any significant colour change. The scent was interesting as it was slightly foetid (like millipedes) and I am usually used to scents of anise, ink, mealy, or good-scented mushroom scents with Agaricus sp. The ring was not well developed. The spore print was moderate brown (not dark) like, milk-chocolate. The spores were small with an eccentric apiculum. The cheilocystidia were hard to see, and if what I seen are Cheilocystida, they were clavate with large vacuoles. Basidia 2- 3- and 4- sporous. Under the stereomicroscope I saw glistening white elements on the sides of the lamella which may be pleurocystidia.

Spore size:

(6.4) 6.6 - 7.6 (8.1) × (4.9) 5.2 - 5.9 (6.1) µm

Q = (1.1) 1.2 - 1.36 (1.4) ; N = 36

Me = 7.1 × 5.5 µm; Qe = 1.3

**Oehrling** · 19. November 2024

Hello Steve,

Agaricus should be safe, according to the form an colour of spores.

Now, you have to find out the right section/subgenus. For this, there is KOH-Test on Pileipellis (reaction nil or yellow), as well Schaeffer-Test (paint a cross on pileipellis by one line with HNO3 and the other with Anilin, the middle of the cross will be striking orange when Schaeffer-reaction is positive). Then you go into the right section. But then the difficulty begins.

Greets

Oehrling

**Thorwulf** · 19. November 2024

Zitat von Oehrling

Then you go into the right section. But then the difficulty begins.

Let's put it this way: That's where the trouble starts rather than the difficulties.

Cheers

Marcel

**Steve_mt** · 20. November 2024

There was a very mild (or negligible) colour change with 5% and 10% KOH on the cap, but the sample is now 3 days old (but should still work).

I do not have the other Aniline and Nitric Acid (what concentration the acid should be ? )

**Oehrling** · 20. November 2024

Concentration of HNO3: as fat as available. When I open my bottle with HNO3, it smokes.

I consider the KOH reaction as negative. Therefore, according to KIBBY, The Genus Agaricus In Britain, it's neither a Minores nor an Arvensis nor a Xanthodermatei. When Schaeffer reaction should be positive, it's a Bohusiae or a Spissicaules. When Schaeffer should be negative, it's an Agaricus, a Bivelares, a Chitoinoides or a Sylvatici.

FG

Oehrling

**ibex** · 20. November 2024

Hi Steve

Zitat von Steve_mt

I do not have the other Aniline and Nitric Acid (what concentration the acid should be ? )

Since handling aniline and nitric acid can be quite problematic, as the substances are dangerous and toxic, I use sulfanilic acid instead, as described here (unfortunately only in German):

https://www.dgfm-ev.de/jugend-und-nachwuchs/pdf-bereiche/pilzkunde?name=Chemie-mit-Pilzen-A-v2.pdf&reattachment=d56d8b505b8d77ca529c0fb6dcb6191b

(Since the links are still not working properly, I have attached it as a PDF.)

As far as I know, it should have the same effect and be far less problematic.

Kind regards,

Benjamin

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