This fungus population reduction is suspected in size either from habitat loss, deforestation or oil palm plantation (in Malaysia since in early 1960s) in the environment and its substrates is affected. In addition, it is an edible fungus, mainly in China and Tibet. In Malaysia this fungus found growing in National parks and several forest areas including small islands. This species is rare especially scrub jungle as well as the fire-impacted region of scrub jungle in India.

Agaricus crocopeplus Berk. & Broome, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 11: 546 (1871).

Agaricus crocopeplus was described in 1871 in Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. This species has been found from nine (9) locations in tropical and subtropical. It is not easily distinguished by other species of A. trisulphuratus, collected from Africa.

Fruit body small to medium size, fleshy agaric, cap orange-brown, gills dark-brown, stipe creamish orange, particolous, solitary, annual, odour indistinctive and inedible. Pileus: 3(3.4–5) 6.6cm (n=5), yellowish orange in centre, brownish-black towards the margin, smooth under dry and wet conditions, initially convex becoming flattened, incurved margin extending beyond the gills and splitting rarely (Image 3A,B). Lamellae: dark-brown, free, narrow and crowded. Stipe: 4 (4.5–5) 6.10 x 4–0.6cm (n=5), creamish orange, cylindrical, almost equal, solid and fibrillose. Spores: 6 (6.3–7.8) 8.1x3.2–4.6μm (n=5), hyaline, ellipsoidal and thick walled.

Fresh weight of mature fruit bodies 6.1g (5.4–6.6 g) (n=5). Substrate: Found usually in pebble-rich laterite soil or the soil accumulated adjacent to the rocks with charcoal and ash debris.

Taxon classified as Least Concern (LC) globally might be Vulnerable Endangered within a particular region where numbers are very small or declining in Asia.

This species is found in Asian region and first described originally from Sri Lanka. It appears to be a species complex with other species (A. trisulphuratus) found in Africa (Su et al. 2014).

Currently known only found in particular region where numbers are very small and suggest that this species is very rare. This species was described fairly recently, and information of locations are very limited.

This species found growing on rich soil and thick leaf litter in tropical and subtropical forests especially in Asia.

There is no record for this species be found in oil palm plantations areas and urban development. Deforestation effect the population of species. However, it is rarely found growing in the forest and national park areas. There is no evidence to show a specific threat for a decline in this species. Brief descriptions of this species in scrub jungle as well as the fire-impacted region of scrub jungle in India was rarely found (Greeshma et al., 2015)

More work is required to better understand the distribution and taxonomy of this fungus in Asia. Very little is known about the preferences of this species.

1. Agaricus crocopeplus Berk. & Broome, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society (1871) 11: 546.
2. Greeshma, A.A., K.R. Sridhar & M. Pavithra (2015). Macrofungi in the lateritic scrub jungles of southwestern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 7(11): 7812–7820