Wood mushroom or The prince

The cap of the wood mushroom reaches 5 to 12, occasionally up to 15 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical or bell-shaped, and with age it opens out to convex and almost flat. The surface is smooth, silky-fibrous, dry, pure white, cream or with a faint ocher tinge; it slowly turns yellow when touched or with age, especially at the margin. Yellowing on touch is an important diagnostic feature.

The cap of the prince is large, from 10 to 20, occasionally up to 25 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical, almost globe-shaped, and with age it opens out to convex and flat. The surface is covered with numerous small, flattened scales in brown, reddish-brown or ocher-brown, arranged in concentric rows on a paler cream background. The surface may turn yellow when touched. A scaly brown cap on a pale background is a recognizable feature of the species.

The underside has gills. The gills are free, not attached to the stem, and very crowded. Their color changes with age: in young mushrooms they are pale pink or grayish pink, later darkening to chocolate brown and almost black. The spore print is dark brown. It's the pink, not white, color of the young gills that reliably separates Agaricus from the deadly poisonous amanitas, whose gills are always white.

The underside has gills. The gills are free, not attached to the stem, very crowded and narrow. Their color changes with age: in young mushrooms they are pale gray or pale pink, then turn pink and gradually darken to chocolate brown and almost black. The spore print is dark brown. Gills that turn pink and then dark are the key feature that separates Agaricus from the deadly poisonous white-gilled amanitas.

The stem is cylindrical, 5 to 12 centimeters tall, white, with a noticeably thickened, sometimes almost bulbous base. Its defining feature is a large, hanging, double-layered ring near the top, left behind when the veil tears. The stem may also turn yellow when touched. Agaricus has no volva, the sac-like structure at the base typical of poisonous amanitas; this is the key difference.

The stem is massive and cylindrical, up to 15–20 centimeters tall, white, with a noticeably thickened base. Its defining feature is a large, hanging ring near the top; below the ring the stem is covered with small whitish scales that turn yellow with age and when touched. There is no volva at the base, an important difference from poisonous amanitas.

The flesh is white, fairly thin, and slowly turns yellow when cut, especially at the base of the stem. The taste is mild and pleasant, with no bitterness. Its main hallmark is a distinct sweetish aroma of anise or bitter almond, which sets this species apart from its unpleasant-smelling yellow-staining lookalike.

The flesh is white or pale cream, firm, and slowly turns yellow or slightly brownish when cut. The taste is mild and pleasant, nutty and mushroomy. Its most distinctive trait is a lasting sweet aroma of bitter almond or marzipan that holds up through frying and drying.

The smell is pleasant, sweetish, of anise and almond, one of the defining features of the species. If, however, the mushroom smells of ink, carbolic or a pharmacy, and the base of the stem turns bright yellow when cut, you are looking at the poisonous yellow stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus), and you must not pick it.

The smell is strong and pleasant, of almond and marzipan, one of the best diagnostic features of the species. If, however, the mushroom has an unpleasant inky or carbolic smell, and the base of the stem turns bright yellow when cut, it is the poisonous yellow stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus), and you must not pick it.