Agaricus silvicola

Cap

5-10 cm in diameter, obtuse obconical, with apex flattened to globose at first, then hemispherical to convex-spreading, often slightly oblong, smooth, dull to silky-shiny, with fine innate radiating fibrils, white to cream at first, then tinged with yellowish, ocher or lilac with age, especially towards the centre, becoming sulfur-yellow or ocher-yellow when crushed, with a long curved margin, sometimes appendiculated with velar remains

Gills

free, narrow, tight, gray-white at first, long pale, pale grayish-pink, then gray-purple, dark brown to purple-black at the end, with slightly chipped edges

Stem

(5)7-10(12) x 0.8-1.5 cm, equal to slightly enlarged, subbulbous, often curved, brittle, solid to hollow, smooth, whitish, slightly pink-violet to gray-violet above of the ring, with fine longitudinal and whitish fibrils below, strongly yellowing when crushed

Partial veil

membranous, leaving a pendent ring, ample, often ± double and ± toothed at the margin, smooth above, coarsely flaky below, white

Flesh

thick in the center, thin towards the margin, white, slightly lilac gray in places, yellowing when cut

Smell and flavor

aniseed smell and mild, pleasant flavor of anise or almond

Spore

dark brown to dark purple-brown

basidia

clavate, with 4 sterigmata, not looped at the base, 20-28 x 7.5-9 µm

Spores

oval to ellipsoidal, smooth, thickened walled, brown, 5-6 x 3-4.5 µm

Cheilocystidia

numerous, oval, 13-30 x 10-20 µm

Pleurocystidia

absent

Pileipellis

in cutis
formed of appressed, parallel, uncurled hyphae, lightly pigmented brown, 4-8 µm in diameter

Mode of growth

solitary, gregarious or subfasculate

Ecology

saprotrophic on forest floor, especially under conifers

Grow period

August to october.

Frequency

occasional

Edibility

excellent edible
with care

Remarks

This agaric is characterized by its white basidioms, distinctly yellowing cap and stipe, large hanging ring, aniseed smell, and growth in mostly coniferous forests.
The American species A. abruptibulbus is distinguished by its bulbous-marginated stem.
Some agarics are perfect look-alikes of the dangerous Amanita amerivirosa, but whose mature blades and spore are white.