A. arvensis
Secretan the Horse-mushroom is also edible, but is much bigger (up to 180 mm), creamy white and bruises slightly yellowish on handling; it also has larger spores (7-10 × 5 µm), club-shaped cells on the gill-edge, gills commencing white and not pink, and the presence of a complex ring.
A. xanthodermus
Genevier the ‘Yellow-staining mushroom’ has even smaller spores than the field mushroom, i.e. 5-6 × 4 µm and a rather strong, unpleasant smell; if eaten many people subsequently suffer from stomach-pains and this shows that even amongst those fungi which the scientist would call true mushrooms, i.e. those fungi in the genus Agaricus, there are some poisonous members. Thus it is always necessary to have wide experience before one collects fungi for eating and until this is achieved all specimens should be discarded.
Illustrations: Field mushroom—Hvass 163; LH 133; NB 316; WD 712. Horse mushroom—Hvass 160; LH 135; WD 721. Yellow-staining mushroom—Hvass 159; WD 713.
Plate 31. Fleshy fungi: Spores purple-brown and borne on gills
![[Larger illustration]](#467779198995390083_illo109lg.png.id-4898479264840762528.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
Calocybe gambosum (Fries) Singer. St George’s mushroom
Cap: width 70-100 mm. Stem: width 15-25 mm; length 50-70 mm.