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AMANITA
This large Amanita, with its pale yellowish color, has been mistaken at
first glance for a faded A. muscaria by more than one collector. Plate 6 in
Giissow and Odell labeled A. muscaria is undoubtedly A. velatipes. However,
the complete lack of any orange-red coloring, even in buttons, and the neat
volval boot on the stipe will distinguish it. The booted stipe has caused some
people to call this mushroom A. cothurnata Atk., and certainly these two are
very closely related. The type specimens of both these Atkinson species have
been examined. A. cothurnata is a small slender mushroom, pure white or with
a very faint tinge of color on the disk, and with shghtly broader spores which
are thus more broadly ovoid than ellipsoid in shape.
Amanita glabriceps Peck, which has elliosoid and not globose spores as
stated by Peck, is a later synonym.
There is no information concerning the edibihty of this species but it
should be left alone.
AMANITA VI ROSA Lam. ex Seer. Deadly poisonous
Figures 115, page 52; 291, page 193
Destroying Angel
PILEUS 2-5 in. broad, at first ovoid, becoming convex and finally ex-
panded, nonstriate, pure white, at times becoming faintly discolored on the
disk, viscid, glabrous, rarely bearing a patch of volval membrane, flesh soft,
white, thin except on the disk, developing a disagreeably sweet odor, lamel-
lae free or reaching the stipe by a line, close to crowded, fairly broad, white,
often minutely flocculose on the edges, stipe 3-8 in. long, |4-% ii^- thick,
swollen at the base to a clavate or oval bulb, equal above or tapering upward,
smooth or appressed-fibrillose, sometime floccose, white, stuffed within.
ANNULUS large, white, membranous, hanging skirt-like near the apex of the
stipe or clinging in shreds to the pileus margin, volva white, membranous,
sac-like, loosely encasing the bulb and stipe base, usually extending up the
stipe well beyond the bulb, spores amyloid, smooth, white, subglobose varying
to ovoid or elHpsoid, (8) 9-10.5 (12) X (7) 8-9.5 (10) /z.
Solitary or scattered on the ground in woods, sometimes on lawns beneath
trees. July-Oct. Frequent.
This is the most deadly poisonous of our wild mushrooms. Everyone
collecting mushrooms should learn to recognize it. The distinguishing marks
are the pure white color of all parts, the presence of annulus and sac-like volva,
the free lamellae and the white spore print. The volva may be left in the ground
and overlooked if the mushroom is pulled carelessly. The danger of mistaking
A. virosa for the edible Lepiota naucina is great, and a mistake could be fatal.
The folly of applying simple popular 'tests' to determine the edibility of a
mushroom is well illustrated here. The pileus o^ A. virosa peels readily, and yet
many people use this peehng test as a proof of edibility.
A. verna (Lam. ex Fr.) Pers. ex Vitt. is said to differ in having truly ellip-
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