Yellow Stainer vs Field Mushroom
Agaricus xanthodermus and Agaricus campestris 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.
The classic meadow mushroom: pink gills darkening to chocolate brown, pleasant mushroomy smell, no yellow staining.
Side by side
| Agaricus xanthodermus | Agaricus campestris | |
|---|---|---|
| In this game | Poisonous | Edible |
| Habitat | Parks, gardens, hedgerows and woodland edges on rich soil. | Grazed pasture, meadows and lawns, away from trees. |
| Season | Summer to autumn. | Late summer to autumn. |
| Spore print | Chocolate-brown. | Dark brown. |
The recorded spore prints differ: chocolate-brown for Agaricus xanthodermus, dark brown for Agaricus campestris. That is one documented difference, not a test you can pass.
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.
Agaricus campestris is also confused with Death Cap, Livid Entoloma, Deadly Fibrecap, Deadly Dapperling and Horse Mushroom.
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