Agrocybe praecox is a species of brown-spored edible mushroom which appears early in the year in woods, gardens and fields. According to modern taxonomic analysis it is just one of a cluster of closely similar species which are often referred to as the Agrocybe praecox complex. It is found in Europe, North Africa and North America.
Description
Agrocybe praecoxbelongs to a group of species which are difficult to distinguish consistently. The following description combines several references.
Cap: up to 8 cm, convex, smooth, beige when dry and yellowish brown when imbued with moisture. Veil remnants are often visible around the rim.
Habitat: Gregarious in grass or on wood debris in woods, gardens, or other contexts. Like other Agrocybes, it is a saprophyte.
Season: Often observed in spring, but can also occur in summer and autumn.
Taxonomy and related species
The mushroom was first described by Persoon in 1800 as Agaricus praecox. In 1889 Fayod devised the new genus Agrocybe and made A. praecox the type species. The Latin epithet praecox "early" is related to the word "precocious" and refers to the fact that this species often appears early in the year. A 1990 study by Timothy Flynn and O. K. Miller finds that A. praecox is one of four species which are indistinguishable using superficial characteristics but which can be separated through their habitat and location. If this proposal is accepted, the cluster consists of A. molesta and three other species which do not yet have proper names, but which are referred to as "Flynn & Miller Species I - III". The three provisional species correspond to the older names A. acericola, A. elatella, A. praecox, and A. sphaleromorpha combined; and their synonyms. According to the traditional system, various detailed morphological characteristics can be used to choose between the species, but such is variation amongst individuals that it is difficult to achieve a consistent identification in this way. The following table summarizes the names of species which are closely related to A. praecox. Note that Index Fungorum has been used as a reference throughout.
General
It has a widespread distribution in North America, Europe and North Africa. Also it has been reported from Mongolia, Siberia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Argentina and Colombia. Together with the closely related species it is edible, but according to most reports not to be recommended. For instance one French site says that it is more or less bitter and because of this characteristic and its soft consistency, it is best left aside. Another site says that it is edible but needs to be well cooked. Roger Phillips however says it is inedible.
