PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal with oaks; solitary to scattered in broadleaf woods and mixed woods of oaks and pines; summer and fall; occasional
EDIBILITY: Unknown
COMMENTS: The sweet odor is unusual in the genus Amanita. The cap resembles that of Amanita brunnescens (p. 16), a species with a prominent bulb and raw potato odor. Remnants of the universal veil may be visible in the soil around the base of the stem.
Amanita submaculata
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Amanita rubescens Pers.
SYNONYM: Provisional name: Amanita amerirubescens Tulloss
COMMON NAMES: Blusher, American Blusher
FAMILY: Amanitaceae
CAP: Up to 5-1/2 in. wide; pale tan or yellowish at first, becoming brown with sordid reddish areas; bell shaped at first then convex, becoming flat in age; surface dry or slightly sticky in wet weather; bald, adorned with yellow to gray warts, which are remnants of the universal veil
FLESH: White, staining pinkish red to reddish brown when damaged, this discoloration can often be observed around larvae tunnels; thick; odor and taste mild
GILLS: White or slightly pinkish, staining slowly reddish brown when damaged; free or barely reaching the stem; close; edges even; covered at first by a thin partial veil
STEM: Up to 7 in. long; whitish or with ruddy staining especially near the base; solid; equal or tapering up from a turnip-shaped bulb; smooth or slightly hairy, with a persistent skirt-like ring near the apex
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal; on soil, litter, and moss in forests and lawns under oaks and pines and in mixed woods; gregarious to scattered; summer and fall; very common
EDIBILITY: Edible but not recommended owing to possible confusion with poisonous look-alikes
COMMENTS: The American cluster of Blusher species differs from the European mushroom originally given this name. As of this writing no new names have been given to several of these variants, including this one, which is a common species in the Appalachians. Historically Amanita rubescens was considered a very variable species. Now it is known that several—possibly many—species have been lumped under this name. There is a white form with less prominent, sordid, reddish staining. Similar seriously poisonous species include Amanita velatipes (p. 15) and Amanita pantherina (not illustrated).
Amanita rubescens
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Amanita abrupta Peck
SYNONYM: Lepidella abrupta (Peck) E.-J. Gilbert
COMMON NAME: American Abrupt-bulb Lepidella
FAMILY: Amanitaceae
CAP: Up to 3-1/2 in. wide; white, at times tan at the center; surface dry with white or tan pointed or cone-shaped warts that are separable patches of the universal veil; the warts may be washed off in wet weather and on aged caps; convex, becoming flat; surface floccose; margin is not striate and may become cottony
FLESH: White; firm, not staining; odor mild at first becoming unpleasant, resembling spoiled meat in age; taste unknown
GILLS: Whitish or at times with a pale orange cast; close to subdistant; free or barely reaching the stem; edges even or flocculose; covered at first by a white partial veil
STEM: Up to 5 in. long; white; solid with a flimsy skirt-like ring that is smooth on top and often shaggy underneath; nearly equal or slightly tapering upward, with an abrupt white or brown stained bulb at the stem base, which often has a cleft-like depression; surface bald to floccose
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal; found throughout the Appalachians; it is found on soil and litter in conifer, broadleaf, and mixed forests; summer and fall; fairly common
EDIBILITY: Possibly poisonous
COMMENTS: Amanita abrupta is a member of the Lepidella section of Amanita. Members of this common section are often large and white with numerous warts or a powdery covering on the caps. Compare with Amanita cokeri (not illustrated). The abrupt nonrooting bulb is a key identification feature. Amanita cokeri is a more robust species.
Amanita abrupta
RUSSULA
THIS MYCORRHIZAL GENUS is characterized by rather squat mushrooms, often with colorful caps. Most species have very brittle gills that crumble when scratched. Many mushrooms in this genus are red or orange. In Appalachia they lack a partial veil, and no volva is present. Stems tend to snap easily when broken. They are an important food source for a variety of animals, including squirrels, box turtles, and slugs. The species in this genus are common in summer and early fall. There are many species, and no current monograph is available. The Russula species included in this book can be easily identified without a microscope; however, most Russula species require a microscope for identification. Future DNA study will likely reveal many more look-alike species. For those with a microscope and a serious interest in identifying Russula species, the following observations are useful.
Make a collection of young and old mushrooms. Getting a heavy spore deposit and carefully noting the color is important. It will range from white, cream, yellow, or ochre. Gill color is useful, as is the presence or absence of gill forking. How far the cap cuticle peels is another relevant observation. Taste is also a useful identification feature. Lastly, observing color changes with the application of chemical reagents such as iron salts (FeSO4) can help clinch the identification.
Species are keyed out here into two groups: those with brittle gills and those with more elastic gills.
Russula species
Russula species
