Yellow Stainer

Agaricus

The Yellow Stainer is a mushroom that changes color when you touch it! It's a fun one to spot in the wild.

Habitat: In fields and meadows

Appearance

The Yellow Stainer is a medium-sized mushroom with a smooth, white cap that can turn slightly yellow with age. Its gills start pink and darken to a chocolate brown. A key identifying feature is its bright yellow stain when the cap or stem is bruised, especially at the base.

KingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderAgaricalesFamilyAgaricaceaeGenusAgaricus

Yellow Stainer

Interesting facts

Despite its innocent look, it’s one of the most common causes of mushroom poisoning.

If you try to cook this mushroom, its unpleasant chemical smell gets even stronger!

It often grows in circles in lawns, sometimes called “fairy rings.”

Its scientific name, Agaricus xanthodermus, means “yellow skin mushroom.”

Special abilities

Yellow Stainer can change its color to bright yellow when touched, because it has special chemicals that react with air.

Yellow Stainer has a unique, unpleasant ink-like smell that helps warn animals it's not good to eat.

Yellow Stainer produces millions of dark brown spores that help it spread its babies far and wide to new places.

Measurements & details

Height: 6-12 cm
Edible: poisonous
Size: 5-15 cm
Growth Substrate: soil
Season: Summer, fall
Spore Color: Dark brown

Ecological connections

Depends on

English oak

Quercus robur

Feeds on decaying leaf litter around its roots in woodland areas.

Eaten by

Black slug

Arion ater

Some slugs are sometimes seen munching on its cap.

Shelter

Annual bluegrass

Poa annua

Often grows in lawns near this common type of grass.

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Spore Producing

Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.

Grassland

Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

Decomposer

Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Also known as

AgaricYellow Mushroom

Collections

Fungi

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Yellow Stainer?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

How tall is Yellow Stainer?

6-12 cm

Is Yellow Stainer edible?

poisonous

How big is Yellow Stainer?

5-15 cm

Where is Yellow Stainer usually found?

In fields and meadows

What does Yellow Stainer grow on?

soil

When is Yellow Stainer in season?

Summer, fall