Mushrooms · Wild culinary mushroom
The prince
Agaricus augustus · also called The prince (English), agaric auguste or agaric imperial (French), Riesen-Champignon (German); names from GBIF
The prince is a wild mushroom in the same group as the shop-bought button mushroom. It is picked and eaten as a food in some places. We found no human study of health effects and no supplement. The main points are safety: it can hold very high cadmium from the ground, poison-centre records list it among Agaricus linked to stomach upset, and deadly look-alikes exist that cooking does not make safe.
General information, not medical advice. Last substantive update · Not medically reviewed. A named clinician has not signed off on this page. How this page is made
About The prince
The prince (Agaricus augustus) is a wild relative of the button mushroom that is eaten as a food. It is not sold as a supplement and no human study shows a health benefit. The safety points matter far more: very high cadmium in some wild samples, stomach upset recorded for the group, deadly and toxic look-alikes, and an unmeasured agaritine content.
Cadmium
Wild mushrooms take up metals from the ground, and this species stands out. In a German survey of 402 wild species (1,049 samples), most samples were low, with 68% under 2 mg of cadmium per kg dry weight. But samples above 50 mg per kg dry weight were found in Agaricus augustus and five other species. The gills held more than the stem. The survey is from 1978 and the abstract does not say how many prince samples were tested, so it shows the species can hold a lot, not how much a mushroom from your area holds.
In mice fed dried Agaricus augustus for 9 weeks, cadmium reached the liver and kidney about as well as inorganic cadmium. The authors advised restricting how much wild mushroom with high cadmium people eat. Where the mushroom grew matters most.
Stomach upset and cooking
A 2020 review says some Agaricus cause stomach and bowel upset 1 to 2 hours after eating, from an unknown irritant. It lists Agaricus augustus among species named in North American poison-centre registers, but it does not say whether those cases were a misidentification, raw eating or the mushroom itself.
The same review reports a compound related to agaritine in significant amounts in this species, citing an older study, and advises against eating button mushrooms crude or poorly cooked. We found no measured agaritine value for the prince and no study showing harm. Cooking is the cautious choice, but it does not fix a misidentification.
What it is
Agaricus augustus is a fungus in the family Agaricaceae, and GBIF lists the name as accepted. It is a relative of Agaricus bisporus, the cultivated button, cremini and portobello mushroom, and of the wild field mushroom. Results for one Agaricus species cannot be assumed for another, including the supplement species Agaricus subrufescens.
What the research shows
No study in people was found. A short 2019 laboratory letter listed an extract of the prince with one bacterium in a dish test of 23 fungi, without effect sizes. One review quotes about 5 mg of selenium per kg dry matter for several wild Agaricus including this one. Neither finding shows that eating the mushroom does anything for health.
Legal and regulatory status
We did not read any food-safety or medicine regulator statement on the prince, so none is stated here. It is a wild food, not an approved medicine or a supplement.
At a glance
Traditional uses history, not proof
- A 2025 review of Himalayan wild edible mushrooms lists it among the edible species recorded in Uttarakhand, India (Panthari et al.).
- No documented traditional medicine use was found in the sources read.
Studied for research
- Eating it as a food: no health benefit shown, insufficient
- Germ-killing activity of a lab extract, laboratory only, insufficient
- Selenium content (a quoted group statement, not a health benefit), insufficient
Main compounds
- Cadmium taken up from the ground (a contaminant)
- Agaritinal, related to agaritine (second-hand report; not measured)
- Selenium, much higher than in shop mushrooms according to one review (group statement)
Common forms
- Fresh or cooked wild mushroom
- Dried mushroom (the mouse cadmium study used dried mushroom)
- No powder, capsule or extract product was found
Research links: Cadmium in 402 wild mushroom species (abstract) · Cadmium from the mushroom in mice (abstract) · Agaricus toxicity and agaritine (review abstract) · Mushroom poisonings in South Sardinia (abstract) · Death cap liver failure (review abstract) · Yellow stainer phenol variation (abstract) · Research Library · Genes & Biomarkers Library
What it is and its history
- Accepted scientific name
- Agaricus augustus
- Naming authority
- Fr. (GBIF)
- Synonyms
- Agaricus perrarus Schulzer; Agaricus peronatus Massee; Psalliota augusta (Fr.) Quel.; Pratella augusta (Fr.) Gillet; Fungus augustus (Fr.) Kuntze; Orcella augusta (Fr.) Kuntze; Agaricus augustus var. albus M.M.Moser; Agaricus augustus var. perrarus (Schulzer) Bon & Cappelli; Psalliota perrara (Schulzer) Bres.; Fungus peronatus Kuntze; Agaricus subrufescens J.E.Lange (listed by GBIF)
- Common names
- The prince (English (GBIF vernacular list)); Agaric auguste / agaric imperial (French (GBIF)); Riesen-Champignon (German (GBIF)); Agarico augustus (Spanish (GBIF))
- Family or group
- Agaricaceae (a fungus family), not a plant
- Classification
- Fungi > Basidiomycota > Agaricomycetes > Agaricales > Agaricaceae > Agaricus > Agaricus augustus
- Native range
- Not checked.
- Habitat
- Not stated in the sources read beyond being a wild edible mushroom recorded in Uttarakhand, India, and in Northern Ireland and German surveys.
- What it looks like
- Fruiting body: Deliberately not described: this page gives no identification help.
- Cultivation
- Wild-collected. The commercial mushroom is the related Agaricus bisporus; the supplement mushroom is Agaricus subrufescens.
- Harvest and processing
- Not checked.
- Look-alikes and adulterants
- Name: Death cap and white destroying angels (Amanita); Note: Deadly. Reviews say the death cap can be confused with the horse mushroom and a lethal destroying angel with young Agaricus. Amatoxins survive cooking and drying. Not tied to this species by any source we read.; Name: Yellow-staining Agaricus (Agaricus xanthodermus and relatives); Note: Cause vomiting and diarrhoea within about 2 hours. Phenol is the likely cause. Not tied to this species by any source we read.
- Sustainability and conservation
- No conservation assessment was read.
Traditional use and history history, not clinical proof
| Tradition or era | Documented use | Source |
|---|---|---|
| India, Uttarakhand | A 2025 review table lists Agaricus augustus among the wild edible mushrooms recorded in Uttarakhand. | p41154052 |
Traditional use shows how it was used. It does not show that it works or is safe today.
What is inside, and how it may work
What it contains and how those compounds act in cells and animals. Laboratory and animal mechanisms are not proven effects in people.
Main compounds
| Compound | Family | Where it is concentrated | Activity studied | Level of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmium (a contaminant, not a natural constituent) | heavy metal | Gills more than stem Above 50 mg per kg dry weight in some wild samples; most mushrooms in the same survey under 2 mg per kg. | Toxic metal taken up from the ground; stored in liver and kidney in mice. 13 10 | Food survey |
| Agaritinal (agaritine-related) | hydrazine compound | Not stated Described as 'significant amounts' in a review citing an older study; no measured value. | Related compounds are suspected weak carcinogens in mice (review). 9 | Review |
| Selenium (mineral) | trace element | Not stated About 5 mg per kg dry matter for several wild Agaricus (group statement, quoted). | No health effect tested. 3 | Review |
| Cobalt (one sample) | trace element | Not stated 0.28 mg per kg in one sample (weight basis not stated). | Called exceptionally high by the authors; no health effect tested. 6 | Food survey |
Mechanisms, receptors and pathways
| Target or pathway | Gene or receptor | What was found | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmium uptake and absorption | not applicable | In cadmium-rich mushrooms the level was far above the soil level (survey abstract). In mice, a large share of the cadmium in dried A. augustus was bound to soluble compounds, and absorption was about like inorganic cadmium. 13 10 | Animal research |
| Germ growth in a dish | not studied | An extract was listed against Listeria monocytogenes in a disk test; the active substance is unknown. 11 | Laboratory research |
| Toxicity of the yellow-staining look-alike | not applicable | Phenol in A. xanthodermus is high enough to account for its toxicity (abstract). 4 2 | Laboratory research |
Absorption, metabolism and elimination
- Absorption
- Cadmium from dried A. augustus was absorbed by mice about as well as inorganic cadmium (liver and kidney storage). Nothing else found.
- Distribution
- Mice: liver and kidney.
- Metabolism
- Not found.
- Elimination
- Not found.
- Bioavailability
- Cadmium only, in mice; not established for people.
Isolated compounds versus whole extracts
No isolated compound or extract of this mushroom is sold, and no supplement was found. The only extract work is a short laboratory screen.
Nutritional composition
No USDA FoodData Central entry and no open nutrient table were found, so no nutrition value is stated.
3 not enough evidence
What was looked at
The 3 benefits and uses checked for The prince, each with how strong the evidence is. Tap one to open it.
What is The prince good for?
The uses people ask about and how strong the human evidence is for each. For the prince there is no human evidence for any of them. Read this together with the Safety tab.
Benefits, one by one
Each card is a research question, not a promise. Tap a goal to filter. Open a card to see the studies, doses and limits.
As a food
Not enough evidenceA large wild Agaricus that is picked and eaten in some places. We found no human study of health effects and no nutrient table, so no nutrition or health claim is made.
2 studiesFresh, cooked wild mushroom. Cooking is the cautious choice for any A…
Studies, doses and limits
What the trials found
No study in people tests eating the prince for any health outcome. We searched Europe PMC for the species name and found only metal, chemistry, checklist and laboratory papers.
Effect sizes as reported
No health effect shown
Why this rating
There are no human studies of health outcomes, and no verified nutrient values were found.
Form and dose studied
Fresh, cooked wild mushroom. Cooking is the cautious choice for any Agaricus (compiler's reading of the agaritine review).
Limits
Only a species list as a source on its food role. 'Edible' in a list is not a safety guarantee and applies only to a correctly identified mushroom.
Why researchers looked
It is eaten for taste, not as a remedy.
Traditional use
A 2025 review of Himalayan wild edible mushrooms lists Agaricus augustus among the edible species recorded in Uttarakhand, India. That is all it says.
Proposed mechanism Other
Not applicable; this is a food.
A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.
The biggest risk with a wild mushroom is mistaking a deadly or toxic look-alike for it, and cooking does not make those safe. See the Safety tab first.
Germ-killing activity in a dish (laboratory only)
Not enough evidenceIn a small laboratory screen of 23 fungi, an extract of this mushroom was listed as acting against one bacterium (Listeria monocytogenes). This is a test-dish result and says nothing about eating the mushroom.
1 studiesA freeze-dried laboratory extract; no product exists.
Studies, doses and limits
What the trials found
No animal or human study. A 2019 Northern Ireland letter listed Agaricus augustus with Listeria monocytogenes among 23 fungi tested. The table copy we read does not show which extract or how large the effect was.
Results
Listed as acting against Listeria monocytogenes in a dish
Effect sizes as reported
No effect in people shown
Why this rating
Laboratory screen only, in a short letter without effect sizes.
Form and dose studied
A freeze-dried laboratory extract; no product exists.
Limits
No effect sizes, unclear table, no repeat. Dish results do not predict effects in people, and nothing suggests the mushroom prevents infection.
Why researchers looked
Fungi are screened in dishes as an early search for new antibacterial substances.
Proposed mechanism Laboratory research
A protein-and-polysaccharide or water extract was tested by disk diffusion (authors' method); the active substance was not identified.
A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.
The biggest risk with a wild mushroom is mistaking a deadly or toxic look-alike for it, and cooking does not make those safe. See the Safety tab first.
Selenium content (a mineral claim, not a health benefit)
Not enough evidenceA 2013 review says several wild Agaricus mushrooms, this one included, hold much more selenium than the shop button mushroom. It is a statement about content only; it does not show a health benefit, and we cannot trace it to a measurement.
1 studiesWild fruiting body
Studies, doses and limits
What the trials found
No human study. The review gives about 5 mg of selenium per kg of dry matter for several wild Agaricus species and quotes an earlier 2008 paper that we did not open.
Results
About 5 mg selenium per kg dry matter (group of wild Agaricus, quoted)
Effect sizes as reported
Content only; no effect on health tested
Why this rating
A second-hand group figure with no health outcome.
Form and dose studied
Wild fruiting body
Limits
Not traced to a sample of this species. Wild mushrooms from the same group can also hold cadmium; see the Safety tab.
Why researchers looked
Selenium is a trace mineral, so mushrooms are sometimes checked for it.
Proposed mechanism Other
Not applicable; this is a content statement.
A proposed mechanism does not show that the effect happens in people.
The biggest risk with a wild mushroom is mistaking a deadly or toxic look-alike for it, and cooking does not make those safe. See the Safety tab first.
Connections to the rest of health
How The prince connects to the rest of our health knowledge graph. Every link says what kind of connection it is. A safety link (for example to the liver) is a warning, not a benefit. A study that merely mentions a topic never creates a benefit link.
Explore every connection: goals, body systems, organs, symptoms, genes
B. Body systems
| Connected to | Kind of connection | Evidence status | Context | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digestive system | Adverse effect or risk | Low certainty | Vomiting and diarrhoea within about 1 to 2 hours; cause for A. augustus not stated. Preparation or compound: Agaricus species in poison-centre registers; yellow-staining look-alikes |
9 8 |
C. Body parts and organs
G. Root causes and contributing factors
| Connected to | Kind of connection | Evidence status | Context | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy metal exposure | Low certainty | Cadmium above 50 mg per kg dry weight in some wild samples; level depends on the ground. Preparation or compound: Wild Agaricus augustus fruiting bodies |
13 10 |
L. Active compounds
| Connected to | Kind of connection | Evidence status | Context | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmium (a contaminant, not a natural constituent) | Biological association | Food survey | Toxic metal taken up from the ground; stored in liver and kidney in mice. Preparation or compound: Gills more than stem |
13 10 |
| Agaritinal (agaritine-related) | Biological association | Review | Related compounds are suspected weak carcinogens in mice (review). | 9 |
| Selenium (mineral) | Biological association | Review | No health effect tested. | 3 |
| Cobalt (one sample) | Biological association | Food survey | Called exceptionally high by the authors; no health effect tested. | 6 |
Each connection is stored with the ingredient, the connected record, the kind of connection, the evidence status, the supporting studies, the preparation or compound involved, and a review date (last reviewed October 25, 2026).
Evidence at a glance: what the research found for 3 outcomes
Each outcome below is one thing researchers measured. Certainty is how far the evidence can be trusted, not how well it works. The full studies are on the next tab.
The evidence
The research centre for The prince. Every record here was checked against PubMed or the publisher's page; we never list a study we have not verified.
Evidence by outcome
Bars show how many studies we found for each outcome, not how well it works. People are added up across trials only (reviews are not added, to avoid double counting).
How we rate evidence
High certainty
Several well-run trials or reviews agree; further research is unlikely to change the picture much.
Moderate certainty
Good trials point the same way, but some doubt remains.
Low certainty
Small, short or inconsistent trials. The finding could change with better research.
Very low certainty
Very little or very weak human data. Treat as a possibility only.
Mixed findings
Trials or reviews disagree with each other.
Not enough evidence
Not enough human research to say either way.
Evidence against
Good research found no benefit, or found harm.
We take the reviewers' own risk-of-bias and GRADE statements where they exist, and otherwise judge from study size, design, consistency, directness and whether a product matches what is sold. Many publications do not make evidence high. Method note: We read PubMed records and abstracts for 12 papers (a cadmium survey, a mouse feeding study, a trace-element survey, a laboratory screen, four reviews, a hospital case series and two chemistry or field studies of a toxic look-alike), read seven of them in full text from Europe PMC, and checked the species name in GBIF. Index Fungorum and regulator pages were not read. Certainty ratings are the compiler's own reading.
Study library: every study we checked 14
| Study | Design | People | Product, dose, length | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alvarado 2022 Amanita Section Phalloideae Species in the Mediterranean Basin: Destroying Angels Reviewed. Biology (Basel) · PMID 35625498 · DOI |
Other n/a |
Taxonomy and poisoning review of white deadly Amanita species | n/a |
The abstract says amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly mushroom poisonings in Europe. In the species notes of the full text, one lethal destroying angel is described as easily confused with immature specimens of Agaricus. Review; no new data about Agaricus Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Species, amatoxins, poisoning in Spain Limitations: The Agaricus remark sits in a species entry whose heading is not clear in the text we read, so we state it for white deadly Amanita in general. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Read: abstract and full text |
| Boxshall 2021 A field-based investigation of simple phenol variation in Australian Agaricus xanthodermus. Mycologia · PMID 34494944 · DOI |
Other n/a |
Wild Agaricus xanthodermus collected in Australia | n/a |
The abstract says A. xanthodermus and other yellow-staining species cause poisonings that need treatment, usually stomach and bowel irritation of varying severity. Phenol was higher in the cap than the stem, higher in mature than young mushrooms, and higher on woody mulch than on lawns. The authors suggest toxicity varies partly because of this; human sensitivity may also play a role but was not tested. Toxin level varies between mushrooms, so severity of illness varies Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Phenol, hydroquinone and catechol levels Limitations: Australian study of one look-alike species, not of A. augustus. Abstract only. Funding and conflicts: Research support, non-US government (PubMed record); no industry link Read: abstract |
| Falandysz 2013 Macro and trace mineral constituents and radionuclides in mushrooms: health benefits and risks. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology · PMID 23179616 · DOI |
Narrative review n/a |
Review of minerals and radionuclides in edible mushrooms | n/a |
The full text says that for several wild-grown Agaricus species, including A. augustus, the selenium content (about 5 mg per kg dry matter) is much greater than in cultivated champignon. The abstract notes that minerals of nutritional value occur together with hazardous elements such as cadmium, lead, mercury, silver, arsenic and radionuclides. Group statement from a review; not a measurement on A. augustus we can trace Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Minerals and hazardous elements in mushrooms Limitations: Review. The selenium figure is quoted from an earlier paper (Falandysz 2008) that was not opened. It does not say how much selenium a portion of this mushroom gives or whether that is healthy. Funding and conflicts: Research support, non-US government (PubMed record); no industry link Read: abstract and full text |
| Gill 1984 Constituents of Agaricus xanthodermus Genevier: the first naturally endogenous azo compound and toxic phenolic metabolites. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung C · PMID 6543409 · DOI |
Other n/a |
Fresh Agaricus xanthodermus | n/a |
The abstract says phenol is present in the fruiting bodies in a high enough concentration to account for the toxicity of A. xanthodermus. Chemistry of a toxic yellow-staining species Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Chemical constituents Limitations: Old laboratory paper on a look-alike species; abstract only. Funding and conflicts: Not stated Read: abstract |
| Gouvinhas 2024 The most dreadful mushroom toxins: a review of their toxicological mechanisms, chemical structural characteristics, and treatment. EXCLI Journal · PMID 39165585 · DOI |
Narrative review n/a |
Review of dangerous mushroom toxins | n/a |
The full text says the death cap (Amanita phalloides) can easily be confused with the edible horse mushroom (Agaricus arvensis), an Agaricus relative, and with Tricholoma equestre. It says amatoxins are heat stable, so drying or boiling does not seem sufficient to inactivate them. Review; no new data Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Toxins, mechanisms and treatment Limitations: Narrative review. The horse mushroom remark is a citation of an earlier paper that was not opened. It does not name Agaricus augustus. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Read: abstract and full text |
| Jorhem 1995 Levels of some trace elements in edible fungi. Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung · PMID 8525697 · DOI |
Other n/a |
1 Common edible fungi analysed for lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium; one sample of Agaricus augustus |
Wild edible fungi fruiting body |
The abstract says that in a single sample of Agaricus augustus the cobalt level was exceptionally high at 0.28 mg per kg. It does not say whether this was fresh or dry weight. One sample; cobalt called exceptionally high by the authors Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Trace element levels Limitations: A single sample. Weight basis not stated in the abstract. Says nothing about harm. Funding and conflicts: Not stated in the abstract Read: abstract |
| Kayes 2024 Amanita phalloides-Associated Liver Failure: Molecular Mechanisms and Management. International Journal of Molecular Sciences · PMID 39684738 · DOI |
Narrative review n/a |
Review of death cap poisoning | n/a |
The abstract says death cap poisoning starts with delayed stomach and bowel symptoms that mimic gastroenteritis, followed by severe liver damage and liver failure, and that liver transplantation is needed in some people. The full text gives a symptom-free lag of 6 to 18 hours, says amatoxins are not destroyed by cooking or drying, gives the death rate as 10 to 20%, and says the death cap is commonly mistaken for edible mushrooms. Review; no new data Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Course of poisoning and treatment Limitations: Narrative review of mostly small case series; does not discuss Agaricus augustus. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflicts of interest. Read: abstract and full text |
| La Rosa 2024 Epidemiology and clinical aspect of mushroom poisonings in South Sardinia: A 10-year retrospective analysis (2011-2021). Food Science and Nutrition · PMID 38268883 · DOI |
Case series |
164 164 mushroom poisoning cases in South Sardinia, Italy, 2011 to 2021 |
n/a |
Species were identified in 162 of 164 cases; 81 were caused by toxic species. Omphalotus olearius (22%) and Agaricus xanthodermus (18%) were the most common toxic species. In the full-text table A. xanthodermus caused 15 cases, with a mean delay of 2 hours and mean hospital stay of 1 day; symptoms were abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, tremor, vertigo and breathlessness. Six patients were children or adolescents who ate wild mushrooms picked by adults. A yellow-staining Agaricus was the second most common toxic cause in this region Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Species involved, symptoms, timing Limitations: Regional hospital and inspectorate records from one Italian area; cannot give a rate for the general public. The Agaricus augustus species was not among the listed causes. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Read: abstract and full text |
| Lagrange 2020 Warning on False or True Morels and Button Mushrooms with Potential Toxicity Linked to Hydrazinic Toxins: An Update. Toxins (Basel) · PMID 32751277 · DOI |
Narrative review n/a |
Literature review of toxins in false and true morels and in Agaricus mushrooms | n/a |
The full text says some Agaricus cause a stomach and bowel illness 1 to 2 hours after eating, from an unknown irritant, with cases gathered from poison control centres in Europe and the USA. Species named are A. xanthodermus and A. moelleri, plus species from North American Mycological Association registers, among them A. augustus. It also says the compound agaritinal has been shown in significant amounts in A. arvensis, A. augustus, A. campestris and A. macrosporus, citing an older study. The abstract concludes that button mushrooms should not be eaten crude or poorly cooked. An erratum was published in 2022. Review; A. augustus is named in poison-centre registers and as holding agaritinal, with no measured value Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Edibility, toxins and poisonings with morels and Agaricus species Limitations: Narrative review. The agaritinal statement is second-hand (the older study was not opened) and gives no amount. The registers do not say whether the cases were a misidentification, raw eating or the mushroom itself. The 2022 erratum was not read. Funding and conflicts: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Read: abstract and full text |
| Lind 1995 Bioavailability of cadmium from crab hepatopancreas and mushroom in relation to inorganic cadmium: a 9-week feeding study in mice. Food and Chemical Toxicology · PMID 7672739 · DOI |
Other animal |
Female Balb/c mice fed diets with 0.4 ppm cadmium for 9 weeks (animal study) | Dried Agaricus augustus in mouse feed (0.4 ppm cadmium) fruiting body, dried |
Mice were fed boiled crab hepatopancreas, dried Agaricus augustus mushroom or inorganic cadmium chloride, each giving 0.4 ppm cadmium. Using liver and kidney cadmium as the measure, the abstract says cadmium from the crab was slightly less available than from the mushroom or the inorganic form. A large share of the cadmium in dried mushroom was bound to soluble compounds. The authors say the difference is low and, as a safety measure, recommend that human consumption of both crab hepatopancreas and wild mushrooms with high cadmium be restricted. Cadmium from dried A. augustus was absorbed by mice about as well as inorganic cadmium Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Cadmium stored in liver and kidney as a measure of absorption Limitations: Animal study (mice) with one dose level. It does not show harm in people. Abstract only. Funding and conflicts: Not stated in the abstract Read: abstract |
| Nelson 2019 Antimicrobial properties of native Ulster macrofungi (mushrooms and toadstools) to clinical pathogens. Ulster Medical Journal · PMID 31105354 |
Laboratory research in-vitro |
23 Freeze-dried extracts of 23 native Northern Ireland macrofungi tested against bacteria and one fungus in a dish |
Freeze-dried fruiting body extract fruiting body |
The short report tested aqueous and protein-and-polysaccharide (PPER) extracts of 23 fungi. In its table Agaricus augustus is listed with Listeria monocytogenes. In the copy of the table we read, the columns run together, so it is not clear which extract that entry belongs to, and no size of effect is given. Test-dish result only; no effect in people is shown Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Inhibition of clinical pathogens by standard disk diffusion Limitations: Short letter with no abstract. Table layout unclear and no inhibition sizes. Laboratory only. Funding and conflicts: Not stated Read: full text |
| Panthari 2025 Himalayan Mushrooms as a Natural Source of Ergosterol and Vitamin D(2): A Review of Nutraceutical and Functional Food Perspectives. Foods · PMID 41154052 · DOI |
Narrative review n/a |
Review of wild edible mushrooms of the Himalayan region | n/a |
A table of edible mushrooms of the Indian Himalayan Region lists Agaricus augustus among the wild edible species recorded in Uttarakhand. The table gives no recipe, amount, nutrient value or safety statement for this species. Review; shows the species is eaten in places, nothing more Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Species lists, ergosterol and vitamin D2 content Limitations: Species list inside a review about other mushrooms. It is not a safety guarantee. Funding and conflicts: Not read Read: abstract and full text (table) |
| Seeger 1978 Cadmium in mushrooms (author's transl). Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung · PMID 564583 · DOI |
Other n/a |
1049 1,049 samples of 402 species of wild mushrooms, mainly from southern Germany |
Wild mushroom fruiting bodies fruiting body |
The abstract says cadmium ranged from under 0.1 to 120 mg per kg dry weight (under 0.01 to 10.8 mg per kg fresh weight). 68% of samples held under 2 mg/kg dry weight and 86.5% under 5. Samples above 50 mg/kg dry weight were found in Agaricus augustus, A. perrarus, A. silvicola, A. macrosporus, A. maleolens and Inocybe bongardii. In single fruiting bodies the stem held the least and the gills and tubes the most; gills held at most five times the amount in the cap. In cadmium-rich mushrooms the level was much higher than in the soil. Species-dependent; A. augustus is among the species that reached the highest group Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Cadmium content by flameless atomic absorption Limitations: Only the English abstract was read. It does not give how many A. augustus samples were tested or their average. Survey from 1978, mainly southern Germany, so it shows that the species can accumulate cadmium, not how much a mushroom from your area holds. Funding and conflicts: Not stated in the abstract Read: abstract |
| n/a 2026 GBIF Backbone Taxonomy record: Agaricus augustus Fr. (usage key 5243429), checked by API 2026-10-25 n/a · Source |
Database record n/a |
n/a | n/a |
ACCEPTED, exact match, confidence 100. Published in Epicr. Syst. Mycol. 212 (1838). GBIF lists 11 synonyms and English vernacular name 'Prince'. Methods, limits and fundingOutcomes: Agaricus augustus Fr. is an ACCEPTED species in Fungi, Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes, Agaricales, Agaricaceae, genus Agaricus. Limitations: Identity record only. Index Fungorum was queried but returned nothing, so it was not read. Funding and conflicts: Independent public information source Read: full text |
What we do not know yet
- No pesticide, microbe or radioactivity test of the prince was read.
- The number and average of A. augustus samples in the German cadmium survey are not in the abstract.
- Agaritine in this species has not been measured in any source we read.
- No human study of any health effect of the prince was found.
- Nutrient content is not measured in any source read; Index Fungorum and regulator pages were not read.
How new research is added
New studies are found by a saved PubMed search and placed in a review queue. A person reads each one before it changes any evidence rating or safety wording. New publications never change ratings automatically.
Lab markers
What changed in blood or saliva tests during trials. A changed number is not the same as feeling or being healthier, and we give no "normal ranges".
Safety
What studies and official sources say about side effects, medicines and who should check first. Each point shows what kind of evidence it comes from.
Main points to know 6
- Danger first: wild mushrooms have deadly look-alikes. Mistaking a white deadly Amanita (death cap or a destroying angel) for an edible Agaricus can be fatal. A 2024 review says the death cap can easily be confused with the horse mushroom, an Agaricus relative, and a 2022 review says a lethal destroying angel can easily be confused with immature Agaricus. We found no paper that ties these confusions to the prince in particular, so we do not claim that, but the warning applies to the whole group. The poisons (amatoxins) are not destroyed by cooking or drying. Symptoms come after a quiet gap of 6 to 18 hours and can end in liver failure; the death rate is 10 to 20% in the review we read. This page gives no way to tell mushrooms apart. Never eat a wild mushroom unless an expert has identified it in person. Narrative review 5 1 7
- It can soak up cadmium. In a German survey of 402 wild mushroom species (1,049 samples, mostly from the south of the country), cadmium ranged from under 0.1 to 120 mg per kg dry weight. Most samples were low: 68% held under 2 mg per kg. But samples above 50 mg per kg dry weight were found in Agaricus augustus and five other species, the highest group in the survey. The gills held more than the stem. Mice fed dried Agaricus augustus stored cadmium in liver and kidney about as well as from inorganic cadmium, and the authors advised restricting how much wild mushroom with high cadmium people eat. Levels depend on where the mushroom grew, so a single mushroom may hold far less or far more than these figures. Food survey 13 10
- Stomach upset is reported with some Agaricus, including this species. A 2020 review says some Agaricus cause vomiting, diarrhoea and cramps 1 to 2 hours after eating, from an unknown irritant, and lists Agaricus augustus among species named in North American poison-centre registers. The review does not say whether those cases were a misidentification, raw eating or the mushroom itself, so we cannot say how often this happens. Narrative review 9
- Toxic yellow-staining relatives. Agaricus xanthodermus and other yellow-staining relatives cause vomiting, diarrhoea and cramps, usually within 1 to 2 hours. In South Sardinia A. xanthodermus caused 15 hospital-recorded poisonings in 10 years (18% of cases from toxic species), with a mean hospital stay of 1 day. Phenol in the mushroom is high enough to account for the toxicity, and the level varies with age, part and growing place, so severity varies. We found no source that says this species is confused with the prince in particular. Case series 8 4 2
- Cooking is the cautious choice; agaritine is not measured for this species. A 2020 review reports a compound related to agaritine (agaritinal) in significant amounts in Agaricus augustus, citing an older study, and advises against eating button mushrooms crude or poorly cooked. We found no measured agaritine value for the prince and no study showing harm from eating it. Agaritine is a suspected weak carcinogen in mice, with no human data (review). Narrative review 9
- No data for pregnancy, breastfeeding or allergy; children are at risk from wild mushrooms in general. No source we read tests the prince in pregnancy or breastfeeding, or reports an allergy to it. In the Sardinian series 6 poisonings were in children and adolescents who ate wild mushrooms unintentionally. Insufficient 8
Side effects 4
| Effect | How often | Severity and recovery | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stomach and bowel illness (vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps) after some Agaricus The review lists A. augustus among species in poison-centre registers but does not state the cause of those cases. | Not given. Onset 1 to 2 hours (review) | moderate Not stated | Narrative review 9 |
| Vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, tremor and dizziness after a yellow-staining look-alike This is a look-alike effect, not an effect of the prince. | Mean delay 2 hours in Sardinia | moderate Mean hospital stay 1 day in Sardinia | Case series 8 2 |
| Delayed vomiting and diarrhoea, then liver failure, after a white deadly Amanita Symptoms begin after a quiet gap of 6 to 18 hours and can look like a simple stomach bug. | Not applicable to the prince; look-alike risk. Death rate 10 to 20% in the review | high Some recover; some need a liver transplant | Narrative review 7 5 |
| Cadmium intake No illness from cadmium after eating this mushroom is reported in the sources read. In mice, cadmium from it reached liver and kidney. | Not measured in people | unknown Not applicable | Food survey 13 10 |
Liver
No liver injury from the prince itself was found. Liver failure is the main danger of a deadly look-alike (death cap and related white Amanita), whose amatoxins block a key liver enzyme (RNA polymerase II) and are not destroyed by cooking. In mice, cadmium from dried Agaricus augustus was stored in liver and kidney. 7 5 10
Monitoring. Anyone who ate a wild mushroom and has vomiting or diarrhoea, especially starting 6 or more hours after the meal, needs urgent medical care even if the symptoms ease. Keep any leftover mushroom for the hospital.
This is a safety connection. It is not evidence that The prince supports liver health.
Medicines and supplements 1
| With | Why it matters | Importance | Evidence | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicines in general prescription | No source we read describes an interaction between eating the prince and any medicine. That is absence of evidence, not proof of safety. | Gap Not enough evidence | Ask a pharmacist if unsure. |
Who should check first 4
| Situation | Advice | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Any doubt about the identity of a wild mushroom | Do not eat it. Look-alikes can be deadly and cooking does not make them safe. | Narrative review 5 7 1 |
| Children | Wild mushrooms are a poisoning risk for children; keep them away from wild mushrooms. | Case series 8 |
| Pregnancy and breastfeeding | No data. Ask a clinician rather than assume it is safe. | Insufficient |
| Eating wild mushrooms often, or from roadsides, old industrial land or other polluted ground | Metal levels depend on the ground. The mouse study's authors advise restricting wild mushrooms with high cadmium; the German survey found this species among those that can hold it. | Food survey 13 10 |
Overdose, product quality and regulators
Summary. The prince has no described poisoning of its own in the sources we read, apart from stomach upset listed in poison-centre registers for the group. The documented dangers are look-alikes, cadmium taken up from the ground and an unmeasured agaritine content.
Animal. One 9-week mouse feeding study (dried Agaricus augustus at 0.4 ppm cadmium in the diet): cadmium was stored in liver and kidney, about as much as from inorganic cadmium. No other animal data were read.
High dose or long term signals. The mouse study's authors recommend restricting wild mushrooms with high cadmium. No human long-term data were found.
Genotoxicity. Not read for this species.
Toxic or hazardous parts. Fungus: the fruiting body is the part eaten. In the German survey single fruiting bodies held the most cadmium in the gills and the least in the stem.
Wild mushrooms reflect their ground. This species is repeatedly singled out for cadmium in the papers we read. No pesticide, microbe or radioactivity test of it was read.
Cadmium, southern Germany (1978 survey). Samples above 50 mg per kg dry weight in Agaricus augustus and five other species out of 402; 68% of all samples under 2 mg per kg dry weight. Gills held the most. The number of A. augustus samples tested is not in the abstract. 13
Cadmium absorbed from the mushroom (mice). Cadmium from dried A. augustus (0.4 ppm in the diet) reached liver and kidney slightly more than from boiled crab hepatopancreas and about as much as inorganic cadmium. Authors recommend restricting wild mushrooms with high cadmium. 10
Cobalt in one sample. A single Agaricus augustus sample held cobalt at 0.28 mg per kg, which the authors call exceptionally high (weight basis not stated in the abstract). 6
Hazardous elements in mushrooms generally. A 2013 review says minerals of nutritional value occur together with cadmium, lead, mercury, silver, arsenic and radionuclides in wild mushrooms. 3
| Body | Action | Date |
|---|
When to get medical help
- You or someone else ate a wild mushroom and has vomiting, diarrhoea or belly pain: call your local poison centre or emergency services now, even if the person seems better later. In the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222. Keep any leftover mushroom for the hospital.
- Stomach symptoms that start 6 or more hours after a wild mushroom meal, ease for a day, then yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or confusion: this is an emergency.
- A child may have swallowed a wild mushroom: call poison control or emergency services at once.
- Swelling of the face or throat or trouble breathing after eating a mushroom: call emergency services.
If someone may be poisoned or in a crisis, contact a clinician or emergency service straight away. In the US, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.
General information only, not medical advice. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before use, especially with medicines, in pregnancy or with a health condition. See the Natural Remedy Safety guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the prince mushroom?
Is the prince safe to eat?
We cannot say it is. A wild mushroom is only as safe as its identification, and cooking does not make a deadly look-alike safe. This species can also hold very high cadmium, and poison-centre records list it among Agaricus linked to stomach upset. Never eat a wild mushroom unless an expert has identified it in person.
Can it be mistaken for a deadly mushroom?
What are yellow-staining mushrooms?
Does the prince contain cadmium?
It can. In a German survey of 402 wild species, samples above 50 mg per kg dry weight were found in Agaricus augustus and five other species, while most mushrooms held under 2 mg per kg. Levels depend on where it grew, and the survey is from 1978.
Is the cadmium absorbed by the body?
In mice fed dried Agaricus augustus for 9 weeks, cadmium reached liver and kidney about as well as inorganic cadmium. The authors advised restricting wild mushrooms with high cadmium. This is an animal study, not a finding in people.
Does cooking make it safe?
Is the prince healthy?
Does it have antibacterial or other medicinal properties?
Only in a dish. A short 2019 screen of 23 fungi listed an extract with one bacterium. That does not show it prevents or treats infection, and it is not a treatment.
Is it the same as the field mushroom or Agaricus subrufescens?
Is it safe in pregnancy, for children or with medicines?
No data were found for pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicine interactions. Children are at risk from wild mushrooms in general: 6 of the South Sardinian poisonings were in children or teenagers. Ask a doctor or pharmacist.
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Editorial transparency
- Written by
- AlternativeMed editorial team. Research compiled with AI assistance, then checked against PubMed records.
- Medical review
- None. This page has not been reviewed by a physician or pharmacist.
- First published
- 2026-10-25
- Last substantive update
- 2026-10-25
- How we research
- We read PubMed records and abstracts for 12 papers (a cadmium survey, a mouse feeding study, a trace-element survey, a laboratory screen, four reviews, a hospital case series and two chemistry or field studies of a toxic look-alike), read seven of them in full text from Europe PMC, and checked the species name in GBIF. Index Fungorum and regulator pages were not read. Certainty ratings are the compiler's own reading.
- How we rate evidence
- See "How we rate evidence" in the Evidence tab.
- Independence
- No product is promoted on this page. No affiliate links are shown. This page is information, not a recommendation to eat wild mushrooms.
Sources 14
Each source was opened and checked. Where we read only the abstract, it says so. The small numbers in the text point here.
- Alvarado P, Gasch-Illescas A, Morel S, et al. Amanita Section Phalloideae Species in the Mediterranean Basin: Destroying Angels Reviewed.. Biology (Basel). 2022. PMID 35625498. DOI 10.3390/biology11050770. (abstract and full text)
- Boxshall AG, Birch JL, Lebel T, et al. A field-based investigation of simple phenol variation in Australian Agaricus xanthodermus.. Mycologia. 2021. PMID 34494944. DOI 10.1080/00275514.2021.1936851. (abstract)
- Falandysz J, Borovicka J. Macro and trace mineral constituents and radionuclides in mushrooms: health benefits and risks.. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2013. PMID 23179616. DOI 10.1007/s00253-012-4552-8. (abstract and full text)
- Gill M, Strauch RJ. Constituents of Agaricus xanthodermus Genevier: the first naturally endogenous azo compound and toxic phenolic metabolites.. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung C. 1984. PMID 6543409. DOI 10.1515/znc-1984-11-1203. (abstract)
- Gouvinhas I, Silva J, Alves MJ, Garcia J. The most dreadful mushroom toxins: a review of their toxicological mechanisms, chemical structural characteristics, and treatment.. EXCLI Journal. 2024. PMID 39165585. DOI 10.17179/excli2024-7257. (abstract and full text)
- Jorhem L, Sundstrom B. Levels of some trace elements in edible fungi.. Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung. 1995. PMID 8525697. DOI 10.1007/BF01192723. (abstract)
- Kayes T, Ho V. Amanita phalloides-Associated Liver Failure: Molecular Mechanisms and Management.. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024. PMID 39684738. DOI 10.3390/ijms252313028. (abstract and full text)
- La Rosa L, Corrias S, Pintor I, Cosentino S. Epidemiology and clinical aspect of mushroom poisonings in South Sardinia: A 10-year retrospective analysis (2011-2021).. Food Science and Nutrition. 2024. PMID 38268883. DOI 10.1002/fsn3.3793. (abstract and full text)
- Lagrange E, Vernoux JP. Warning on False or True Morels and Button Mushrooms with Potential Toxicity Linked to Hydrazinic Toxins: An Update.. Toxins (Basel). 2020. PMID 32751277. DOI 10.3390/toxins12080482. (abstract and full text)
- Lind Y, Wicklund Glynn A, Engman J, Jorhem L. Bioavailability of cadmium from crab hepatopancreas and mushroom in relation to inorganic cadmium: a 9-week feeding study in mice.. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 1995. PMID 7672739. DOI 10.1016/0278-6915(95)00036-2. (abstract)
- Nelson D, Moore JE, Millar BC, Rao JR. Antimicrobial properties of native Ulster macrofungi (mushrooms and toadstools) to clinical pathogens.. Ulster Medical Journal. 2019. PMID 31105354. (full text)
- Panthari P, Khantwal G, Kumar M, et al. Himalayan Mushrooms as a Natural Source of Ergosterol and Vitamin D(2): A Review of Nutraceutical and Functional Food Perspectives.. Foods. 2025. PMID 41154052. DOI 10.3390/foods14203516. (abstract and full text (table))
- Seeger R. Cadmium in mushrooms (author's transl).. Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung. 1978. PMID 564583. DOI 10.1007/BF01123000. (abstract)
- n/a. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy record: Agaricus augustus Fr. (usage key 5243429), checked by API 2026-10-25. n/a. 2026. (full text)
