Yellow stainer
Agaricus xanthodermus · Agarics (Agaricus)
Poisonous
Recognise it safely – what matters
- Cut the stem base: instantly bright chrome yellow
- Smells of ink/phenol instead of aniseed or mushroom
- Likes parks and gardens
Features
- Cap
- 5–15 cm, white to greyish white, often somewhat angular in outline.
- Underside
- Gills: pink when young, then chocolate brown.
- Stem
- White with a membranous ring; the base turns bright chrome yellow immediately when cut.
- Flesh
- White, instantly bright yellow in the stem base.
- Smell
- Of ink or phenol, especially when heated.
- Spore print
- Chocolate brown
Season
Habitat
Parks, gardens, meadows, path and forest edges, often in groups; likes nutrient-rich soils.
muut puulajit
Risk of confusion
Nurmiherkkusieni Edible species The field mushroom smells pleasantly mushroomy and does not turn yellow in the stem base.
Anisherkkusieni Edible species The horse mushroom also yellows, but slowly and not brightly in the stem base – and it smells clearly of aniseed.
If someone has eaten it
Violent vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps; in children and older people the loss of fluids can become dangerous. First symptoms: usually 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating.
Act immediately – even without symptoms:
- Emergency number 112 if someone feels unwell.
- Poison centre: Germany – area code of the nearest city with a poison centre + 19240 (e.g. Berlin 030 19240, Munich 089 19240) · Austria +43 1 406 43 43 · Switzerland 145.
- Keep leftovers, trimmings or vomit – it helps with identification.
Never identify mushrooms by pictures or an app alone. When in doubt, ask a mushroom expert – and only pick what you know for sure.