White button pizza mushroom

• Domain Eukarya

• Kingdom Fungi

• Phylum Basidiomycota

• Class Hymenomycetes

• Order Agaricales

• Family Agaricaceae

• Genus Agaricus

• Species Agaricus bisporus

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This is the classification scheme for the mushroom most cultivated in the United States, Agaricus bisporus. Note that the species name is the same thing as the scientific name and consists of both the genus and the specific epithet. If you were asked the species name of this mushroom and you said “bisporus” you would be wrong-- the specific epithet means nothing without the genus name in front of it. Now you can call your favorite mushroom delivery place and ask for pizza “with Agaricus bisporus” -- and they’ll probably hang up on you!