The Agaricus mushroom grows in temperate regions with ambient temperatures ranging from 23 to 28 C. On account of the species having been discovered in the Piedade region, it is now referred to world-wide as the "Piedade mushroom".

In some regions it also goes by the term "Royal Agaricus", while in Japan it is called "himmematsutake". Depending on where they are grown, the ABM mushrooms attain a height of ten to 15 centimetres.

Unlike other species, this mushroom does not thrive in the shade of trees but in open spaces. Its cultures can be found in pastures, by the roadside and in open fields, especially where mules are in use.

Since the ABM only grows in very special conditions, attempts to achieve constant yields proved unsuccessful until the early 1990s. For years, breeding ABM in artificial conditions proved difficult, even with considerable Japanese support. It was not possible to achieve a stable yield for marketing purposes.

Agaricus is traditionally known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as "God's Mushroom" because of its near miraculous curative benefits to a wide range of disorders. TCM practitioners have used it to overcome numerous diseases and disorders relating to the immune system, cardiovascular system, digestion, and for weight management, diabetes, chronic and acute allergies, cataracts, hearing difficulties, stress syndrome, chronic fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, and disorders of the liver.*

The fungus Agaricus has also been used in TCM as a health food for the prevention of cancer, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis and chronic hepatitis.*