Agaric us (ag-ar'ik-us). i

A large group of hymenomycetous fungi, divided into many sub-genera, now given generic rank. The group contains a large number of edible and a small number of poisonous species. Some of the more noteworthy are: A. (Psalliota) campestris. The usually eaten field mushroom. A. chirurgorum. See amadou. A. muscarius. Syn.: Amanita muscaria. Fly agaric; bug agaric. A very poisonous species belonging to the Amanita, and containing the alkaloid muscarin. It must be carefully distinguished from the edible A. caesareus. A. phalloides. Syn.: Amanita phalloides. A very poisonous species also containing amanita toxin and a glucosid. A. venenosus. Probably Amanita verna, also a poisonous species, smaller than Amanita phalloides, and frequent at the edge of woods and fields. [For deriv. see agaric. 1