The largest mushroom commonly found around here. It can be distinguished from its shaggy cousin by the snakeskin markings on its stem.
Said to be good to eat (though I have never tried one). Anyone who does fancy giving it a try should make sure they have the right species. Until the cap has fully opened into the parasol form, there are several seriously poisonous species it could be confused with. Once it is full grown the most likely confusion is with the shaggy parasol – this can cause gastric upsets in some people. There is also a very rare tropical variety which is somewhat similar even to the full-sized mushroom.
