Death cap

Description:

The death cap has a large and imposing epigeous (aboveground) fruiting body (basidiocarp), usually with a pileus (cap) from 5 to 15 cm (2–6 in) across, initially rounded and hemispherical, but flattening with age.[17] The color of the cap can be pale-, yellowish-, or olive-green, often paler toward the margins and often paler after rain. The cap surface is sticky when wet and easily peeled, a troublesome feature, as that is allegedly a feature of edible fungi

Habitat:

The death cap is native to Europe, where it is widespread.[23] It is found from the southern coastal regions of Scandinavia in the north, to Ireland in the west, east to Poland and western Russia,[15] and south throughout the Balkans, in Italy, Spain and Portugal, and in Morocco and Algeria in north Africa.[24] In west Asia it has been reported from forests of northern Iran.[25] There are records from further east into Asia but these have yet to be confirmed as A. phalloides.[26] It is ectomycorrhizally associated with a number of tree species and is symbiotic with them. In Europe, these include a large number of hardwood and, less frequently, conifer species. It appears most commonly under oaks, but also under beeches, chestnuts, horse-chestnuts, birches, filberts, hornbeams, pines, and spruces.[13] In other areas, A. phalloides may also be associated with these trees or with only some species and not others.

Notes:

Spotted in the S.Joâo Hospital gardens,a place where i never imagined that could sustein such a amazing variety of fungis and trees,beautiful in this season