Black Poplar

 

Scientific name: Agrocybe aegerita

Synonyms: Pioppino, Black Poplar, The swordbelt Agrocybe, Yanagi-matsutake, Zhuzhuang-Tiantougu

Natural habitat: This mushroom is common across southern Europe, Mexico and the southern USA and in similar climatie zones of the Far East. This saprophyte grows often in clusters on stumps, preferably on hardwood. This species can frequently be found on cottonwoods, willows, Poplars, maples, box elders and in China tea-oil trees.

Appropriate substrate: Hardwood (most suitable: beech, willow, poplar, cottonwood, maple)

Usage: Edible mushroom

The Black poplar mushroom is known for its delicious taste and was already cultivated in ancient Rome, where ripe mushroom caps were placed between poplar wood. The convex brown caps of the young mushrooms expand to plane at maturity. The stem is white with a well-developed membranous ring. The texture is crunchy and the fragrance is mealy.

This mushroom is versatile in many recipes and can be chopped and stir-fried, cooked in a white sauce and poured over fish or chicken, or baked in a stuffing. The nutty flavour and crunchy texture enriches every meal. To prolong shelf life this mushroom should be harvested before the veil breaks.

 

Taxonomy:

Division: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Strophariaceae

Genus: Agrocybe

Species: Agrocybe aegerita

Spores: Smooth, ovoid to slightly ellipsoid, brown, 9 – 11 x 6– 6.5 µ