or absence of a stem, and other distinctive features. Most of these lack stems, but stinkhorns and species of the stalked puffballs in the genus Calostoma do have stems. Many of the larger, roundish puffballs are edible but rather bland, much like tofu. The best puffball dishes incorporate more flavorful species and often garlic and butter or bacon!
Cup fungi as presented here range from fragile cups to firm or gelatinous urn-like fruitings. Most are found on dead wood. Color is used as a primary distinguishing feature, along with the presence or absence of hairs. These features, along with size and fleshiness, will enable the reader to identify the species covered in this book. Three crust-like fungi are included in this section. No truly good edibles are in this group.
Jelly fungi are gelatinous and here include species with rubbery fruiting bodies. They are keyed out using color, habitat, and shape. Used in the kitchen for their texture, this is a bland-tasting group.
Morels and false morels have stems and wrinkled to honeycombed caps. Morels are generally considered among the best edible mushrooms in the world. Because some are poisonous, false morels should probably not be eaten even though there are edible species. These two groups are keyed out using color, shape, size, and cap texture.
APPALACHIAN MUSHROOMS
AMANITA
MUSHROOMS IN THIS mostly mycorrhizal, white-spored genus are characterized by being at first enveloped by a universal veil of tissue called a volva. Sometimes the volva is membranous and breaks cleanly, leaving a sack-like structure at the bottom of the stem and no warts or patches on the cap (rarely with a single patch). In some species the universal veil is friable, leaving warts on the cap, on the stem base, or in the surrounding soil. These warts may wash off the cap in rainy weather. There are a few species where the volva is powdery and may not leave much of a trace. Some have a partial veil that may form a ring on the stem. Others lack a partial veil and do not have a ring. These are generally long-legged mushrooms that usually have stems longer than the width of the caps. As considered in the key, small refers to caps 3 in. wide or less. Medium caps are 3–5 in. in diameter. Large caps are over 5 in. wide. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines and that there will be some variation.
There are many poisonous species in this genus. Three species have caused many serious and sometimes fatal poisonings. The white Destroying Angel complex, or Amanita bisporigera, is the common one in Appalachia. Less common is Amanita sturgeonii, which is known to have caused one fatal poisoning. The greenish Death Cap, or Amanita phalloides, is rare in the region, but its range has been expanding and may someday become common. Poisoning from these species usually follows a six- to twenty-four-hour delay between ingestion and the onset of symptoms. Liver failure or at least liver damage is caused by the toxins in these mushrooms. Other serious poisonings have been caused by several Amanita species with different toxins, including Amanita velatipes (p. 15) and Amanita muscaria (p. 14).
The species illustrated here show examples of both membranous and friable universal veils. The gray species illustrated here (p. 2) with universal veil warts is undescribed and is related to Amanita velatipes (p. 15) and Amanita pantherina (not illustrated). The orange mushroom with yellow universal veil fragments is Amanita flavoconia (p. 2). Examples of species with a membranous, sack-like volva are the orange Amanita banningiana (not illustrated) and the whitish Amanita sturgeonii (p. 2).
Amanita pantherina complex
Amanita sturgeonii
Amanita banningiana
Amanita flavoconia
Key to Amanita
No ring on the stem
1. Cap bright red to orangish red with whitish warts: Amanita parcivolvata (p. 7)
2. Cap gray with a powdery dusting: Amanita farinosa (p. 6)
3. Cap gray to brownish; bald: Amanita vaginata (p. 5)
4. Cap orange, brownish orange to yellowish brown: Amanita amerifulva (p. 4)
With a skirt-like ring on the stem and a sack-like volva; lacking cap warts
1. Cap white; common: Amanita bisporigera (p. 9)
2. Cap white with brownish or olivaceous tints in age; uncommon: Amanita sturgeonii (p. 2)
3. Cap red to orange: Amanita jacksonii (p. 8)
With a skirt-like ring on the stem and warts or patches on the cap
1. Cap small to medium, yellowish orange; striate; stem with a collared bulb: Amanita frostiana (p. 13)
2. Cap small to medium; yellowish orange; not striate; stem lacking a collar: Amanita flavoconia (p. 2)
3. Cap medium to large; yellowish orange; stem base usually with 2–3 rings of tissue: Amanita muscaria (p. 14)
4. Cap medium to large; cream to tan or whitish; stem base with a collar: Amanita velatipes (p. 15)
5. Cap medium to large; brown or white; stem with a prominent bulb that often has a vertical cleft; crushed flesh smells similar to raw potatoes: Amanita brunnescens (p. 16)
6. Cap medium to large; brownish to whitish; stem bulb inconspicuous; crushed flesh smells sweet or fruity: Amanita submaculata (p. 17)
7.
