The Subtle Differences Between Horse Mushrooms and Field Mushrooms
Foraging for wild mushrooms can be an extremely rewarding hobby. However accurately identifying edible species is absolutely crucial. Consuming the wrong mushrooms can make you violently ill, or even cost you your life. Two types that foragers often confuse are the horse mushroom (Agaricus arvensis) and the field mushroom (Agaricus campestris). Though they share many similarities in appearance and habitat understanding the subtle differences between these mushrooms will help you forage safely.
Physical Appearance
Both horse mushrooms and field mushrooms produce white caps on top of white stems. However, horse mushrooms grow significantly larger. The caps of horse mushrooms range from 5-20 cm wide, compared to just 2-8 cm for field mushrooms. Additionally, horse mushrooms have crowded gills that are initially pinkish, then mature to dark brown. Field mushrooms have less crowded gills that are also pinkish at first before becoming chocolate brown.
The stems provide some visual clues as well. Horse mushrooms have thick, solid stems reaching 5-15 cm tall and 2-3 cm thick. Field mushrooms have more slender stems in comparison. Also, horse mushrooms feature a robust double ring on the upper stem. Field mushrooms only have a delicate single ring.
Habitat and Seasonality
These two mushroom species thrive in similar grassy environments. Horse mushrooms prefer pastures, meadows, roadside verges, and other locations with decaying organic matter. Field mushrooms like open grassy fields, meadows, and lawns. In terms of timing, horse mushrooms fruit from midsummer through late autumn. Field mushrooms emerge a bit earlier, from late spring through fall. Additionally, horse mushrooms often form fairy rings, while field mushrooms grow singly or scattered.
Odor and Flavor
Your nose can also help distinguish between horse mushrooms and field mushrooms. Fresh horse mushrooms emit a prominent anise or almond-like aroma. Field mushrooms have a milder, generic mushroom smell. In terms of taste, horse mushrooms are mild with a slightly sweet flavor. Field mushrooms possess a more pronounced, traditional mushroom flavor.
Yellow Staining Reaction
One extremely important identifying characteristic is the yellow staining reaction when flesh is damaged or exposed to air. The toxic lookalike known as the yellow stainer mushroom stains bright chrome yellow. Both horse mushrooms and field mushrooms can show some faint yellowing, but never intense staining like the yellow stainer. As a safety precaution, always check the base of the stem by cutting it to ensure no yellow stainer contamination.
Spore Print
Taking a spore print is another reliable way to differentiate these species. The spores of horse mushrooms will leave behind a dark purple-brown print. Field mushroom spores produce a print that is just dark brown. Yellow stainer spores leave a pale print.
Edibility and Culinary Uses
Both of these mushrooms are choice edible species. However, many people consider horse mushrooms to be superior in terms of flavor and texture, making them more desirable for cooking. They can be used in place of store bought mushrooms in any recipe. Favorites include sautéing, adding to omelets, mixing into risottos, or using in creamy mushroom soups and sauces. With any new mushroom, always cook thoroughly and consume a small amount the first time to test for any allergic reaction.
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PLEASE NOTE: This mushroom is often confused with the Destroying Angel. Know it well, and ALWAYS take a spore print when gathering the Horse Mushroom.
You also have to make sure you dont have the Agaricus xanthodermus. On each mushroom you pick, cut a chunk out of the base of the stem, and see what color the cut area turns. If it turns yellow, toss it.
Agaricus xanthodermus showing the yellow staining near the base. This is why you always have to cut what you think is a Field Mushroom in half to make sure it does not stain yellow like this one did. By: frankenstoen Attribution 2.0 Generic
Fields, Forests & Wetlands Foods of Eastern North America
Season: Late Spring to Early Fall
READ THIS Before Gathering and Eating Wild Mushrooms.
Urban, Rural or Both: Rural mainly
The Horse Mushroom (Agaricus arvensis) is very similar to the Field Mushroom and the Button Mushroom – they are all from the Agaricus family.
This is similar to the Field mushroom, but you have to be even more careful with this one. It has brown spores and gills when fully open, but when young, can have whitish gills. This is the most common mushroom people mistake with the Destroying Angel. You are advised to not gather this one until you really know what you are doing. Please read the section on the Destroying Angel. Take a spore print to be sure. When gathering, make sure you dig a bit of the stem out of the ground to make sure it doesnt have a Volva (ball or cup shaped base). This is described in the section on the Destroying Angel.
There are a few steps in making sure you dont have a look-alike. First, when you pick it, it should have an anise seed smell – dont know what anise seeds smell like? Buy some and smell them even before starting to find this mushroom. Second, it must come from a field, and on the underside of the cap quite often there is a cogwheel like pattern on the partial veil – the thin membrane that covers the gill when the mushroom is immature. Take a spore print. It must be a dull chocolate brown. Not white, off white, cream, buff, pink or yellow – it must be brown. The gills must be “free” – they dont touch the stem, they round down and end on the underside of the cap near the stem, leaving a visible gap between the gills and stem. See the pictures under the section on the Agaricus bisporus. You absolutely must take a spore print with each one you pick, and do not pick them in the button stage. This is not a big deal, lay the caps out on white paper, cover with a slightly damp towel, leave for a couple of hours, then look – if you see the brown spore prints, you can be sure you dont have the Destroying Angel.
When gathering, cut a chunk out of the base of the stem of each one. Does it turn yellow? If so, it is probably an Agaricus xanthodermus. It wont kill you, but you will feel very sick after eating this one.
Even if all the above passes, and you are sure you have a Horse mushroom – dont eat very much unless you know for a fact where it is growing is clean land and not contaminated with heavy metals. This mushroom will absorb heavy metals from the earth if they are present. DO NOT collect this mushroom on land where there used to be industry.
You can use this one just like you would store bought button mushrooms, but the taste is a bit better, and they are a good size. Any recipe that would call for a Portobello, the Horse Mushroom is a great substitute.
Description:
- Cap Morphology: Oval to Convex when immature. Convex to nearly flat when mature. White to creamy yellow-white. Generally ranges from 7.5-20 cm (3 to 8 inches) wide. The cap flesh is thick and white.
- Spore Bearing Surface: Gills on the underside of the cap. Gills are closely spaced. Start out nearly white when immature, turning light grey, then finally chocolate brown to brown-black when very mature.
- Gill Attachment (how the Spore Bearing Surface is attached to the Stipe or Stem): Free – the gills do not touch the stem.
- Spore print: Chocolate Brown
- Stipe (Stalk): With skirt like annulus (ring). Generally ranges from 5-12.5 cm (2 to 5 inches) in length.
- Partial Veil: Yes on specimens that are not fully mature. If it is there, it will have a very distinctive cogwheel pattern.
- Season: Late Spring to Early Fall
- Habitat: Grassy areas, lawns, meadows, horse pasture, graveyards.
- Notes: Be careful, more people are poisoned by getting the wrong mushroom when gathering this one than almost any other mushroom.
- Recipe search on the web here (Google search) and here (Bing search).
- Pictures on the web here (Google s) and here (Bing s).
Gill Attachment (how the Spore Bearing Surface is attached to the Stipe or Stem): Free – the gills do not touch the stem. By: Debivort GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
Horse Mushroom (Agaricus arvensis). Notice how with the mature specimens, they seem very short compared to the width of the cap. Though not always this low to the ground, this is a first clue (other than environment) that you could have a Horse Mushroom. By: Rictor Norton & David Allen Attribution 2.0 Generic
Horse Mushroom (Agaricus arvensis). With this young specimen you can see the typical profile shape. From Pixabay, CC0 Creative Commons
Horse Mushroom (Agaricus arvensis). The pattern seen here on the underside with the veil still covering the gills is called the “cogwheel” pattern, and seeing it is one step in confirmation that you have a Horse Mushroom. By: Luridiformis Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
What is the difference between horse mushroom, field mushroom and yellow strainer
FAQ
How do you identify a horse mushroom?
- Gills start out pink but turn a dark, chocolatey brown color.
- Gills are true (separate tissue from cap).
- Gills end just before the stem.
- Gills don’t run the entire length of the cap.
- The annulus/ring of the veil on the stem runs upwards rather than hanging down.
What is another name for a Field Mushroom?
Agaricus campestris is a widely eaten gilled mushroom closely related to the cultivated A. bisporus (button mushroom). A. campestris is commonly known as the field mushroom or, in North America, meadow mushroom.
How to tell if a Field Mushroom is edible?
Edible mushrooms typically have brown or tan gills, while mushrooms with white gills are often deadly. Choose mushrooms with tan, brown, or white caps and stems rather than red. Edible mushrooms usually do not have scales on the cap or a ring around the stem.
What is the difference between a horse mushroom ring and a field mushroom?
The Field Mushroom’s ring is a fine torn frill. The Horse Mushroom’s ring is formed of a double membrane. The lower part is ‘star shaped’ • Many discolour yellowish, reddish or pinkish when cut or bruised. • Those that discolour bright/chrome yellow should be avoided for consumption.
What is a horse mushroom?
Agaricus arvensis Also discussed here: The Prince (Agaricus augustus), Macro-Mushroom (Agaricus urinescans) and Field Mushroom (Agaricus campestris) Habitat – fertile pastures (without artificial fertilisers), verges, hedgerows, wood edges. A horse mushroom in its prime is a thing of great beauty and superb flavour.
Which mushrooms resemble field mushrooms?
Here are a few common mushrooms that can resemble field mushrooms: Horse Mushroom (Agaricus arvensis): Horse mushrooms closely resemble field mushrooms and share many similar characteristics. They have a white or cream-coloured cap that can grow quite large, often reaching 10 to 20cm in diameter.
What does a horse mushroom look like?
They differ in colour from pure white to brown/grey, scaly and smooth, tall and short and so on. Horse mushrooms can display some paler yellow on the cap and stem – so if you do see some yellow it’s not always a bad thing. Both the Horse Mushroom and Yellow Stainer ‘bruise’ yellow (There’s hardly any yellow about the Field mushroom).
What is the difference between horse mushrooms and Meadow Mushrooms?
When young, meadow mushrooms have pink gills and are usually smaller than the horse mushroom. A key difference is that they don’t smell like anise and they don’t stain yellow when handled. Meadow mushrooms are widespread in North America, and there is a lot of confusion around this species group.
What is a field mushroom?
A. campestris is commonly known as the field mushroom or, in North America, meadow mushroom. This species was originally noted and named in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus as Agaricus campestris. It was placed in the genus Psalliota by Lucien Quelet in 1872.