The European white egg (Amanita ovoidea) is a species of edible mushroom of the family Amanitaceae

Amanitaceae

Amanitaceae are a family of fungi or mushrooms. The family, also commonly called the Amanita family, is in order Agaricales, gilled mushrooms...

.

Description

The color of the mushroom is white to cream. The size is over 15 centimeters. The cap is 10 to 12 centimeters, smooth, fleshy, sticky, and convex to shield shaped. The color of the spores are white, cream, or yellowish. The stipe

Stipe (mycology)

thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...

 is thick, cylindrical, powdery, has a ring, and a has a volva

Volva (mycology)

The volva is a mycological term to describe a cup-like structure at the base of a mushroom that is a remnant of the universal veil. This macrofeature is important in wild mushroom identification due to it being an easily observed, taxonomically significant feature which frequently signifies a...

. The lamellae are thick, rounded, broad and are attached to the stipe. The volva is large, tall, and fleshy. The mushroom is symbiotic. The cap yellows with old age. The cuticle

Cuticle

A cuticle , or cuticula, is a term used for any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticles" are non-homologous; differing in their origin, structure, function, and chemical composition...

 is smooth and shiny. The gills are free and crowded. The spores are broadly elliptical and amyloid

Amyloid

Amyloids are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates sharing specific structural traits. Abnormal accumulation of amyloid in organs may lead to amyloidosis, and may play a role in various neurodegenerative diseases.-Definition:...

. The spore print

Spore print

thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...

 is white. This species of mushroom is commonly found in woods, roadsides, and lawns. It commonly grows under oak trees and chestnut trees in hilly areas.

Edibility

The species is edible, however it can easily be confused with poisonous Amanita species. The writers of Roger's Mushrooms advise people not to attempt to eat this species because of this danger. Two deadly species that the mushroom may be confused with are Amanita virosa

Amanita virosa

Amanita virosa, commonly known as the European destroying angel, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Occurring in Europe, A. virosa associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees...

and Amanita proxima. In southern France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, some people were inflicted with acute renal insufficiency because they accidentally ate A. proxima, thinking it was this species.

For those people who do eat it, it has been said that the flesh of this mushroom needs to be seasoned well with butter and salt to overcome an insipid taste. Other sources however, describe the mushroom as delicious. The flesh has a faint odor.

A study on the minerals in mushrooms of northwest Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

included this species.