The pileus or cap of the original wild species is a pale grey-brown, with broad, flat scales on a paler background and fading toward the margins.

A more common and less dangerous mistake is to confuse Agaricus bisporus with A. xanthodermus, an inedible mushroom found worldwide in grassy areas.

The poisonous European species Entoloma sinuatum has a passing resemblance but has yellowish gills, turning pink, and lacks a ring.

[14][15] This mushroom is commonly found worldwide in fields and grassy areas following rain, from late spring to autumn, especially in association with manure.

[citation needed] In 2022, world production of mushrooms (including truffles) was 48 million tonnes, led by China with 94% of the total (table).

The earliest scientific description of the commercial cultivation of A. bisporus was made by French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1707.

[19] In 1893, sterilized, or pure culture, spawn was discovered and produced by the Pasteur Institute in Paris for cultivation on composted horse manure.

[23] Similar to the commercial development history of the navel orange and Red Delicious apple, cultures were grown from the mutant individuals.

In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), raw white mushrooms provide 93 kilojoules (22 kilocalories) of food energy and are an excellent source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid (table).