Amanita frostiana, also known as Frost's Amanita, is a small fungi species of eastern 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...

. The mushroom varies in colours from yellow, red or reddish pink usually.

Physical description

Some of the species' notable physical characteristics, however, distinguish it from the other members of the genus. For instance, the colors of the cap, darkening over the disk and the universal veil colored yellow to cream. The other characteristics of the other parts of its body are as follows:

• Cap : The cap is convex or sometimes shield-shaped, becoming flat with a fairly distinctly lined margin. The cap may vary in lengths of 2-8 centimeters. The colors include yellow to golden orange or a different combination of scarlet or deep reddish pink. The surface is smooth, becoming slightly stick when moist.

• Stem / Stipe : The stem, also called stipe, . The universal veil material is yellow to cream, forming yellow powder or flakes at the base of the stalk. It measures "47- 62 x 4 - 11" mm, also consisting a persistent annulus.

• Gills : The gills are free, close, and cream in mass. The short gills are truncate to excavated-truncate and are numerous.

• Spores and microscopic features : The spores measure "7.0 - 10.2" µm wide and are globose to subglobose and inamyloid. It has also been noticed that the spores of this mushroom do not turn black in color if iodine
  Iodine
  Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
  
   is poured on it.

Habitat and distribution

This rare species is normally found in mixed forests with oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

s (mostly Quercus oaks) and conifers (mostly Pinaceae

Pinaceae

Pinaceae are trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. The family is included in the order Pinales, formerly known as Coniferales. Pinaceae are supported as monophyletic by its protein-type sieve...

 conifers). It is considered native to eastern 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...

.

Similar species

Amanita frostinata is similar to a range of species, like Amanita rubrovolvata

Amanita rubrovolvata

Amanita rubrovolvata, commonly known as the red volva Amanita, is a species of fungus in the Amanitaceae family. First described scientifically by the Japanese mycologist S. Imai in 1939, it is widely distributed in eastern Asia. The fungus produces small- to medium-sized mushrooms, with...

, Amanita flavoconia

Amanita flavoconia

Amanita flavoconia, commonly known as yellow patches, yellow wart, orange Amanita, or yellow-dust Amanita, is a species of mushroom in the family Amanitaceae. It has an orangish-yellow cap with yellowish-orange patches or warts, a yellowish-orange annulus, and a white to orange stem...

, Amanita albocreata

Amanita albocreata

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...

, Amanita muscaria var. muscaria or simply Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita , is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita...

and Amanita subfrostiana.

Amanita rubrovolvata

Amanita rubrovolvata

Amanita rubrovolvata, commonly known as the red volva Amanita, is a species of fungus in the Amanitaceae family. First described scientifically by the Japanese mycologist S. Imai in 1939, it is widely distributed in eastern Asia. The fungus produces small- to medium-sized mushrooms, with...

is slightly similar physically to this species. The fungus produces small- to medium-sized mushrooms, with reddish-orange caps. Roger Heim

Roger Heim

Roger Heim was a French botanist specialising in mycology and tropical phytopathology. He was known for his studies describing the anatomy of the mushroom hymenium, the systematics and phylogeny of higher fungi , the mycology of tropical fungi such as...

 reported A. frostiana as occurring in Thailand, but this was probably a misidentification of A. rubrovolvata.

Amanita subfrostiana, also referred to as 'False Frost's Amanita', has the same natural habitat as of A. frostiana, but is mostly distributed in southwestern China. It does resemble A. frostiana but due to the different paleness of color in the cap of this species helps avoid misidentification.

The distinct and starkly white bulb (e.g., 17 x 15 mm) bears a white or yellow-white collar that is somewhat similar to the collar seen in the exannulate Amanita albocreata

Amanita albocreata

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...

, which is a species of the hardwood-hemlock (Tsuga) 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.

The clamps present at bases of basidia of this species specially support the presumed relationship to Amanita muscaria var. muscaria or simply Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita , is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita...

. Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita , is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita...

is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus

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...

, one of many in the genus Amanita

Amanita

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...

.

Many misidentifications have taken place while recognizing Amanita flavoconia

Amanita flavoconia

Amanita flavoconia, commonly known as yellow patches, yellow wart, orange Amanita, or yellow-dust Amanita, is a species of mushroom in the family Amanitaceae. It has an orangish-yellow cap with yellowish-orange patches or warts, a yellowish-orange annulus, and a white to orange stem...

, one of the most common and widespread species of Amanita

Amanita

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 eastern 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...

, due to various similar physical characteristics. It is mostly confused due to their microscopic features.

Edibility

The edibility of this species is still doubted. It is considered poisonous and it is chancy to term it edible. High caution must be taken until the edibility of this species is clarified.

See also

• Amanita rubrovolvata
  Amanita rubrovolvata
  Amanita rubrovolvata, commonly known as the red volva Amanita, is a species of fungus in the Amanitaceae family. First described scientifically by the Japanese mycologist S. Imai in 1939, it is widely distributed in eastern Asia. The fungus produces small- to medium-sized mushrooms, with...
  
  
• Amanita flavoconia
  Amanita flavoconia
  Amanita flavoconia, commonly known as yellow patches, yellow wart, orange Amanita, or yellow-dust Amanita, is a species of mushroom in the family Amanitaceae. It has an orangish-yellow cap with yellowish-orange patches or warts, a yellowish-orange annulus, and a white to orange stem...
  
  
• Amanita muscaria
  Amanita muscaria
  Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita , is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita...
  
  
• Amanita albocreata
  Amanita albocreata
  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...
  
  
• Amanita subfrostiana
• List of Amanita species

External links

• Page in the Russian Wikipedia
• Further information about the species' name at Index Fungorum