Page author: Wynn Tranfield
Amanita
21 species
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Amanita aprica – Jan's yellow friend
Description: A. aprica has a bright yellow to yellow-orange or orange cap decorated with remnants of the thin, frosty whitish universal veil, either as warts or larger patches. In dry weather, these patches present a sense of butter being spread too thinly over a slice of toast. The gills are whitish and the stipe is equal or somewhat enlarged at the base and colored like the gills. The volva is pressed tightly to the stipe base, usually forming zones, and sometimes has a free margin. The partial veil often leaves a whitish, rather fragile, skirt-like ring that may disappear with age.
Habitat: Locally abundant in mixed conifer forests, particularly with Douglas-fir and occasionally occurs with conifers in urban areas.
Description: A. aprica has a bright yellow to yellow-orange or orange cap decorated with remnants of the thin, frosty whitish universal veil, either as warts or larger patches. In dry weather, these patches present a sense of butter being spread too thinly over a slice of toast. The gills are whitish and the stipe is equal or somewhat enlarged at the base and colored like the gills. The volva is pressed tightly to the stipe base, usually forming zones, and sometimes has a free margin. The partial veil often leaves a whitish, rather fragile, skirt-like ring that may disappear with age.
Habitat: Locally abundant in mixed conifer forests, particularly with Douglas-fir and occasionally occurs with conifers in urban areas.
Amanita augusta – yellow-veiled amanita, western yellow-veil
Amanita calyptroderma – Ballen's American Caesar, fall coccora
Description: Completely enveloped in a thickish, white, cocoon-like veil when immature. hen expanded, the remains persist as large, irregular pieces on the cap surface, which is smooth and orange-brown to golden-brown or, in the spring-fruiting form, pale yellowish. The fills are white and the stem is white to pale yellowish with a membranous ring and a large, sack-like volva at the base.
Habitat: Woodlands
Substrate: firs, tan oak, and madrone
Description: Completely enveloped in a thickish, white, cocoon-like veil when immature. hen expanded, the remains persist as large, irregular pieces on the cap surface, which is smooth and orange-brown to golden-brown or, in the spring-fruiting form, pale yellowish. The fills are white and the stem is white to pale yellowish with a membranous ring and a large, sack-like volva at the base.
Habitat: Woodlands
Substrate: firs, tan oak, and madrone
Amanita constricta – constricted grisette
Description: Amanita constricta, described from California, is a member of the A. vaginata group. In the vaginatas, the cap varies from white to various shades of brown and gray to, occasionally, brighter colors such as salmon-orange. Usually the edge of the cap bears long deep striations, and the center may bear a membranous patch. The universal veil also forms a slender sac-like, often reddish-stained, volva around the base of the stipe. The vaginatas lack a partial veil, so there is no ring, and usually have equal, rather than bulbous, stipes. The gills are white but may be grayish, or with edges that are grayish or more darkly colored. The spores are non-amyloid.
Description: Amanita constricta, described from California, is a member of the A. vaginata group. In the vaginatas, the cap varies from white to various shades of brown and gray to, occasionally, brighter colors such as salmon-orange. Usually the edge of the cap bears long deep striations, and the center may bear a membranous patch. The universal veil also forms a slender sac-like, often reddish-stained, volva around the base of the stipe. The vaginatas lack a partial veil, so there is no ring, and usually have equal, rather than bulbous, stipes. The gills are white but may be grayish, or with edges that are grayish or more darkly colored. The spores are non-amyloid.
Amanita farinosa – powder-cap amanita
Amanita fulva – Tawny grisette
Description: Cap is conical to convex at first, becoming umbonate. The surface is smooth, orange-brown to warm brown, with a striate margin. The fills are white. The white stem does not have a ring, but does have a large, sack-like volva at the base, which is white stained rusty brown.
Habitat: Northern forests. Woodlands of Europe, North Africa, and western Asia.
Substrate: Soil.
Description: Cap is conical to convex at first, becoming umbonate. The surface is smooth, orange-brown to warm brown, with a striate margin. The fills are white. The white stem does not have a ring, but does have a large, sack-like volva at the base, which is white stained rusty brown.
Habitat: Northern forests. Woodlands of Europe, North Africa, and western Asia.
Substrate: Soil.
Amanita muscaria – fly agaric, fly amanita
Description: With its bright red cap and white “polka dots,” the typical Amanita muscaria no doubt is the most widely recognized mushroom in the world. However, it is highly variable and different forms have received names that have never quite caught on. These are based primarily on two variables---first, the color of the cap, which ranges from white to yellows and oranges, to deep red and even brown, and second, whether the universal veil is white or yellowish. Different combinations of these two features have produced a number of forms that usually are referred to as varieties. We have illustrated three color forms that occur in the PNW---var. flavivolvata Singer, the commonest one in natural habitats, with red cap and yellowish veil remnants; a paler form common with planted birches and under spruce and pine, with orange cap and white veil remnants; and a rather uncommon one, with white cap and veil remnants. A. m. var. muscaria, with red cap and pure white veil remnants, has been reported from Alaska, but not from more southerly portions of the PNW.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Woodland
Substrate: Birch and conifers
Description: With its bright red cap and white “polka dots,” the typical Amanita muscaria no doubt is the most widely recognized mushroom in the world. However, it is highly variable and different forms have received names that have never quite caught on. These are based primarily on two variables---first, the color of the cap, which ranges from white to yellows and oranges, to deep red and even brown, and second, whether the universal veil is white or yellowish. Different combinations of these two features have produced a number of forms that usually are referred to as varieties. We have illustrated three color forms that occur in the PNW---var. flavivolvata Singer, the commonest one in natural habitats, with red cap and yellowish veil remnants; a paler form common with planted birches and under spruce and pine, with orange cap and white veil remnants; and a rather uncommon one, with white cap and veil remnants. A. m. var. muscaria, with red cap and pure white veil remnants, has been reported from Alaska, but not from more southerly portions of the PNW.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Woodland
Substrate: Birch and conifers
Amanita novinupta – blusher
Amanita ocreata – death angel, destroying angel
Amanita pachycolea – western grisette
Description: A very large species in the vaginata group, can be one of the more spectacular amanitas in the PNW. Its cap is large, brown to very dark brown, sometimes paler near the margin, and always with long striations at the margin. The gills are white with distinct gray to brown edges, and develop orange-brown stains in age. The stipe is long and thick, with a white to brownish fibrillose-scaly surface. The base is surrounded by a large, thick, felty, volva, that is white at first but soon develops rust to brown or yellow colors, and in age can be entirely rust-colored. There is no ring.
Description: A very large species in the vaginata group, can be one of the more spectacular amanitas in the PNW. Its cap is large, brown to very dark brown, sometimes paler near the margin, and always with long striations at the margin. The gills are white with distinct gray to brown edges, and develop orange-brown stains in age. The stipe is long and thick, with a white to brownish fibrillose-scaly surface. The base is surrounded by a large, thick, felty, volva, that is white at first but soon develops rust to brown or yellow colors, and in age can be entirely rust-colored. There is no ring.
Amanita pantherina – panthercap
Description: Like clock-work in late winter to early spring, an amanita in the Amanita pantherina complex appears, especially in urban areas. Other members of this group fruit through summer and fall in a variety of habitats. They come in a variety of color forms, from pale yellowish tan ones that are similar to A. gemmata to dark brown ones that are more like classical European A. pantherina. The mushrooms are medium-sized or larger, the cap has striations on the margin, and the universal veil leaves conspicuous whitish warts and patches on the cap and a close-fitting volva with a distinct free rim (like slightly rolling back the top of a sock) around the bulbous stipe base. The gills are white and closely spaced, and the partial veil is white and leaves a skirt-like ring on the stipe. Here, again, applying a European name to a western North American mushroom might be incorrect. Our mushrooms may well not be “real” A. pantherina.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: woodlands, rarely in pastures
Substrate: broadleaf trees
Spores: late winter to early spring
Description: Like clock-work in late winter to early spring, an amanita in the Amanita pantherina complex appears, especially in urban areas. Other members of this group fruit through summer and fall in a variety of habitats. They come in a variety of color forms, from pale yellowish tan ones that are similar to A. gemmata to dark brown ones that are more like classical European A. pantherina. The mushrooms are medium-sized or larger, the cap has striations on the margin, and the universal veil leaves conspicuous whitish warts and patches on the cap and a close-fitting volva with a distinct free rim (like slightly rolling back the top of a sock) around the bulbous stipe base. The gills are white and closely spaced, and the partial veil is white and leaves a skirt-like ring on the stipe. Here, again, applying a European name to a western North American mushroom might be incorrect. Our mushrooms may well not be “real” A. pantherina.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: woodlands, rarely in pastures
Substrate: broadleaf trees
Spores: late winter to early spring
Amanita phalloides – death-cap, deathcap
Description: Fleshy medium-sized to large fruitbody, non-striate cap margin, white gills that may be slightly attached or free, a membranous outer veil that leaves a sac-like volva on the enlarged stipe base and sometimes a patch on the cap, and a partial veil that typically forms a ring that often disappears in age. It has white amyloid spores.
Habitat: woodland
Substrate: broadleaf trees
Description: Fleshy medium-sized to large fruitbody, non-striate cap margin, white gills that may be slightly attached or free, a membranous outer veil that leaves a sac-like volva on the enlarged stipe base and sometimes a patch on the cap, and a partial veil that typically forms a ring that often disappears in age. It has white amyloid spores.
Habitat: woodland
Substrate: broadleaf trees
Amanita porphyria – booted amanita, gray-veil amanita, grey veiled amanita, purple brown amanita, purplish amanita
Habitat: Conifer forests
Habitat: Conifer forests
Amanita rubescens – the blusher
Description: Hemispherical cap that becomes flat to broadly umbonate. The surface is smooth but scattered with small patches of grayish veil remains, brown, paler toward the margin, bruising or aging pinkish. The gills are white. The stem is white at first, bruising or aging pinkish, scaly below the fragile ring, with a scurfy, bulbous base.
Habitat: woodlands
Substrate: broadleaf trees and conifers
Description: Hemispherical cap that becomes flat to broadly umbonate. The surface is smooth but scattered with small patches of grayish veil remains, brown, paler toward the margin, bruising or aging pinkish. The gills are white. The stem is white at first, bruising or aging pinkish, scaly below the fragile ring, with a scurfy, bulbous base.
Habitat: woodlands
Substrate: broadleaf trees and conifers
Amanita silvicola – western woodland amanita
Description: Amanita silvicola is a small to medium-sized species with a rather short, stout stipe in relation to the cap diameter, and A. smithiana, is a usually larger species with a rather long rooting stipe that tapers upward from a spindle-shaped base. A. silvicola usually pushes up the litter or soil from a deep-seated, club-shaped or rimmed stipe base. The outer veil covers the cap and leaves a slight rim of tissue around the stipe base. The partial veil also is soft and fragile and leaves a floccose zone on the upper stipe when the cap expands; typically the surface of the stipe has a soft powdery to cottony covering. The gills are white, close, and have floccose edges.
Habitat: It occurs in conifer and mixed woods and has been reported with a variety of tree hosts including alder.
Substrate: Leaf litter and soil
Description: Amanita silvicola is a small to medium-sized species with a rather short, stout stipe in relation to the cap diameter, and A. smithiana, is a usually larger species with a rather long rooting stipe that tapers upward from a spindle-shaped base. A. silvicola usually pushes up the litter or soil from a deep-seated, club-shaped or rimmed stipe base. The outer veil covers the cap and leaves a slight rim of tissue around the stipe base. The partial veil also is soft and fragile and leaves a floccose zone on the upper stipe when the cap expands; typically the surface of the stipe has a soft powdery to cottony covering. The gills are white, close, and have floccose edges.
Habitat: It occurs in conifer and mixed woods and has been reported with a variety of tree hosts including alder.
Substrate: Leaf litter and soil
Amanita smithiana – Smith's amanita
Description: Amanita smithiana features a small to medium-sized cap and long rooting stipe that is enlarged at the point where it enters the substrate (either soil or well-rotted wood). The outer veil leaves a coating on the cap, sometimes on the cap edge, and around the enlarged portion of the stipe. The fills are close to crowded, whitish or slightly pinkish. As in A. silvicola the lower stipe is coated with a soft white covering that comes off if you touch it. The partial veil is fragile and leaves a ragged, floccose zone on the upper stipe.
Habitat: Conifer and mixed woods
Substrate: soil or well-rotted wood
Description: Amanita smithiana features a small to medium-sized cap and long rooting stipe that is enlarged at the point where it enters the substrate (either soil or well-rotted wood). The outer veil leaves a coating on the cap, sometimes on the cap edge, and around the enlarged portion of the stipe. The fills are close to crowded, whitish or slightly pinkish. As in A. silvicola the lower stipe is coated with a soft white covering that comes off if you touch it. The partial veil is fragile and leaves a ragged, floccose zone on the upper stipe.
Habitat: Conifer and mixed woods
Substrate: soil or well-rotted wood
Amanita vaginata – grisette
