Amanita velosa

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Amanita velosa
Amanita velosa 79748 Santa Cruz.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Amanitaceae
Genus: Amanita
Species:
A. velosa
Binomial name
Amanita velosa
(Peck) Lloyd (1898)
Synonyms [1]

Amanitopsis velosaPeck (1895)

Amanita velosa
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Convex cap icon.svg Cap is convex
Free gills icon2.svg Hymenium is free
Volva stipe icon.svg Stipe has a volva
Transparent spore print icon.svg
Spore print is white
Mycorrhizal fungus.svgEcology is mycorrhizal
Mycomorphbox Choice.pngMycomorphbox Caution.pngEdibility is choice but not recommended

Amanita velosa, commonly known as the springtime amanita, [2] or bittersweet orange ringless amanita [3] [4] is a species of agaric found in California, as well as southern Oregon and Baja California. [3] Although a prized edible mushroom, it bears similarities to some deadly poisonous species.

Contents

Description

It is part of Amanita section Vaginatae, and like other species in this group, it is characterized by its lack of an annulus, striate pileus margin, thick universal veil remnants comprising the veil, volva, and pileus patches, inamyloid spores, and lack of characteristic Amanita toxins such as amatoxins and ibotenic acid. [3] [5] It is distinguished from other species in section Vaginatae by its lack of any kind of umbo on its pileus, its short pileus striae, and its distinct pale orange to pale salmon coloration when young. Its coloration can become more brownish with age and entirely white specimens are occasionally seen as well. [3] Like many other Amanita, the gills are white, but occasionally have a distinct pinkish or orangish tint. [3] [5] In older specimens, the odor can become pungent and fishy. [2] [6]

The cap is 5–15 cm wide, convex then plane, with an orange-pink or salmon-like color; it usually has a white universal veil patch. [7] The gills are adnexed to free, close and white (or pinkish with age). [7] The stalk is 5–15 cm long, and 1–3 cm wide. [7] The volva is white, saclike and sheathes the stalk base. [7] The spores are white, smooth, elliptical, and inamyloid. [7]

Similar species

The deadly A. ocreata and occasionally A. phalloides are found in the same habitat at the same time of year as A. velosa, and can often be found in close proximity. A. ocreata and A. phalloides have thin universal veil remnants, a sac-like volva, an annulus, a non-striate pileus margin, and a pileus that is a different color than A. velosa. [2] [8] These differences can fade as the fruiting body ages, making it important to collect only specimens that have all of their identifying characteristics intact. [9]

Distribution and habitat

A. velosa is a late-season mushroom in its range of occurrence, being primarily found in the coastal regions of California, Oregon, and Baja California, from midwinter up until the end of the California rainy season. Its favored habitat is the ecotone between oak (particularly coast live oak) woodlands and open grassland, living in an ectomycorrhizal relationship with young oak trees. [2] [5] [8]

The species is also reported to have been found in association with aspen and conifers in the Sierra Nevada, [2] with one report of it being found growing with spruce in the eastern United States' Great Smoky Mountains National Park. [5]

Edibility

It is considered to be an outstanding edible species with a distinctively sweet or nutty flavor, [2] [6] but great caution must be exercised to properly identify it due to its similarity to deadly species. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Amanita phalloides</i> Poisonous mushroom (death cap)

Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Widely distributed across Europe, but introduced to other parts of the world since the late twentieth century, A. phalloides forms ectomycorrhizas with various broadleaved trees. In some cases, the death cap has been introduced to new regions with the cultivation of non-native species of oak, chestnut, and pine. The large fruiting bodies (mushrooms) appear in summer and autumn; the caps are generally greenish in colour with a white stipe and gills. The cap colour is variable, including white forms, and is thus not a reliable identifier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destroying angel</span> Deadly poisonous fungus

The name destroying angel applies to several similar, closely related species of deadly all-white mushrooms in the genus Amanita. They are Amanita virosa in Europe and A. bisporigera and A. ocreata in eastern and western North America, respectively. Another European species of Amanita referred to as the destroying angel, Amanita verna - also referred to as the 'Fool's mushroom' - was first described in France in 1780.

<i>Amanita fulva</i> Species of fungus

Amanita fulva, commonly called the tawny grisette or the orange-brown ringless amanita, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Amanita. It is found frequently in deciduous and coniferous forests of Europe, and possibly North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanitaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Amanitaceae is a family of mushroom-forming fungi. Amanita Pers. is one of the most speciose and best-known fungal genera. The family, also commonly called the amanita family, is in order Agaricales, the gilled mushrooms. The family consists primarily of the large genus Amanita, but also includes the smaller genera Amarrendia, Catatrama, Limacella, Limacellopsis, Saproamanita, Torrendia and Zhuliangomyces. Both Amarrendia and Torrendia are considered to be synonymous with Amanita but appear quite different because they are secotioid.

<i>Amanita calyptroderma</i> Species of fungus

Amanita calyptroderma also known as coccora, coccoli or the Pacific amanita, is a white-spored mushroom that fruits naturally in the coastal forests of the western United States during the fall and winter and spring.

<i>Amanita verna</i> Species of fungus

Amanita verna, commonly known as the fool's mushroom or the spring destroying angel, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Occurring in Europe in spring, A. verna associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The caps, stipes and gills are all white in colour.

<i>Amanita ocreata</i> Species of poisonous fungus in the genus Amanita

Amanita ocreata, commonly known as the death angel, destroying angel, angel of death or more precisely western North American destroying angel, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. The large fruiting bodies generally appear in spring; the cap may be white or ochre and often develops a brownish centre, while the stipe, ring, gill and volva are all white. A. ocreata resemble several edible species commonly consumed by humans, increasing the risk of accidental poisoning. Mature fruiting bodies can be confused with the edible A. velosa, A. lanei or Volvopluteus gloiocephalus, while immature specimens may be difficult to distinguish from edible Agaricus mushrooms or puffballs.

<i>Amanita brunnescens</i> Species of fungus

Amanita brunnescens, also known as the brown American star-footed amanita or cleft-footed amanita is a native North American mushroom of the large genus Amanita. It differs from A. phalloides by its fragile volva and tendency to bruise brown.

<i>Amanita arocheae</i> Species of fungus

Amanita arocheae, also known as the Latin American death cap, is a mushroom of the large genus Amanita, which occurs in Colombia, Central America and South America. Deadly poisonous, it is a member of section Phalloideae and related to the death cap, A. phalloides.

<i>Amanita ovoidea</i> Species of fungus

The European white egg, bearded amanita or European egg amidella, is a species of fungus of the genus Amanita in the family Amanitaceae. It is a large, white-colored fungus, often tinged with cream. Native to Europe, it is found on plains as well as mountains in the Mediterranean region. It is similar to some deadly poisonous species.

<i>Amanita persicina</i> Species of fungus

Amanita persicina, commonly known as the peach-colored fly agaric, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Amanita with a peach-colored center. Until c. 2015, the fungus was believed to be a variety of A. muscaria.

<i>Amanita flavoconia</i> Species of fungus

Amanita flavoconia, commonly known as yellow patches, yellow wart, orange amanita, yellow-dust amanita or the American yellow dust amanita, is a species of mushroom in the family Amanitaceae. It has an orangish-yellow cap with yellowish-orange patches or warts, a yellowish-orange annulus, and a white to orange stem. Common and widespread throughout eastern North America, A. flavoconia grows on the ground in broad-leaved and mixed forests, especially in mycorrhizal association with hemlock.

<i>Amanita bisporigera</i> Poisonous species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae endemic to North America

Amanita bisporigera is a deadly poisonous species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. It is commonly known as the eastern destroying angel amanita, the eastern North American destroying angel or just as the destroying angel, although the fungus shares this latter name with three other lethal white Amanita species, A. ocreata, A. verna and A. virosa. The mushroom has a smooth white cap that can reach up to 10 centimetres across and a stipe up to 14 cm tall with a white skirt-like ring near the top. The bulbous stipe base is covered with a membranous sac-like volva. The white gills are free from attachment to the stalk and crowded closely together. As the species name suggests, A. bisporigera typically bears two spores on the basidia, although this characteristic is not immutable. A. bisporigera closely resembles a few other white amanitas, including the equally deadly A. virosa and A. verna.

<i>Amanita exitialis</i> Species of fungus

Amanita exitialis, also known as the Guangzhou destroying angel, is a mushroom of the large genus Amanita. It is distributed in eastern Asia, and probably also in India where it has been misidentified as A. verna. Deadly poisonous, it is a member of section Phalloideae and related to the death cap A. phalloides. The fruit bodies (mushrooms) are white, small to medium-sized with caps up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter, a somewhat friable ring and a firm volva. Unlike most agaric mushrooms which typically have four-spored basidia, the basidia of A. exitialis are almost entirely two-spored. Eight people were fatally poisoned in China after consuming the mushroom in 2000, and another 20 have been fatally poisoned since that incident. Molecular analysis shows that the species has a close phylogenetic relationship with three other toxic white Amanitas: A. subjunquillea var. alba, A. virosa and A. bisporigera.

<i>Amanita pekeoides</i> Species of fungus from New Zealand

Amanita pekeoides is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Amanita jacksonii</i> Species of fungus

Amanita jacksonii, also known as Jackson's slender amanita, American Slender Caesar, and Eastern Caesar's Amanita, is a North American species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. It is a reddish-orange colored mushroom species which can be identified by its yellow gills, large, white, sacklike volva.

<i>Amanita ceciliae</i> Species of fungus

Amanita ceciliae, commonly called snakeskin grisette, strangulated amanita, and the Cecilia's ringless amanita, is a basidiomycete fungus in the genus Amanita. First described in 1854 by Miles Joseph Berkeley and Christopher Edmund Broome, it was given its current name by Cornelis Bas in 1984. It is characterized by bearing a large fruit body with a brown cap 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in) across. The cap has charcoal-grey patches, which are easily removable. The stipe is 7–18 cm (2.8–7.1 in) long, white in colour, and there is no ring on it. It is slightly tapered to the top, and has irregular cottony bands girdling the base. The universal veil is grey. Spores are white, spherical in shape, non-amyloid, and measure 10.2–11.7 micrometres. The mushrooms are considered edible, but field guides typically advise caution in selecting them for consumption, due to risks of confusion with similar toxic species. A. ceciliae is found in woods throughout Europe and North America, where it fruits during summer and autumn.

<i>Amanita parcivolvata</i> Species of fungus

Amanita parcivolvata also known as ringless false fly amanita, is a fungus that produces fruit bodies ranging from 3–12 centimetres in width and height.

<i>Amanita pachycolea</i> Species of fungus

Amanita pachycolea, commonly known as the western grisette or the Stuntz's great ringless amanita, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Amanitaceae.

<i>Amanita flavorubens</i> Species of fungus

Amanita flavorubens, also known as the yellow American blusher or the yellow American blushing amanita, is a species of the mushroom genus Amanita.

References

  1. "Amanita velosa (Peck) Lloyd 1898". MycoBank. International Myclogical Association. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Arora D. (1986). Mushrooms Demystified (2nd ed). Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. "Amanita velosa"; pp. 286–287. ISBN   0-89815-169-4
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Tulloss RE. (2005). Amanita velosa (Peck) Lloyd. Archived 2007-02-05 at the Wayback Machine Tulloss Amanita website.
  4. "Standardized Common Names for Wild Species in Canada". National General Status Working Group. 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Jenkins DT. (1986). Amanita of North America. ISBN   0-916422-55-0
  6. 1 2 Rich R. (2002). "Amanita velosa". Robert's Wild Mushroom Cookbook (website).
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 80–81. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
  8. 1 2 Wood M, Stevens F. (2004). Amanita velosa. MykoWeb (website).
  9. 1 2 Street C. (2004). So which mushroom is edible? Archived 2007-02-12 at the Wayback Machine Codehappy.net (website).