How to tell Field mushroom from Destroying angel

Cap 5-12 cm across, hemispherical to egg-shaped in young mushrooms, becoming convex to flat with age. Color entirely white, creamy white, slightly yellowish in the center in old specimens. Surface smooth, slightly sticky in wet weather. No scales, no warts, no veil on the mature cap (unlike the fly agaric or Caesar's mushroom).

Cap 5–15 cm across, spherical in young mushrooms, then flat or slightly umbonate. The surface is white or slightly creamy and cracks in dry weather. Fibrous scales may appear as it matures. The margin is inrolled at first, then straight.

Gilled hymenophore — gills white, free (not attached to the stem), moderately crowded. Spore print white. As in the rest of Amanita section Phalloideae, to which this species belongs, the gills are always white and free, even in mature specimens — unlike those of Agaricus.

Gills free (not reaching the stem), crowded, delicate pink at first, then bright pink, and chocolate-brown or blackish in mature mushrooms. The pink color of the gills is a key safety feature that distinguishes the field mushroom from poisonous species with white gills.

Stem 8-15 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical, long, slender, with a sac-like volva at the base (a remnant of the universal veil that looks like an eggshell). Color entirely white. In the upper part — a white membranous ring; firm in young specimens, may disappear in old ones. The stem surface often has thin white flaky scales and fibers.

Stem 4–8 cm tall, 1–2 cm thick, cylindrical, solid, straight. White in color. A characteristic firm membranous ring in the middle of the stem. No volva.

Flesh firm, entirely white. It does not change color when cut (unlike, for example, Agaricus mushrooms, which turn pink and darken). The smell gradually becomes unpleasant, with a hint of stale potato or chlorine — hence the epithet "stinking" in its Ukrainian name. In young mushrooms the smell is still faint, so don't rely on it as the only sign.

Flesh firm, white, turns slightly pink when cut or stays unchanged. It does not turn yellow (yellowing is a sign of poisonous species). The taste is pleasant and richly mushroomy.

Faint and unpleasant, with a hint of old potato, chlorine or fish — especially in old specimens and when the flesh is damaged. Not diagnostic for safety: the smell develops only after some time, and a young mushroom with no distinct smell can still end up in the basket and cause fatal poisoning.

Smell pronounced, anise-almond with mushroomy notes. This is one of the most aromatic wild mushrooms. With cooking the aroma intensifies and can dominate the dish.