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Fungi identification -- Amanita
from Fungimap News No. 3, December 1996
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Two of the 8 species in the pilot project are Amanitas. This will be a
good place to start our genus descriptions as well as the fact that most
poisonings occur from people eating this species. It is also a good mushroom to
start with because it shows the importance of digging up, or around, each
fungus to check whether it has a volva or not. The genus includes the
aptly-named death cap, Amanita phalloides, and the beautiful
fairy mushroom commonly called the Fly Agaric, Amanita muscaria. The
latter is the most commonly drawn fungus to show the characteristics of the
fruiting body.
Defining characteristics
Amanitas have pale gills, a universal veil and white spores.
Volva: present at base of stipe. The universal veil, which breaks as the
fungus grows, forms a cup, collar or swelling at the base of the stipe, often
underground.
Gill attachment: free or attached.
Stipe: attached centrally to the cap.
Cap: fleshy and easily separates cleanly from the stipe.
Other characteristics: The veil completely envelopes the young mushroom
(i.e. universal veil) and often leaves various size patches on the cap. These
can be felty type pieces called scales as in Amanita xanthocephala or
smaller angular pieces called warts as on the exotic Amanita muscaria.
The gills can be white, off-white or other colours such as yellow or
pink although they are pale.
Many Amanitas also have a partial veil leaving a ring of material
in the upper part of the stipe called an annulus or ring.
Habitat: Amanitas are found growing in the ground and usually have a
mycorrhizal association with trees. For instance, A. muscaria is found
growing in conjunction with pine trees, oaks, chestnuts and other exotics. The
native A. xanthocephala, however, is found growing in conjunction with
native vegetation, presumably associated with eucalypts and other indigenous
plants.
Name meanings: Musca means fly and Amanita is an ancient
term for mushroom.
Dangers: The genus includes the most dangerous of mushrooms, Amanita
phalloides, commonly called the death cap. This fungus is the greatest
cause of death by eating mushrooms in the world, and has several fatalities in
Australia. Only a little is required to cause death, with Cleland reporting a
child who died from eating bread with the juice of the mushroom on it. Cleland
also reports that poisonings occurred by some Amanitas being mistaken for young
field mushrooms due to the pink colour of the gills.
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