Kingdom Fungi Order Agaricales Scientific name Phaeolepiota Rank Genus | Division Basidiomycota Family Agaricaceae Higher classification Agaricaceae | |
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Similar Cystoderma, Phaeolepiota aurea, Agaricaceae, Agaricales, Nidularia | ||
Phaeolepiota aurea fungi kingdom
Phaeolepiota is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Phaeolepiota aurea. P. aurea, commonly known as golden bootleg or golden cap is a mushroom found throughout North America and Eurasia – often next to nettles.
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Edibility
Various cook books recommend the golden bootleg for its fine taste. Late studies have shown that the fruit body contains traces of Hydrogen cyanide, which is known to be toxic to humans. Therefore the mushroom is no longer considered edible. Heat treatment like cooking reduces the concentration of the poisonous acid, which might be the reason Phaeolepiota aurea was considered edible in the past.
References
Phaeolepiota Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA