This is the Death Cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) - harmless looking chap but as it says here:"This is one of the most poisonous European toadstools. All parts of the fungus are deadly, and it should never be eaten. The cap is typically yellowish to olivaceous green, sometimes paling almost to white, usually with darker streaks radiating outwards. It is convex at first, but becomes flattened as it ages, and may develop a sickly sweet smell. The gills underneath the cap are white, and the white stem has a distinct ring, although this may become damaged or lost. The base of the stem bulges into a 'bulb', which is covered by a white sheath known as a volva."
And I guess this is why we're a bit twitchy about eating wild sourced fungi - one might just be a death cap. In truth though very few fungi poisonings are reported (the NHS doesn't have any statistics on this which suggests it's pretty unusual). We also know from US studies that roughly 9 in 10 cases of poisoning from mushrooms are accidental with most of these involving children under 6 years old. The conclusion of Nordt & Manoguerra after a five-year study in California was that:
"Most mushroom exposures were acute and unintentional and occurred in children younger than 6 years. Major toxic reactions or death was uncommon."
And although the authors don't quite say this, I suspect that alot of the young children who ate mushrooms were taken to casualty as a precaution by wise parents.
So remember to check that your source is knowledgeable or if collecting your own that you only pick those mushrooms you are absolutely sure you can eat. Enjoy!
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