Amanita

[SheffieldLass]

The Amanitae are appearing all over the woods now.
This one was close to a group of Amanita excelsa, but also Amanita rubescens appeared in the same stretch a few days later. I was thinking that this was possibly A excelsa forma alba. Although there is some reddishness at the base it didn't flush pink in the way A rubescens usually does, so I decided it was probably not A rubescens forma alba. If they are of the white form, is the best way to tell those two apart whether they flush reddish-brown or not?

Of course they could be something else.



Oh, and what distinguishes A excelsa var excelsa from A excelsa var spissa?

Cheers
Melanie

[Andy Overall]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

The Amanitae are appearing all over the woods now.
This one was close to a group of Amanita excelsa, but also Amanita rubescens appeared in the same stretch a few days later. I was thinking that this was possibly A excelsa forma alba. Although there is some reddishness at the base it didn't flush pink in the way A rubescens usually does, so I decided it was probably not A rubescens forma alba. If they are of the white form, is the best way to tell those two apart whether they flush reddish-brown or not?

Of course they could be something else.



Oh, and what distinguishes A excelsa var excelsa from A excelsa var spissa?

Cheers
Melanie

I think you have a pale form of A. rubescens there Melanie. Whenever I have seen A. excelsa it has that lovely dark bronze cap with the greyish velar remnants. It usually has a less swollen stem with greyish velar remnants on the lower section. The very swollen base is more akin to A. rubescens.

I think the difference between the A. excelsa vars. is a person who prefers to split as opposed to one who prefers to lump. Thank heavens in this case it is not to species level. I believe these differences are merely based upon morphological features, such as smell and stature and we know how decidely dodgy these can be for ID criteria. If anybody knows anything different it would be interesting to hear some views on this. I don't have Funga Nordica to hand, I wonder what that has to say about these vars?

Andy

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by Andy Overall

If anybody knows anything different it would be interesting to hear some views on this. I don't have Funga Nordica to hand, I wonder what that has to say about these vars?

Andy

It lumps.
Unfortunately at the moment the Checklist splits but although it points to various publications for icons and descriptions for A excelsa var spissa there is no such pointer for A excelsa var excelsa so I for one am treating them both as one.

Mal

[SheffieldLass]

Thanks Andy and Mal.

I like the lumpers ... makes life much easier .

Melanie