An introduction to the Agaricus genus and how it is organized taxonomically and phylogenetically followed by a series of interesting or representative examples of species in North America. Where possible emphasis will be placed on species in Northeastern North America.

Richard W. Kerrigan was born and raised in California. He became interested in Agaricus in 1971 after meeting David Arora while both were undergraduates at the University of California Santa Cruz. He earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at San Francisco State University (1976 1982 with mentor Harry Thiers) a doctorate from University of California Santa Barbara (1989) and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto (1989-1991). From 1991-2017 Kerrigan held the position of Director of Research U.S.A. with Sylvan Inc. the world’s leading producer of cultivated mushroom spawn where he worked on breeding improved strains of cultivated mushrooms. His study of the diversity taxonomy systematics and phylogeny of wild species of Agaricus continues as a separate independent area of research now extending over 50 years. The lecture will take place Sunday March 25 2022 at 7:00pm (eastern time)