Amanita vaginata, commonly known as the grisette or the grisette amanita,[1] is an edible mushroom in the fungus family Amanitaceae. The cap is gray or brownish, 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) in diameter, and has furrows around the edge that duplicate the gill pattern underneath. Unlike many other Amanita mushrooms, A. vaginata lacks a ring on the stem.
| Amanita vaginata | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Amanitaceae |
| Genus: | Amanita |
| Species: | A. vaginata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Amanita vaginata (Bull.) Lam. (1783)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Amanitopsis vaginata | |
Amanita vaginata | |
|---|---|
 | Gills on hymenium |
 | Cap is umbonate |
 | Hymenium is free |
 | Stipe has a volva |
 | Spore print is white |
 | Ecology is mycorrhizal |
 | Edibility is not recommended |
A. vaginata has a widespread distribution in North America. It is not recommended for consumption due to the possibility of confusing it with poisonous species in the genus.
Description
editThe cap is 3 to 10 centimetres (1 to 4 inches) in diameter and gray to grayish-brown in color; initially the cap is oval, then as it matures it becomes progressively conical, convex, and eventually flattened, sometimes with a small umbo (a rounded elevation in the center of the cap).[2] The gills are white, free (not attached to the stem) to narrowly attached, moderately crowded together, and sometimes have a grayish tint; the lamellulae (small gills that run from the edge of the cap towards the stem) are truncate.[3] The flesh is white and thin, and does not change color upon bruising or injury. The stem is 8 to 22 cm (3 to 8+1⁄2 in) long and 1 to 2 cm (1⁄2 to 1 in) thick.[4] Unlike many other Amanitas with stems that are swollen at the base (bulbous), the thickness of the A. vaginata stem is roughly the same at both ends. The stem surface is covered with a finely powdered bloom (pruinose), especially near the top; faint longitudinal lines may be seen.[5] The base of the stem is enclosed in a loose, sack-like volva that may discolor grayish or reddish brown.[6] The spore print is white.
The variant A. vaginata var. alba is pure white, and has a volva that is either absent, or not constricted around the base of the stem.[7]
Microscopic features
editThe spores are roughly spherical, 8–12 μm in diameter, thin-walled, and nonamyloid (that is, not absorbing iodine stain in Melzer's reagent).[4] The pileipellis (cap cuticle) is composed of filamentous interwoven hyphae, 2–7 μm diameter, gelatinized. The spore-bearing cells, the basidia, are 36–52 by 4–13 μm, 4–sterigmate, without clamps. The volva is largely made of filamentous hyphae, 2–8 μm diameter, inflated cells broadly elliptic, elliptical, fusiform, to clavate, 40–85 by 10–35 μm, mostly terminal. The stem tissue is made up of filamentous hyphae with diameters of 2–6 μm; the inflated cells are terminal, club-shaped, longitudinally oriented, with dimensions of up to 289 by 31 μm.[3]
Similar species
editThe tawny grisette (Amanita fulva) was once thought to be a variety of A. vaginata.[8] In North America, A. vaginata is considered to be part of a species complex that includes A. constricta, A. pachycolea and A. protecta.[5]
Distribution and habitat
editThis species is widely distributed in North America. It is also found in the Azores,[9] Australia,[10] Iran [11] and Scotland.[12]
A mycorrhizal species, A. vaginata grows singly or numerous in both coniferous and hardwood forests. It has also been noted to occur frequently in grassy areas at the edge of forests, unkempt lawns, and suburban area where the ground has been recently disturbed.[6] A widely distributed and common species, it fruits from the spring to the fall.[13]
Ecology
editOne field guide notes that cows enjoy eating this mushroom.[8]
Edibility
editAlthough not poisonous, most authors advise against consumption due to the possibility of mistaking other poisonous species of Amanita for it.[4][14][15]
References
edit- ^ "Standardized Common Names for Wild Species in Canada". National General Status Working Group. 2020.
- ^ Arora D. (1986). Mushrooms Demystified: a Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Berkeley, Calif: Ten Speed Press. p. 288. ISBN 0-89815-169-4. Internet Archive
- ^ a b Jenkins D.B. (1986). Amanita of North America. Eureka, Calif: Mad River Press. p. 71. ISBN 0-916422-55-0.
- ^ a b c Healy RA; Huffman DR; Tiffany LH; Knaphaus G (2008). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of the Midcontinental United States (Bur Oak Guide). Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-58729-627-7. Google Books
- ^ a b Wood M, Stevens S. "California Fungi: Amanita vaginata". MykoWeb. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
- ^ a b Kuo M. "Amanita vaginata (MushroomExpert.Com)". Retrieved 2009-07-30.
- ^ Tulloss R. "Amanita vaginata var. alba Gillet". Retrieved 2009-07-30.
- ^ a b Russell B. (2006). Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 67. ISBN 0-271-02891-2. Google Books
- ^ Dennis, R. W. G.; Reid, D. A.; Spooner, B. (1977). "The Fungi of the Azores". Kew Bulletin. 32 (1): 85–136. doi:10.2307/4117263. JSTOR 4117263.
- ^ Dennis, R. W. G. (1955). "New or Interesting Queensland Agaricales". Kew Bulletin. 10 (1): 107–110. doi:10.2307/4113925. JSTOR 4113925.
- ^ Asef M.R. (2020). Field guide of Mushrooms of Iran. Tehran: Iranshenasi publishing. p. 360. ISBN 9786008351429.
- ^ Dennis, R. W. G. (1955). "The Larger Fungi in the North-West Highlands of Scotland". Kew Bulletin. 10 (1): 111–126. doi:10.2307/4113927. JSTOR 4113927.
- ^ Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1.
- ^ Hall I.R. (2003). Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World. Portland, Or: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-586-1. Google Books
- ^ Phillips R. "Rogers Mushrooms | Mushroom Pictures & Mushroom Reference". Rogers Plants Ltd. Archived from the original on 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
External links
edit- Index Fungorum Synonyms
- Pictures and description