Time for agaricus

When the dry spell continues and continues

 and all mushroomers long for rain,

cemeteries are the place to go.

There, wise gardeners regularly water the grounds.

And there, one might find e.g. various Agaricus.

Agaricus arvensis. Edible.

A lesson from last year was how the rings here "pull upwards".

 Agaricus bernardii. Edible, but not normally eaten in Norway because of the fishy smell.

This year, I ate them for the first time when I found these choice babies.

The verdict? I will eat them again.

Note how the ring "pulls downwards" in an A. bernardii.

Agaricus bernardii

Apart from the striking smell (fishy?), which makes this edible mushroom uninteresting for the Norwegian palate, note too that the ring can be “pulled down”.

 Agaricus bernardii (Veisjampinjong)

Flesh turns reddish orange upon bruising.

Writer Ava Chin on the Agaricus bernardii

Comparison of rings

Agaricus bernardii (left), Agaricus arvensis (right)

The ring of the A. bernardii (veisjampinjong) is low on the stem, while the ring of the A. arvensis (Horse mushroom/ åkersjampinjong)) is high.

The ring of the A. bernardii can be “pulled down”, while the ring of the A. arvensis can be “pulled up”.

Agaricus bernardii

Agaricus bernardii (Veisjampinjong)

Apart from the striking smell (fishy?), which makes this edible mushroom uninteresting for the dinner table, note too that the ring can be “pulled down”.

By contrast, the ring on the Agaricus arvensis (åkersjampinjong) cannot be “pulled down” (see illustration); it can only be “pulled up”.