Poplar Fieldcap

Habitat

This species grows in dense tufts on the wood of broad-leaved trees, specifically on stumps, buried roots, or in the cracks of old, living trunks and branches. It shows a strong preference for willow and poplar, particularly black poplar, but can also be found on sycamore and elder.

Photos

Appearance

Cap

2.5 to 15 cm across; initially hemispherical or convex, eventually flattening and often becoming wavy, distorted, or depressed at the center. The surface transitions from silky smooth to wrinkled or cracked with age, ranging in color from pale buff or cream to darker brown, sometimes favoring a rusty flush at the center.

Stem

5 to 15 cm long and 10 to 15 mm thick; fibrous and cylindrical, though sometimes tapering downwards or appearing wavy. It is initially cream but darkens toward the base. Features a superior, persistent ring that may become dusted with brown spores.

Gills

Crowded and adnate or slightly decurrent, sometimes with a small tooth. They start as cream or buff and turn tobacco-brown as spores mature.

Flesh

Firm and white, becoming brown at the extreme base of the stem or occasionally brownish at the cap center. Noted for a nutty taste and a pleasant smell often compared to meal or old wine casks.

Spore print

Tobacco-brown.

Edibility

This species has a pleasant mealy or wine-like scent and a rich, nutty flavor. While the caps have firm flesh that is typically free of larvae, the stems are often tough and should be discarded before eating. There are no known poisonous lookalikes, making it one of the easier species in its group to identify.

Nutrient Source

It gets nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter, such as wood and plant material, in its environment.

Common Names

Basque

mazai-ziza

Catalan

bolet de saule

Danish

Poppel-agerhat

English

Poplar Fieldcap

French

Pholiote du peuplier

German

Südlicher Ackerling

Norwegian Bokmål

poppelåkersopp

Norwegian Nynorsk

poppelåkersopp

Spanish

seta de chopo, pollancó

Swedish

pioppino, poppelsvamp, tuvad åkerskivling

Welsh

Cap Maes y Poplys

Synonyms

• Agaricus attenuatus
• Agaricus capistratus
• Agaricus cylindraceus
• Agaricus cylindricus
• Agaricus cylindricus
• Agaricus leochromus
• Agaricus strobiloides
• Agrocybe cylindracea — Poplar Fieldcap
• Pholiota aegerita
• Pholiota capistrata
• Pholiota cylindracea
• Pholiota leochroma
• Togaria cylindracea