stem; close or crowded; broad; no partial veil
STEM: Up to 4-1/2 in. long; pale yellow, equal or tapering slightly upward from a small basal bulb; surface dry and powdery; no ring is present
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal, associated with oaks and pines; solitary, scattered to gregarious in broadleaf and mixed woods; summer and early fall; fairly common
EDIBILITY: Poisonous
COMMENTS: The lack of a ring and the yellow powdery stem will distinguish this species from Amanita muscaria (p. 14) and Amanita flavoconia (p. 12). It is probably more common in the oak woods of Appalachia than anywhere else.
Amanita parcivolvata
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Amanita jacksonii Pomerl.
SYNONYM: Amanita umbonata Pomerl.
COMMON NAME: American Caesar’s Mushroom
FAMILY: Amanitaceae
CAP: Up to 6 in. wide; brilliant red, becoming orange to yellowish at the margin; oval becoming convex and finally nearly flat; broadly umbonate in age; surface bald, viscid, and striate
FLESH: Whitish to pale yellow, unchanging when bruised; odor and taste not distinctive
GILLS: Yellow to orangish yellow; free or barely attached to the stem; edges even; covered at first with a yellowish-orange, membranous partial veil
STEM: Up to 6 in. long; yellow with orange to reddish fibers, often in zones; equal or tapering upward; slender; dry, with an apical, skirt-like, yellowish-orange ring; base with a large, white, sack-like volva
VOLVA: White; encases the entire mushroom at first like a chicken egg, then ruptures, leaving a free-limbed sack-like structure at the bottom of the stem; often almost completely buried in the soil; can be appressed against the stipe; contrasts with the yellowish-orange stem
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal with oaks, hemlock, and pines; scattered to gregarious; summer and early fall; occasional
EDIBILITY: Edible but not recommended; there are several similar species
COMMENTS: This stunning species is very similar to the European Amanita caesarea, which is a choice edible. Amanita jacksonii differs in having a broad umbo. Although edible, it is not rated as highly as its European cousin. It could be argued that this is the most beautiful mushroom in the Appalachians. Amanita banningiana (not illustrated) is similar but is much less robust and its cap is orange to yellowish.
Amanita jacksonii
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Amanita bisporigera G. F. Atk.
MISAPPLIED NAMES: Amanita virosa, Amanita verna; while not actually synonyms, these names have been given to the North American Amanita bisporigera in older field guides
COMMON NAMES: Destroying Angel, Eastern Destroying Angel, Death Angel
FAMILY: Amanitaceae
CAP: Up to 5 in. wide; white, although in age may show some tan at the cap center; nearly oval, becoming convex then flat at maturity; surface dry or slightly tacky; bald, not striate
FLESH: White, unchanging when cut or bruised; odor not distinctive; taste unknown
GILLS: White; free or nearly reaching the stem; close; edges even; covered at first by a membranous, white partial veil
STEM: Up to 6 in. long; white; usually tapers upward slightly from the volva; solid or stuffed with white pith; surface smooth or somewhat floccose, with a delicate skirt-like ring at the apex that may be missing in aged fruitings
VOLVA: White; encasing the entire mushroom at first like an egg, then when the cap emerges it leaves a free-limbed sack-like structure at the bottom of the stem; usually almost completely buried in the soil; at times it can be appressed against the stem
Amanita bisporigera
SPORE PRINT: White
EDIBILITY: Deadly poisonous
ECOLOGY: This species is mycorrhizal with oaks and other broadleaf trees but can also be found in mixed woods, often associating with hemlock; summer and fall; it is a common mushroom in soil, humus, moss, and lawns
COMMENTS: Amanita bisporigera has been confused with Amanita virosa and Amanita verna, which are European Destroying Angels. The taxonomy of the North American species needs work, and there are likely more than one species included under the Amanita bisporigera name. In the author’s experience the common summer Destroying Angel is a thinner, less robust “species.” It is common under oaks. In the late summer and fall there is a much more substantial “species” that occurs under conifers. All of these are white in all parts and all are deadly poisonous. Care must be taken when collecting puffballs for the table so as not to mistake an Amanita in the egg stage for a puffball. When cut in half, the Destroying Angel button will have the immature cap and gills visible. This species has caused more fatal poisonings in Appalachia than any other species. The first symptoms of poisoning usually do not occur until several hours after ingestion. The toxins attack the liver and kidneys. It is a prime example of why one should not test the edibility of a mushroom by eating even just one. Consuming a single cap could be a fatal mistake.
Amanita bisporigera
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Amanita sturgeonii Tulloss, Q. Cai, and L.V. Kudzma nom. prov.
SYNONYM: None
COMMON NAME: Cemetery Amanita
FAMILY: Amanitaceae
CAP: Up to 4-1/2 in. wide; white, developing brownish or olivaceous stains in age; convex, becoming flat in age; surface bald or rarely with faint brownish universal veil remnants, viscid when wet; margin with veil remnants at times
FLESH: White, unchanging when cut; fairly thick; odor mild to slightly
