Pileus bluntly ovate, then expanded and slightly convex, slightly mealy at first, white and silky, becoming stained pale-yellow when bruised, 10-25 cm. across; flesh thick at the disc, becoming thin towards the margin, yellowish when cut ; gills free, broadest in front, rather crowded, whitish, then reddish - brown; spores elliptical, 6 x 4 µ, stem stout, 7-12 cm. high, rather swollen at the base, almost cylindrical above, white, smooth, even, soft in the centre and filled with loose fibres; ring pendulous, double, the outer membrane more or less torn.

Northern Island, New Zealand. Australia, Tasmania, South Africa, Ceylon, Europe.

In pastures, &c., often growing in rings.

Closely allied to Agaricus campestris, but known by the pileus becoming yellow when bruised, and the flesh of pileus and stem not changing to brown when cut. Smell strong and pleasant. Edible; preferred by many to the mushroom (A. campestris). In large specimens the pileus is sometimes cracked or scaly, and brownish when old.

CANTERBURY: Rolleston, NZMS 260 M36/63-35-; Lincoln University, Horticultural Research Area, Block C, NZMS 260 M36/66-29-; Christchurch, Provincial State Highway 74, NZMS 260 M36/85-39-, PDD 68565, 68566.

Pileus 40-120 mm diam., thick, campanulate when young, finally convex-applanate, surface silky smooth, white (N9.5) when young, finally yellow (2.5Y 9/8), yellowing intensified by bruising (2.5Y 9/8 to 5Y 8/10); margin thin, inrolled when young, finally straight, with appendiculate remnants of veil; lamellae insertion free, thin, crowded, of several lengths, pale grey when young (5YR 8/2), finally moderate to strong brown (5YR 4/4-3/2); edge pale and sterile; trama parallel to irregular. Stipe 50-150 x 15-30 mm, central, solid to fistulose, cylindrical, base round, surface smooth, white (N9.5) above annulus and with age becoming amber yellow below annulus (5Y 8/8), yellowing intensified by bruising (5Y 8/10). Annulus descending, cog-wheel-like, white above with yellowing along the edge, surface silky smooth, white to amber yellow (N9.5 to 5Y 8/8) below, surface powdery. Flesh white (N9.5), little effect upon cutting, yellowing upon bruising (5Y 8/ 8); odour of anise; taste sweet. Schaffer's cross reaction positive.
Basidia 4-spored, 15-30 x 8-10 µm, clavate with sterigmata 3-5µm. Cheilocystidia 15-40 x 5-10 µm, broadly clavate, hyaline, abundant. Basidiospores strong brown (5YR 4/4) in mass, size (6.6-)7.1(-7.7) x (5.3-)6.7(-6.1) µm, elongation (1.1-)1.3(-1.4) µm, ellipsoid, dark brown (5YR 3/2) in water, refractive centre (1-2 droplets), apiculus lateral, germ-pore not visible.

NEW ZEALAND North Otago (Taylor 1983), Canterbury.

Usually gregarious, sometimes solitary in lawns or pasture, but also found on bare soil under stone fruit trees.