# Mushroom (*Agaricus bisporus*)

Mushrooms are special plants that grow in damp, shady places like forests. They come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, and some are delicious to eat!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Forests
- **Also known as:** Fungi, Toadstool

![Mushroom](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/ChampignonMushroom.jpg&width=800)

Photo: chris_73, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ChampignonMushroom.jpg)

## Appearance

The Mushroom typically has a cap, a stem, and gills or pores underneath its cap. Caps vary greatly in shape and color, often appearing white, brown, or red, and can be smooth or textured. They often stand out against forest floors.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Agaricaceae
- **Genus:** Agaricus

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Egyptians thought mushrooms were a food for pharaohs only.
- Mushrooms breathe oxygen, just like humans do!
- Some mushrooms produce light and glow in the dark!
- The biggest mushroom ever found was heavier than a car!

## Special abilities

- **Nature's Recyclers:** Mushroom can break down dead plants and animals because of special enzymes that help them get nutrients.
- **Tiny Seed Spreaders:** Mushroom has microscopic spores that help them reproduce and spread new fungi far and wide on air currents.
- **Underground Connectors:** Mushroom can link to tree roots underground, helping plants share nutrients and water through their hidden network.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1-25 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 1-30 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Year-round
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Oak tree (*Quercus robur*) — Many mushrooms form vital partnerships with oak tree roots.
- **Parasitizes:** [Honey fungus](https://www.snappit.app/explore/honey-fungus) (*Armillaria ostoyae*) — This species can slowly kill and decompose host trees.
- **Eaten by:** Bioluminescent mushroom (*Mycena chlorophos*) — Small slugs and insects often consume the glowing fruiting bodies.
- **Eats:** [Brown rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-rat) (*Rattus norvegicus*) — Rats sometimes forage for various edible mushroom species.

## Traits

- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate

Never eat a mushroom unless an adult says it's safe. Some mushrooms can make you sick.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Mushroom?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Mushroom?

1-25 cm

### Is Mushroom edible?

edible

### How big is Mushroom?

1-30 cm

### Where is Mushroom usually found?

Forests

### What does Mushroom grow on?

soil

### When is Mushroom in season?

Year-round

### What color are Mushroom spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Cripple Creek Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cripple-creek-historic-district) — Colorado, US · Historic District

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Mushroom: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mushroom)