Featured Fungi

Amanita pantherina

In the late winter and spring Amanita pantherina appears in urban areas, and is among the first mycorrhizal mushrooms of the season. It continues to fruit in the summer and fall seasons depending on moisture and temperature conditions. It ispoisonous and to some degree psychoactive. It causes both human and dog poisonings (especially puppies) almost every year. It comes in a variety of colors, pale buff, tan, yellowish brown or brown, and may have striations on the cap edge. The outer veil leaves conspicuous white warts and patches on the cap surface, and a more or less close fitting volva with a distinct free rim or edge (like rolling back the top of a white sock) around the bulbous stem base. The gills are white, more or less free from the stem apex and closely spaced. The partial veil is white and leaves a skirt-like, membranous ring on the upper stem. Related species are Amanita gemmata and Amanita muscaria.

Amanita pantherina is part of the Burke Museum's Mushroom of the Month ~ 2008 series.