Meadow mushroom or Destroying angel
Agaricus campestris · Amanita bisporigera and relatives
Amatoxins
Delayed onset, apparent recovery, then liver and kidney failure. One of the deadliest mushrooms on earth, and it grows in grass alongside the edible one.
Check in this order
Most decisive first
| Feature | Meadow mushroom | Destroying angel |
|---|---|---|
| 01Dig up the whole base | No sac. The stem goes straight into the soil. | A membranous cup, the volva, at the base. Often below ground, which is why it is missed when the stem is cut instead of lifted. |
| 02Gill colour | Pink when young, turning chocolate brown with age. | White, and staying white at every age. |
| 03Spore print | Dark brown. | White. |
Where people go wrong
Cutting the stem at ground level instead of lifting the whole mushroom. The single most important identifying feature of the deadliest genus is underground, and cutting leaves it there.
The specimen sheets
Deadly
Destroying angel
Entirely white, with a ring AND a sac at the base. An all-white gilled mushroom with a bag around its foot is the single most dangerous shape in the woods.
Choice
Meadow mushroom, field mushroom
Pink gills going brown, and no sac at the base. Lift the whole mushroom to check the base; do not cut it.
This page tells you what to check. It does not tell you the mushroom in your hand is safe, and it cannot. If you are not certain, do not eat it, and if you have already eaten something and feel unwell, contact a poison centre immediately and keep an uncooked specimen for identification.
Other pairs