Agrocybe putaminum (Mulch Fieldcap)

Agrocybes are a common spring mushroom in wood chip mulch beds. I had seen them many times in the wood chips in my own yard. This year however, since I began documenting the mushrooms of Connecticut, I was urged to take a closer look. Much to my surprise, I actually had two different species of Agrocybe growing in the same chip bed all these years. I knew that I had Agrocybe preacox, but I did not know that I also had Agrocybe putaminum. A. putaminum is very similar looking from the top, the cap shape seems to have more of an umbo, but the most noticeable difference is the lack of an inner veil. They also appear to be more stout, more yellow in color, and more uniform in color overall. They have the same closely spaced gills with a brown spore print as other Agrocybes.