Meadow mushroom vs yellow stainer
- Toxic: Yellow Stainer
Scratched or cut, a yellow stainer's cap and stem base turn chrome yellow, and it smells of ink. A meadow mushroom does not yellow and smells pleasant.
Destroying angel vs meadow mushroom: how to tell them apart
Quick answer
A destroying angel keeps white gills at every age, drops a white spore print, and has a white sac-like cup (volva) around a bulb at the stem base, often buried in soil or leaves. A meadow mushroom has gills that start bright pink and turn chocolate brown, a chocolate brown spore print, and no cup. A photo of a mushroom cut or snapped at ground level cannot rule out a buried cup.
Deadly lookalike
The destroying angel is deadly.
Unlike the meadow mushroom, the destroying angel (Amanita bisporigera) contains amatoxins. The Missouri Department of Conservation records that symptoms often do not appear until 6 to 24 hours after eating, starting with vomiting, diarrhea and cramps, followed by kidney or liver dysfunction that can lead to death. The CDC explains that amatoxins halt protein production in cells, and that they are heat stable and not inactivated by cooking.
If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, or may have eaten one of these, call poison control now: 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Do not wait for symptoms.
Side by side
The tell for each
Deadly
The tellPure white all over, with white gills, a skirt-like ring, and a white sac-like cup around a bulb at the base.
Edible
The tellWhite cap on a short stem, with bright pink gills that turn chocolate brown, growing in grass.
How they differ
| Feature | Destroying Angel | Meadow Mushroom |
|---|---|---|
| Gills | Destroying AngelWhite at all ages. | Meadow MushroomBright pink when young, then chocolate brown to blackish brown. |
| Spore print | Destroying AngelWhite. | Meadow MushroomChocolate brown to blackish brown. |
| Stem base | Destroying AngelA bulb wrapped in a white, membranous sac-like cup, often buried. | Meadow MushroomPlain and slightly tapering, with no bulb and no cup. |
| Stem | Destroying AngelTall, 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 cm), with a skirt-like ring near the top. | Meadow MushroomShort, 1 to 2.5 inches (2.5 to 6 cm), with a thin, fragile ring that often disappears. |
| Habitat | Destroying AngelWoods and lawns near oaks, beech, birch and pines. | Meadow MushroomOpen grass: lawns, pastures, meadows and golf courses. |
| Cap | Destroying AngelPure white, smooth and slightly sticky when wet. | Meadow MushroomWhite to grayish white, dry, silky or finely scaly. |
FAQ
Common questions
How do you tell a meadow mushroom from a destroying angel?
Gill color and the stem base. Meadow mushrooms have pink to chocolate brown gills, a dark brown spore print and no cup. Destroying angels have white gills, a white spore print and a sac-like cup at the base.
Can a destroying angel grow in a lawn?
Yes. The Missouri Department of Conservation records it on the ground in woods and in grass near trees, and warns that it can grow in the same habitat as the meadow mushroom.
Why do people mistake a destroying angel for a meadow mushroom?
Both are white with a ring on the stem. The cup is often below ground and the button stage hides the gills, so the separating features are easy to miss.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Amanita bisporigera
MushroomExpert.com
- Destroying Angel
Missouri Department of Conservation
- Meadow Mushroom
Missouri Department of Conservation
- Amanita phalloides Mushroom Poisonings, Northern California, December 2016
CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the destroying angel
- More on the meadow mushroom
- Not sure it is either? Narrow it down with the identification key
This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.
More comparisons
Agaricus bisporus
Photo coming
Button mushroom vs destroying angel
- Deadly: Destroying Angel
Button mushroom gills are pink to brown with a brown print. A destroying angel keeps white gills, prints white and has a cup at the base.
Horse mushroom vs meadow mushroom
Horse mushrooms are larger, smell of almond, and have a big ring with a cogwheel underside. Meadow mushrooms have bright pink gills and a thin ring.
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