Yellow Stainer vs Button Mushroom / Portobello
Agaricus xanthodermus and Agaricus bisporus are confused for one another often enough to be worth putting next to each other.
Looks like a field mushroom but stains chrome yellow at the stem base and smells of ink or phenol. Causes cramps and vomiting.
White button, chestnut and portobello are one species at different ages and strains. The most cultivated mushroom on earth, and the reason most people think mushrooms taste mild.
Side by side
| Agaricus xanthodermus | Agaricus bisporus | |
|---|---|---|
| In this game | Poisonous | Edible |
| Habitat | Parks, gardens, hedgerows and woodland edges on rich soil. | Not recorded yet |
| Season | Summer to autumn. | Not recorded yet |
| Spore print | Chocolate-brown. | Not recorded yet |
This comparison cannot make a mushroom safe to eat. It sets out the few characteristics this game records, in general terms, for two species that vary by region, age and growing conditions. Real specimens overlap in ways no table and no photograph can separate, and the deadly one here is deadly in a single meal. Ask a qualified local expert, every time.
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Agaricus xanthodermus is also confused with Horse Mushroom and Field Mushroom.
Agaricus bisporus is also confused with California Agaricus.
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