Stropharia rugosoannulata

Stropharia rugosoannulata, known as the wine-cap stropharia, burgundy mushroom or king stropharia, is an agaric of the family Strophariaceae found in Europe and North America, and introduced to New Zealand.

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Unlike many other members of the genus Stropharia, it is widely regarded as a choice edible and cultivated for food.

The king stropharia can grow to 20 cm high with a reddish-brown convex to flattening cap up to 30 cm across, the size leading to another colloquial name godzilla mushroom.^[1] The gills are initially pale, then grey, and finally dark purple-brown in colour. The firm flesh is white, as is the tall stem which bears a wrinkled ring. This is the origin of the specific name which means "wrinkled-ringed".^[2]

It is found on wood chips and bark mulch across North America in summer and autumn. Described as very tasty by some authors, king stropharia is easily cultivated on a medium similar to what it grows on naturally. Antonio Carluccio recommends sautéeing them in butter or grilling them.^[1]

A 2006 study, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found the king stropharia to have the ability to attack the nematode Panagrellus redivivus; the fungus produces unique spiny cells called acanthocytes which are able to immobilise and digest the nematodes.^[3] See nematophagous fungus.

Notes

References

• Phillips, Roger (1991). Mushrooms of North America. Little, Brown & Co.. ISBN 0316706132.