Common Fieldcap vs Common Lime

Agrocybe pediades compared with Tilia europaea

Key Differences

• Common Fieldcap is Least Concern while Common Lime is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Fieldcap	Common Lime
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Malvales (Malvales)
Family	Strophariaceae	Malvaceae
Genus	Agrocybe	Tilia
Species	Agrocybe pediades	Tilia europaea

Conservation Status

Common Fieldcap

LC — Least Concern

Common Lime

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Fieldcap	Common Lime
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Fieldcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Common Lime

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Common Fieldcap

The Common Fieldcap (<em>Agrocybe pediades</em>) is a saprotrophic fungus belonging to the genus Agrocybe within the family Strophariaceae. It typically produces small, tan to pale brown cap-shaped fruiting bodies and is often found growing in clusters or scattered on lawns, grassy areas, forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil-rich ecosystems. The species typically inhabits forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems, obtaining nutrients by breaking down dead organic matter. Its geographic range includes several European countries — Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden — as well as the United States in North America. <em>Agrocybe pediades</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent stability. Biological traits of this species, including specific data on fruiting body size, lifespan, and ecological preferences, remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Like other members of its genus, it typically fruits during warmer months and often appears after rainfall in nutrient-rich grassland and woodland habitats.

Common Lime

<em>Tilia europaea</em>, the common lime or European linden, is a large deciduous tree in the family Malvaceae, occurring naturally as a hybrid between <em>Tilia cordata</em> and <em>Tilia platyphyllos</em>. It is widely distributed across Europe and has been introduced to North America, where it is commonly planted as a street and park tree. The common lime typically grows in temperate broadleaf forests and urban environments, reaching considerable heights and living for several centuries. It produces fragrant, pale yellow flowers in summer that are highly attractive to bees and other pollinators, earning it a prominent role in honey production. The species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List. Its wood is valued for carving and musical instrument manufacture, while its flowers and leaves have traditional uses in herbal medicine. Common lime is particularly notable for producing abundant basal sprouts and epicormic shoots, a characteristic that makes it useful for coppicing and pollarding in traditional land management practices across Europe and North America.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States