The poplar agrocybe is found growing singly or in tufts on rooted stumps and roots of popular, willow, and elder from spring until fall. It prefers warm climates including southern Europe and southeast US. The mushroom is 3 ½ inches tall and has a cap 2 to 4 ½ inches across. The cap is globos at first becoming convex with an irregular surface as it matures. It is white tinged with ocher but darkens to dark brownish red and develops cracks in dry weather. The margins are inrolled but may become irregular, wavy or cracked, and often bear the remains of the veil. The thin, crowded gills are pale gray-brown turning darker brown with age and are attached to the stem running down it slightly. The off-white stem darkens to brown and bares a well developed hanging ring near its top. It is firm, fibrous, cylindrical and slightly striated above the ring. The spores are tobacco-brown.
The crunchy texture and delicate flavor of the mushroom make it highly desirable for the table. The flavor has been described as nutty as well as yeasty and is generally considered pleasant so is good alone, as a side dish, or in a cream sauce. The difficulty of positive identification is the major consideration in deciding whether the mushroom is worth hunting in the wild so cultivated specimens are preferred.
Photo Credit: Jose Luis Cernadas Iglesias, Wikimedia Commons