The prince (Agaricus augustus) is a large, handsome, almond-scented woodland mushroom — the aristocrat of the wild Agaricus and one of the choicest edibles in its genus. A broad cap that can span a hand's width, clothed in fine golden-brown to tawny scales over a paler background, sits above crowded gills that flush from whitish-grey through PINK to a deep chocolate-brown as the spores ripen, on a stout stem hung with a thick, ragged ring. Bruised or cut, the flesh slowly stains warm yellow and gives off a rich, sweet smell of marzipan or bitter almonds. Larger and grander than the field mushroom, it carries the same deep, savoury Agaricus depth lifted by that unmistakable almond perfume, and is gathered from the edges of woods, paths and gardens through late summer and autumn.