Grey spotted Amanita

Description:

The gills are unattached and always white (have white spores). The cap is brown-grey with no grooves on the rim. Have velum remnants on the cap which are patchy and flaky which are white-grey to grey in colour.

Habitat:

Like the Panther (A. pantherina) cap, these mushrooms grow in acidic soils. Mycorhizal with hardwood and softwood trees, often most abundant near the edge of mixed (deciduous and coniferous) woodlands.

Notes:

The stipe base is key to positive identification - so the mushroom must be removed carefully to ensure it remains intact. This mushroom can be eaten but had an earthy taste. The poisonous Panther cap (A. pantherina) can be distinguished from A spissa by its collar with no grooves, the absence of a strong radish-like odour and its differently shaped stipe base. A. spissa has a hanging ring collar that is grooved and has a grey-brown rim.