Amanita albocreata
Encyclopedia
Amanita albocreata, also called the ringless panther , is a species of fungus
in the Amanitaceae
family. It is commonly found in northeastern USA and southeastern Canada
and elsewhere in North America
. This species, that grows about 5 to 15 centimeters in length, is doubted to be fatally toxic. It normally grows between the rainy months of June and August.
in 1941 by Jean-Edouard Gilbert..
) forest of the northeastern U.S.A. and southeastern Canada
and of boreal forest at least as far north as the Island of Newfoundland. Commonly it is found in coniferous and deciduous forests or open lush green grasslands.
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
in the Amanitaceae
Amanitaceae
Amanitaceae are a family of fungi or mushrooms. The family, also commonly called the Amanita family, is in order Agaricales, gilled mushrooms...
family. It is commonly found in northeastern USA and southeastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and elsewhere in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. This species, that grows about 5 to 15 centimeters in length, is doubted to be fatally toxic. It normally grows between the rainy months of June and August.
Taxonomy
First described in 1902 by George Francis Atkinson under the name Amanitopsis albocreata, the species was transferred to AmanitaAmanita
The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own...
in 1941 by Jean-Edouard Gilbert..
Physical description
- Cap: The lengths of the cap can vary from 2 centimeters to 5 or 8 centimeters. It can appear convex or shield-shaped. The cap's disc has been seen colored white to pale yellow, with easily removed flaky patches or warts of whitish volva remnants. The center can be tan or creamy yellow in color. Akin to its relative Amanita frostianaAmanita frostianaAmanita frostiana, also known as Frost's Amanita, is a small fungi species of eastern U.S.A. and southeastern Canada. The mushroom varies in colours from yellow, red or reddish pink usually.-Physical description:...
, the cap feels smooth and sticky when moist .
- Gills: Gills can be free or slightly adnate. They are about 3 - 10.5 milimeters broad, with a minutely flocculose edge. The short gills are truncate to excavate-truncate with or without an attenuate "tooth" at the juncture with the flesh of the cap. They are cream to pale cream in color.
- Stem/ Stipe: The stem, or stipe, measures 80 - 120 x 6 - 8 milimeters. It lacks a ring but consists a volva. The notable bulb (dimensions 15 - 22 x 12 - 20 milimeters) bears a distinct white collar as do some species with annulate stems, like other AmanitaAmanitaThe genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own...
species Amanita multisquamosa, Amanita velatipes and Amanita pantherina.
- Spores and microscopic features: The spores measure (7.3-) 7.7 - 9.5 (-11.6) x 6.6 - 8.4 (-9.4) µm and are globose to subglobose or occasionally broadly ellipsoid and inamyloid. Clamps are rare at bases of basidia .
- Flesh: This mushroom has thin and sticky flesh under the cap.
Habitat and distribution
This fungus is found in the hardwood-hemlock (TsugaTsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
) forest of the northeastern U.S.A. and southeastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and of boreal forest at least as far north as the Island of Newfoundland. Commonly it is found in coniferous and deciduous forests or open lush green grasslands.