Fungus · GBIF taxon 2533127
Agrocybe molesta
agrocybe molestaAlso known as Bearded Fieldcap, Cracked Cap, Cracked Fieldcap
Cracked fieldcaps sprout from lawns, meadows, and rich woodchip mulch after warm summer rains. Their pale ivory to creamy buff caps often develop a distinctive cracked, mosaic-like pattern as they dry out in full sun. Remnants of a delicate veil hang like ragged fringes along the cap margin or form a faint ring on the slender stem.
SaprobicSummer MushroomGrassland
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Dead Plant Material
- Soil Organic Matter
- Decaying Wood Fiber
Predators
- Slugs
- Fungus Gnats
- Rove Beetles
ThreatsExcessive fungicide use and intensive lawn management
HabitatsLawns, grassy fields, pastures, woodchip beds, and roadside verges
Life spanFruiting bodies last 3 to 7 days; subterranean mycelium persists indefinitely
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- Speciesagrocybe molesta
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Can cause gastrointestinal distress, and many wild mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
- Why it is dangerous
- Ingestion causes gastrointestinal distress including severe nausea and vomiting, with additional hazards from dangerous look-alikes.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognized by ivory-to-buff caps that crack into a tile pattern in dry weather and brown spores.
- What to do
- Observe and photograph in place without consuming; wash hands after handling wild fungi.
Responsible observation
- Cap Texture: Check the cap surface on sunny days for the characteristic cracked pattern.
- Spore Print: Collect spores on white paper to observe the warm chocolate-brown color.
- Habitat Check: Look for fruiting bodies in disturbed soils or fresh woodchip mulch after rain.
Look-alike 
Dangerous Look-alike (c) Alan Rockefeller, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alan Rockefeller · cc-by
Close Relative Alan Rockefeller / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Alan Rockefeller, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alan Rockefeller · cc-by
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