Key Features

Cap white to yellowish, not sticky or slimy. Edge of cap staining and remaining yellow when surface is rubbed repeatedly. Gills free from stalk, pale when young, eventually becoming dark chocolate-brown. Odor of crushed flesh sweet (like almond extract or anise), especially when young. Stalk usually partly hollow or stuffed with a pith. Veil present, at first covering the gills, then forming a skirtlike ring on stalk. Base of stalk without a volva (cup or sack), the tip yellowing only slightly if at all when cut. Spores chocolate-brown. 9. Growing in woods. Other Features: Medium-sized; cap usually bald; stalk white, smooth or slightly scaly, with or without a bulb at base; veil often with patches on underside. Where: Alone or in small groups on ground in woods and at their edges; common and widespread. Edibility: Delicious, but be sure not to confuse it with the deadly poisonous destroying angel! Note: Several edible woodland species have the above features. One, A. albolutescens, is very fragrant and quickly stains amber when bruised. The poisonous yellow stainer has a phenol odor and yellow- staining stalk base, while the horse mushroom grows in grass.