Caesar's Mushroom

Description:

Caesar's Mushroom, is a highly regarded edible mushroom in the genus Amanita, native to southern Europe and North Africa. It has a distinctive orange cap, yellow gills and stem. This mushroom has an orange-red cap, initially hemispherical before convex and finally flat. The surface is smooth, and margins striated, and it can reach 6 in or rarely 8 in in diameter. The free gills are pale to golden yellow, as is the cylinder-shaped stipe, which is3–6 in tall and around 1 in wide. The ring hangs loosely and is lined above and smooth below. The base of the stipe is thicker than the top and is seated in a greyish-white cup-like volva, which is a remnant of universal veil. The spores are white.

Habitat:

This mushroom fruits in oak woodland, sometimes mixed with conifers, from early summer to mid autumn. This mushroom is highly prized, and is a common sight in the markets of Italy, southern France, and Spain.

Notes:

This "King" has been dethroned and has seen better days. Long live Caesar!