The Prince
Agaricus augustus

Agaricus augustus is a warm weather mushroom, which in this area usually comes up with summer rains, or even drippy fog. Because of our warm spring this year, some people are finding it already. It is one of the easier species of Agaricus to identify. Agaricus augustus is large sized, with the caps from 4 to 10" wide (10 to 22 cm). The caps have golden to brown fibrils, concentrated towards the center, on an off-white to beige background. It stains yellow with handling. The stem has a fragile skirt-like ring, and is scaly below the ring. The gills are pallid (whitish) when young, turning pinkish beige, then dark brown as the chocolate brown spores mature. The gills are free from the stem. The odor of the mushroom is almondy.

The Prince is one of the best species of Agaricus to eat in this area, with it's almond-mushroom flavor. It is excellent in soups, cream sauces and pestos. It can even be used in desserts.

If you are a beginner, you should be aware that there are many toxic species of Agaricus in this area. All the toxic species have a phenolic (chemical or inky odor). The toxic species, while still coming up now, are more rare in the summer. If you eat a toxic Agaricus by mistake, you won't die, you'll just throw up, and possibly get the runs. You may be blessed with a good nose for phenol after the experience.

Photo by Craig Hathaway.

The prince is excellent in cream of mushroom soup, beef soups, french onion soup, mashed potatoes, and pairs well with the herbs fennel, chervil, thyme or basil.

Although it has not had extensive medicinal research done on it, it may well have medicinal properties, as A. bisporus and A blazei are both known to have medicinal properties, including immunomodulating and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Agaricus augustus. Photo by Harolde Searles.

Photo by Harolde Searles.

Agaricus augustus often grows near Monterey cypress or grand fir. It sometimes grows under redwoods or douglas fir. It sometimes grows near homes or in gardens. It is a saprophytic mushroom, not mycorrhizal, and eats tree needle debris and other dead organic matter. If the prince comes up near your house in the summer, when the ground is drier, it can benefit from a little water (photo to left).

Photo by Merry Winslow.

To make an Agaricus augustus pudding, use a recipe for vanilla cornstarch pudding, or tapioca pudding. Saute the mushroom, using about 1/2 of the volume of raw mushroom to milk volume. it will shrink considerably. Then run the milk and mushroom through the blender, and continue with the recipe.

Photo by Merry Winslow.

---

Crocodile Agaricus
Agaricus crocodilinus 

This mushroom makes its appearance here on the coast in late April and early May. It favors the coastal prairie and can be quite large (10-12' across.)

Photo by Alison Gardner

​A. crocodilinus does not stain yellow and smells like a supermarket porto bello.

​It is often confused with A. xanthoderma (smells of phenol and stains yellow) and A. californicus (smells of phenol, considerably smaller, does not stain yellow), so you want to be sure of your ID before collecting for the table. ​

Photo by Alison Gardner

It has a great flavor, but slightly musty. Comparing it to grocery
store mushrooms is like venison compared to feedlot beef. It may be used in any recipe for domestic mushrooms. I fried some slices up a couple days ago and served them in hamburgers. I would also recommend making a sour cream dip with them, cooking them with onions and garlic.

Photo by Alison Gardner

---