Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 63. (Budapest 1971)

Bohus, G.: Agaricus studies III.

The Xanthodermus -gro up Agaricus xanthodermus sensu lato PILÂT (1951, p. 122 — 123) stated the followings: "This Ag. xanthodermus of KarlsLejn differs perhaps from the forms of this species which grow in parks or deciduous woods. First of all the Karlstejn fungus has when alive a hardly perceptible bad smell and in cooking only a slight one, and it cannot be »aid that this smell though slightly unpleasant is reminiscent of carbolic acid, cresol or chlorine. Perhaps a slight smell of gallnut ink, to which J. SCHAEEEER compares it, would correspond best to the smell of this Karlstejn fungus when fresh. Of course I have never observed in the Karlstejn fungus the strong smell of carbolic acid which the forms from deciduous forests are said to emit in cooking as described in literature. For years I have collected this Karlstejn fungus of the spruce forests, and in our family we have eaten tens of kilogrammes of it without any ill effects. Also other people gather it in this area, and I have never heard that it could cause stomach trouble. Fresh it is almost without smell, in cooking it smells slightly ... In this respect the Karlstejn fungus of the spruce forests thus differs from Ag. xanthodermus of the decidous forests, at least according to the reports in the literature. Unfortunately I have not collected this species or form of the deciduous forests, which in cooking smells strongly of carbolic acid, and thus I cannot establish the differences." Studying the Hungarian herbarial material, conserved by the modified HERPELL-method, it becomes apparent that the "white-capped" Agaricus xanthodermus represents two taxa : Agaricus xanthodermus GENEV. The elongated stem and stature, resembling A. abruptibulbus or A. silvicola, are characteristic of the type. During preparation, the white colour of the pileus turns to isabel-coloured or dirty isabel-coloured, and the stem tends to darken. Spores elliptic, 3.7—4.1 u, wide. Smell weak, reminiscent of gall-ink. Fructifying in forests, edges of woods, rarely in meadows. Such is also the "Karlstejn fungus". Agaricus xanthodermus GENEV. var. piiatianus n. var. Differing from the type in the following characters: fruit body more or less squat (stem comperatively short). During preparation pileus and stem turning rusty yellowish or rusty (to be noted in future collecting how far this feature is constant!). Spores roundish-ovate, 4.3—5 u, wide. Smell, especially when cooked, a more or less intense carbolic acid smell. Fructifying generally in sites under human interference: parks, gardens, cemeteries, pastures, etc. A typo differt: statura plus-minus breuis (stipes relative brevis). Sporae rotundoovatae, 4.3—-5 ft latae. Odor, praesertim inter cocturam, phenoli similis, plus-minus intensivus. Per praeparationem color pilei et stipitis in luteo-ferrugineum, vel ferrugineum vertitur (an semper?). Habitat: in genere in locis ab hominibus affectis: in hortis publicis et privatis, in coemeteriis, in pascuis, etc. Sp oral measurements (in u.) A. xanthodermus A. xanthodermus var. piiatianus Budapest: Budapest: Mt. Csúcshegy 5.6-5.9x3.7-3.9 Farkasrét 5.5-6.5x4.5-5.1 Mt. Csúcshegy 5.3-5.5x3.7-4.1 Alsógöd, Com. Pest 5.5-5.8x4.3-4.7 Mt. Tökhegy 5.5-5.8x4.0-4.1 Veszprém,