How to tell Dripping slimecap from Destroying angel

Cap 3-7 cm, hemispherical at first, then flattening out, with a depressed center in mature specimens. Color pure white to creamy white; in wet weather it looks glassy and translucent because of the thick layer of slime. In dry weather the slime dries to a thin glossy film. The cap margin is even, slightly inrolled in young specimens.

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).

Gilled hymenophore. Gills crowded, free (not attached to the stem), white. Spore print white. This is the classic structure of the Amanitaceae family, but without a ring or volva.

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.

Stem 5-9 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly club-shaped. White. The surface is very slimy, just like the cap — a hallmark of the species. There is no ring and no volva (unlike true amanitas).

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.

Flesh white, thin, watery, does not change color when cut. Soft when fresh, turns brittle as it dries.

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.

Odor faint; some sources mention a slightly mealy or cucumber-like note, but in most specimens it is neutral. The flesh tastes mild, with no acridity or bitterness.

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.