Yellow stainer, Agaricus xanthodermus

This time of year a lot of mushrooms are popping up, some edible, some poisonous. A lot of people know the tasty Field or Horse mushrooms, white cap, pink to brown gills. But not enough people know about their poisonous cousins, the Yellow stainer. It is easy to identify though. When cut or bruised, especially at the base of the stem, it turns yellow. The other give-away is the smell. Already raw it has an unpleasant chemical smell. A few seconds in the microwave will turn your kitchen in a smelly chemistry lab....no chance anyone would eat it after trying to cook it!