Amanita flavoconia

[ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Amanitaceae > Amanita . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

A truly beautiful mushroom, this species of Amanita is smaller, more graceful, and less warty than the yellow form of Amanita muscaria, which it is often mistaken for. A close look at the base of the stem will quickly separate the two mushrooms; Amanita flavoconia lacks the distinctive concentric rings found on Amanita muscaria. Instead, the stem base is only slightly swollen (if at all), and is decorated with fragile yellow remains of the volva. The patches of volval tissue are easily lost in the collection process, so be sure to examine the stem base carefully as you dig it up.

Other distinguishing features for Amanita flavoconia include its bright yellow or orangish cap with fragile patches, and the lack of any "blushing" (as in Amanita flavorubescens). Amanita flavoconia is found under hardwoods and conifers in eastern North America.

No amanita should be considered for the table.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with conifers and hardwoods; summer and fall; primarily east of the Rocky Mountains, but rare in the west.

Cap: 2.5-7.5 cm, suboval to convex, becoming broadly convex to flat in age; sticky when wet; bright yellow to bright orange to paler in age or in direct sunlight; with scattered pale to yellow warts that typically disappear easily; margin not lined or faintly lined.

Gills: Attached or free from the stem; white, sometimes with yellow edges; close.

Stem: 4-10 cm long; .5-1.5 cm. thick; more or less equal, frequently tapering to apex and flaring to an enlarged base; smooth or slightly scaly; with a persistent skirtlike ring; whitish to yellow; without a rim; with powdery yellow volval remnants at the base.

Flesh: White throughout; thin.

Spore Print: White.

Microscopic Features: Spores 7-11 x 3.5-5 µ; smooth; elliptical; amyloid.

REFERENCES: Atkinson, 1902. (Saccardo,1905; Kauffman, 1918; Smith, 1949; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Thiers, 1982; Arora, 1986; Jenkins, 1986; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Metzler & Metzler, 1992; Barron, 1999; Roody, 2003; Tulloss, 2003; McNeil, 2006; Miller & Miller, 2006.) Herb. Kuo 06199501, 06130205, 07080703.

Further Online Information:

Amanita flavoconia at Tulloss's Studies in Amanita
Amanita flavoconia at Roger's Mushrooms

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2005, March). Amanita flavoconia. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_flavoconia.html