Amanita fulva
Encyclopedia
Amanita fulva, commonly called the tawny grisette, is a basidiomycete mushroom
of the genus
Amanita
. It is found frequently in deciduous and coniferous forests of Europe
, and possibly North America.
in 1774. Historically, both the tawny grisette and the grisette (A. vaginata
) were placed in the genus Amanitopsis due to their lack of a ring, unlike other Amanita
species. However this distinction is now seen as insufficient to warrant a separate genus. Nowadays, A. fulva and similar ringless species of Amanita are placed in the section Vaginatae ss according to the classification of Bas
.
is orange-brown, paler towards the margin, and darker (even very dark brown) in the center, up to 10 cm in diameter. It develops an umbo
when expanded, and has a strongly striated margin. Its surface is smooth, slightly sticky and slippery when moist and glistens; later it may dry. The gills are free, close, and broad. The flesh
is white to cream. The stem
or stipe is white and smooth or powdery, sometimes tinged with orange-brown and with very fine hairs. It is slender, ringless, hollow and quite fragile, tapering towards the top; up to 15 cm tall and 1 - 1.5 cm in thickness. The universal veil
which initially encapsulates the fruiting body is torn and develops into a white, sack-like volva
with characteristic rusty-brown blemishes. The cap is usually free of volval remnants. Infrequently, roughly polygonal pieces of the veil may remain on the surface. The spores are white, 9 x 12 microns or (9.0-) 10.0 - 12.5 (-19.3) x (8.2-) 9.3 - 12.0 (-15.5) µm in size, globose; nonamyloid.
(Quercus), birch
(Betula), spruce
(Picea), pine
(Pinus), chestnut
(Castanea) and alder
(Alnus), with which it forms mycorrhiza
e. It is often found with birch in Scandinavia, while collections from southern Europe are usually from forests of oak, chestnut and pine. It grows in acidic soils and fruits from summer to late autumn. It is a common to scarce fungus, and is very common in Britain.
Amanita fulva is considered to be widely distributed in North America in deciduous and coniferous forests, although collections could possibly be of a different, yet undescribed species. In addition, the name Amanita fulva has in the past been misapplied to other North American taxa, such as A. amerifulva and others.
. Though this particular species is considered edible, it must be identified with care as other members of the genus Amanita are poisonous and some are deadly. For this reason, collection for consumption of A. fulva can be dangerous and is not recommended. Some authors indicate the fungus is potentially toxic when raw, and is suitable for consumption only when cooked.
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
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...
. It is found frequently in deciduous and coniferous forests of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and possibly North America.
Taxonomy and naming
Amanita fulva was first described by Jacob Christian SchäfferJacob Christian Schäffer
Jakob or Jacob Christian Gottlieb Schäffer or Schäffern was a German dean, professor, botanist, mycologist, entomologist, ornithologist and inventor.-Biography:...
in 1774. Historically, both the tawny grisette and the grisette (A. vaginata
Amanita vaginata
Amanita vaginata, commonly known as the grisette, is an edible mushroom in the Amanitaceae family of fungi. Unlike many other Amanita mushrooms, A. vaginata lacks a ring on the stem. The cap is gray or brownish, in diameter, and has furrows around the edge that duplicate the gill pattern...
) were placed in the genus Amanitopsis due to their lack of a ring, unlike other 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...
species. However this distinction is now seen as insufficient to warrant a separate genus. Nowadays, A. fulva and similar ringless species of Amanita are placed in the section Vaginatae ss according to the classification of Bas
Cornelis Bas
Dr. Cornelis Bas is a noted Dutch mycologist.Dr. Bas was born in Rotterdam and graduated in Biology at Leiden University in 1954. In 1953, he began working at the National Herbarium of the Netherlands, as curator for the fungi, in particular, the Agaricales...
.
Description
The capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
is orange-brown, paler towards the margin, and darker (even very dark brown) in the center, up to 10 cm in diameter. It develops an umbo
Umbo (mycology)
thumb|right|[[Cantharellula umbonata]] has an umbo.thumb|right|The cap of [[Psilocybe makarorae]] is acutely papillate.An umbo is a raised area in the center of a mushroom cap. Caps that possess this feature are called umbonate. Umbos that are sharply pointed are called acute, while those that are...
when expanded, and has a strongly striated margin. Its surface is smooth, slightly sticky and slippery when moist and glistens; later it may dry. The gills are free, close, and broad. The flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is white to cream. The stem
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...
or stipe is white and smooth or powdery, sometimes tinged with orange-brown and with very fine hairs. It is slender, ringless, hollow and quite fragile, tapering towards the top; up to 15 cm tall and 1 - 1.5 cm in thickness. The universal veil
Universal veil
In mycology, a universal veil is a temporary membranous tissue that fully envelops immature fruiting bodies of certain gilled mushrooms. The developing Caesar's mushroom , for example, which may resemble a small white sphere at this point, is protected by this structure...
which initially encapsulates the fruiting body is torn and develops into a white, sack-like volva
Volva
The word volva can refer to:* Völva, a pagan Norse shaman* Volva * Volva , a genus of sea snails....
with characteristic rusty-brown blemishes. The cap is usually free of volval remnants. Infrequently, roughly polygonal pieces of the veil may remain on the surface. The spores are white, 9 x 12 microns or (9.0-) 10.0 - 12.5 (-19.3) x (8.2-) 9.3 - 12.0 (-15.5) µm in size, globose; nonamyloid.
Distribution and habitat
Amanita fulva, distributed throughout Europe, occurs in a variety of forests. It is generally found with oakOak
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...
(Quercus), birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
(Betula), spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
(Picea), pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
(Pinus), chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
(Castanea) and alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
(Alnus), with which it forms mycorrhiza
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
e. It is often found with birch in Scandinavia, while collections from southern Europe are usually from forests of oak, chestnut and pine. It grows in acidic soils and fruits from summer to late autumn. It is a common to scarce fungus, and is very common in Britain.
Amanita fulva is considered to be widely distributed in North America in deciduous and coniferous forests, although collections could possibly be of a different, yet undescribed species. In addition, the name Amanita fulva has in the past been misapplied to other North American taxa, such as A. amerifulva and others.
Edibility
Amanita fulva is one of the few edible species in the genus 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...
. Though this particular species is considered edible, it must be identified with care as other members of the genus Amanita are poisonous and some are deadly. For this reason, collection for consumption of A. fulva can be dangerous and is not recommended. Some authors indicate the fungus is potentially toxic when raw, and is suitable for consumption only when cooked.