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white False Deathcap (matured)

amanita citrina var alba

Description:

This Amanita is recognized by its pale yellow to pale green colors, its abrupt basal bulb, and the faintly potato-like smell of the fresh gills. It is eastern in distribution, and is mycorrhizal with hardwoods and conifers. One often finds faded specimens of Amanita citrina, and in this state they are reminiscent of the Destroying Angels--but those deadly mushrooms are pure white through all stages of development, and have more prominent, sack-like volvas. Several varieties and forms of Amanita citrina have been described, and the "species" may represent several distinct entities that are not completely understood; see the comments below for details. Description: Ecology: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods; summer and fall; widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. Cap: 5-12 cm, convex to broadly convex or flat in age; sticky or slimy when wet; with small, grayish or whitish patches or warts when young--but these sometimes disappearing by maturity; surface pale greenish yellow (with lavender shades in one form; see below), fading; margin typically not lined. Gills: Free from the stem; white, sometimes yellowish in age; crowded. Stem: 6-12 cm long; 1-1.5 cm. thick; more or less equal, but with an abruptly bulbous base; the base with a whitish volva that adheres tightly (and is not "sack-like"), and has a rim or gutter on the upper edge; sometimes with a longitudinally "chiseled" or split basal bulb; with a fairly persistent white or yellowish ring. Flesh: White throughout. Odor: Faintly of potatoes. Spore Print: White. Microscopic Features: Spores 7-10 µ; smooth; round; amyloid. ( http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_ci... )

Habitat:

location: North America, Europe edibility: Poisonous/Suspect fungus colour: White to cream, Yellow cap type: Convex to shield shaped stem type: Ring on stem, Volva on stem flesh: Mushroom has distinct or odd smell (non mushroomy), Other spore colour: White, cream or yellowish habitat: Grows in woods, Grows on the ground Amanita citrina (Schaeff.) S. F. syn. A. mappa (Batsch ex Lasch) Quél. Gray False Deathcap Amanite citrine Oronge citrine Gelbe Knollenblätterpilz, Citromgaloca. Cap 4–10cm across, ivory to pale lemon especially near the centre, covered in persistent coarse whitish patches which discolour ochre-brown. Stem 60–80×8–12mm, ivory white, tapering and longitudinally lined above the membranous ring, the large basal bulb encased in the remains of the volva which creates a trough around the stem. Flesh white, the stem becoming hollow in older specimens. Taste unpleasant, smelling strongly of raw potatoes. Gills adnexed, whitish. Spore print white. Spores almost spherical, amyloid, 9.5 x 7.5µ. Habitat in deciduous or coniferous woods, especially with beech. Season summer to late autumn. Frequent. Inedible possibly poisonous, of no interest as the strong taste and smell make it unpleasant, and to be avoided due to possible confusion with the deadly A. phalloides. Distribution, America and Europe. The earlier start date for fungus names possibly means that Amanita citrina needs to be called A. bulbosa var. citrina, but it to be hoped that a name in such common usage may be left unchanged. ( http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/D... )

Notes:

There is a variety of Amanita citrina: (Amanita citrina var. Alba). This differs from the yellow Amanita because it is all white and nowhere yellow discoloration. except of the veil and the cap ( http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gele_knolam... )

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AlexKonig
Spotted by
AlexKonig

Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands

Spotted on Sep 27, 2011
Submitted on Feb 18, 2012

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