About Volvariella volvacea (Bull.) Singer
Volvariella volvacea, commonly known as the straw mushroom, resembles the poisonous death cap mushroom when it is in the button stage of growth. The two can be distinguished by key mycological characteristics: straw mushrooms produce a pink spore print, while death caps produce a white spore print. The two species also have different native distributions; death caps generally do not occur in regions where straw mushrooms grow natively. However, misidentification has led to poisonings among immigrants, especially people moving from Southeast Asia to California and Australia. Straw mushrooms are cultivated on rice straw beds. They are most commonly harvested when immature, often labeled as "unpeeled", during their button or egg stage before the mushroom's veil ruptures. This species is adaptable, with a maturation time of four to five days. It grows most successfully in subtropical climates that have high annual rainfall. There are no documented records of this mushroom being cultivated before the 19th century.
