It was described as Agaricus arvensis by Jacob Christian Schaeffer in 1774,[3] and given numerous binomial descriptions since.

The cap is 7–20 centimetres (3–8 inches), whitish, smooth, and dry; it stains yellow, particularly when young.

[4] The gills are pale pink to white at first, later passing through grey and brown to become dull chocolate.

It is one of the largest white Agaricus species in Britain (where it appears during the months of July–November), West Asia (Iran),[7] and North America.

[citation needed] Despite this, the fruit bodies of this and other yellow-staining Agaricus species often have a build-up of heavy metals, such as cadmium and copper.