How to tell Fairy ring champignon from Liberty cap

Cap 2-5 cm across, hemispherical when young, becoming convex-flat over time with a distinct low umbo in the center. Color light ocher, creamy beige, reddish cream, darker in wet weather, paler in dry. Surface smooth, slightly sticky in wet weather. The cap margin often has fine grooves. A unique trait: a dried-out cap can "revive" after rain — it regains its shape and the gills resume releasing spores.

The cap is small, 1-2.5 cm across, sharply conical or bell-shaped with a pronounced pointed knob in the center — hence the epithet semilanceata ("half-lance-shaped"). The cap skin is smooth, slimy in wet weather, dry with lengthwise grooves in dry weather. Color ochre-cream; olive-brown with a greenish tint in wet weather, pale cream in dry weather. The pointed central knob — the most characteristic diagnostic feature.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are distant, broad, whitish to cream, with a distinctive attachment to the stem (often free or notched). Spore print white. The contrast of distant broad gills + white spore print are diagnostic features.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are attached to the stem, moderately crowded. In young ones they're grayish-cream, darkening with age to purplish-blackish as the spores mature. Spore print dark purple-black — a diagnostic feature of the genus Psilocybe.

Stem 4-8 cm tall, 0.2-0.5 cm thick, thin, cylindrical, very fibrous and springy — it practically doesn't snap when bent. Color light cream to ocher, matching the cap. Surface smooth, with no ring and no volva. It doesn't snap — it only bends — a diagnostic feature.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 0.15-0.3 cm thick — very long and thin, often curved. Color yellow-cream to light brown. The surface is smooth with fine lengthwise fibers. No ring — this is essential. It often turns blue when damaged — a characteristic psilocybin reaction (one of the diagnostic tests).

Flesh thin in the cap, fibrous in the stem, white to cream. When cut it does not change color. A distinct, pleasant mushroom smell with a fruity or almond note. Taste mild and aromatic.

Flesh very thin, soft, yellowish to greenish. It quickly turns blue to blue-green when cut or damaged — a characteristic reaction of psilocybin alkaloids on contact with air. The smell is faint, mealy in some populations.

A distinct, pleasant mushroom smell with a fruity-almond note. It opens up when you rub the flesh and especially when dried. This is one of the most aromatic Ukrainian mushrooms.

Faint, neutral or mealy, nothing distinctive. The smell is not a warning sign.