Amanita ID

[NickCantle]

Morning (very early ) guys

I've been looking through the Gallery and I've come across something that I think both myself and Cybershot would like to get sorted.



This image (all credit to Cybershot for the photograph and I hope he doesn't mind me using it!) shows an Amanita of some sort. Now in my head, I think we'd like it to be Amanita Virosa, well, I certainly speak for myself. Just simply, what are the chances of it being anything else? Amanita citrina has a different volval bag to this, one which in the photo seems to be very loose, similar to Phalloides, Pantherina and Virosa. I've heard rumours of a so called white death cap - Amanita Phalloides var. Alba. I wish to know if it could be that. If it's that unlikely, then surely we can be safe in saying that we found ourselves a Destroying Angel, a mushroom that I have certainly been longing to see.

All help and suggestions welcomed

Nick

[NickCantle]

LIEF? KEN? JOHN?

I can't sleeep

[Steve Wurzel]

From ye ever expanding photo collection.. try to eliminate these..

Amanita bisporigera Destroying Angel
Amanita phalloides var alba
Amanita verna
Amanita virosa

This site compares photos (text Polish) Amanita virosa, Amanita verna, Amanita phalloides var alba
Amanita phalloides-virosa-verna-synonimy (porównanie, synonimy grupy gatunków)

These are ones I'm fairly confident don't match but you may like to investigate..

Amanita argentea Silvery Ringless Amanita (yours has a ring!!)
Amanita porphyria Gray Veil Amanita (I have one photo with a white stem and light grey cap)
Amanita volvata

[NickCantle]

Thanks Steve, will check these out. You've labeled Destroying Angel as Amanita Bisporigera I thought Virosa was the Destroying Angel, in fact i'm 100% sure it is.

[cybershot]

It was suggested on another site that it is Amanita phalloides var. alba. As far as I'm concerned the jury's still out.

David

[NickCantle]

I'd be interested to see why this couldn't quite simply be Virosa. Is it something to do with cap, stipe, size, shape etc? I'm confused

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by cybershot

It was suggested on another site that it is Amanita phalloides var. alba. As far as I'm concerned the jury's still out.

David

The reply to the image from the other site:

"Thanks for the pic in Files.
Best fit so far is in original Roger Phillips--page 19 top left
pic.Phalloides---the volval bag seems to fit as does the ring---and a
white top is a fairly common occurence in (these) local woods---although few
survive long enough for a camera-person to record them.

Not Virosa the "bag" is wrong!"

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

LIEF? KEN? JOHN?

I can't sleeep

Try yoga or meditation. Over the years you will have many finds that you cannot put a name to.

I've only found Amanita virosa once and I haven't seen the white version of Amanita phalloides so I can't really comment, although something about the specimen in the photo doesn't look right for A. virosa.

If you had given the mushroom a good old sniff that might have been a good clue. A. virosa has an unusual and unpleasant smell, whereas I don't recall A. phalloides having much of smell until it gets old.

Ken

[Leif]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

LIEF? KEN? JOHN?

I can't sleeep

To add to Ken's comment, if not getting an id loses you sleep, you need to change hobby.

I am not familiar with any of the fungi you mention, though the Death Cap is an occasional and welcome find. In your position I would have made a description on the spot of the fungus, noting all of the features, and the habitat. So questions that come to mind are the gill colour and form, the flesh colour and smell, the texture of the cuticle, the nature of the volval sack and so on. To my nose the Death Cap has a not unpleasant smell of potatoes. From the photo I would say that you have a white Death Cap or Amanita virosa/verna.

Yesterday I found Amanita echinocephala for the first time, growing with Common Rock Rose. That is an easy one to id though the absence of a host tree is unusual. But that is not the species you have.

On one occasion it took me 18 months to identify a fungus as Camarophyllopsis foetens despite the fact that the fungus smelt very strongly of moth balls. It seems to be quite rare. It also took me a few years to identify a collection of Resupinatus trichotis. Oh yes, and it took me years to identify an occasional grey agaric as Hygrocybe colemanniana. And last year I found a fleshy bracket, and a year later came across Lentinellus vulpinus in the literature, which seems to match.

A few days ago I found a small Mycena like fungus with the most utterly disgusting smell (stale urine notes), and knobbly/angular spores. I cannot even place it to genus, though I guess the spores indicate Inocybe or Entoloma. And on the same day I found something like Agrocybe cylindracea but the fit is not close enough for my satisfaction. Close, but no cigar.

The problem with fungi is that they are very variable, and the descriptions in the literature are not always accurate and/or consistent. I guess that is why people often resort to examining cystidia and basidia, as these are features that are expected to be less variable, and easier to characterise.

Oh, and there are an awful lot of species which are rarely photographed or described in the popular literature. Does Phillips mention Entoloma bloxamii, Hygrocybe aurantiosplendens, Camarophyllopsis foetens, Resupinatus trichotis, or Hygrocybe colemanniana? And these are just a few of the hard to identify fungi I have come across.

Anyway, I rant/ramble.

[NickCantle]

You ramblings are taken in here Lief. Thanks for taking the time to explain. Of course I was jesting over the not being able to sleep but sometimes it does get rather tedious as I'm sure you know I think I'm happy to settle with Amanita Phalloides var. Alba. Thanks guys

Nick