How to tell Agaricus squamuliferus from Inky mushroom

Cap 4-9 cm across, hemispherical to egg-shaped when young, becoming convex-flat with age. Color whitish to grayish-cream, with fine brownish or gray-brown radially arranged scales, a distinctive feature of the species. There are more scales in the center and fewer toward the cap edge. The surface is dry, not slimy.

Cap 5-10 cm across; in young mushrooms hemispherical to conical-convex, later convex with a low umbo. Color whitish to grayish, with distinct, radially arranged small gray-brown or blackish-gray scales — a hallmark of the species (unlike the yellow stainer, whose cap is smooth). When touched, the cap yellows to chrome yellow, like the yellow stainer's.

Gilled hymenophore: gills free (not attached to the stem), crowded. When young they are pink (a characteristic feature of the genus Agaricus, unlike the white gills of amanitas), and with age they become chocolate-brown to dark brown. Spore print dark brown.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are free, crowded. In young mushrooms — pale pink to grayish-pink, with age they become dark brown, chocolate-blackish. Spore print dark brown.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 0.8-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, slightly thickened at the base. Color white to cream. A white membranous ring in the upper part, distinct when young; in older mushrooms it may slip down or dry out. Above the ring the stem is smooth, below it has fine lengthwise fibers.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 0.8-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, with a bulbous base. Color white. When cut, the flesh in the lower part of the stem turns bright chrome yellow — just like the yellow stainer, the same diagnostic feature. In the upper part — a white membranous ring.

Flesh firm, white; when cut it slowly turns pinkish to brownish, especially in the lower stem. This is the classic protective feature of the genus Agaricus against Amanita. In amanitas the flesh does not change color. Pleasant mushroomy smell with an almond note.

Flesh firm, white, turns bright chrome yellow when damaged, in the lower stem and in the flesh of the bulb. Smell distinct and unpleasant — ink, phenol, pharmacy ointment, creosote.

Pleasant and mushroomy, with a subtle almond-anise note, typical of many Agaricus species. It does not smell of ink, medicine or carbolic (if it does, it is the yellow stainer: do not eat it).

Distinctly unpleasant, with notes of ink, phenol and pharmacy ointment — like the yellow stainer. It comes out when you rub the flesh.