[
Keys &
Checklists ]
[ Sect. Phalloideae
List ]
[ Amanita Studies home page ]
Key
to Species
of
AMANITA Section PHALLOIDEAE
from North and Central America
Rodham
E. Tulloss and Lindsay Possiel
P.
O. Box 57, Roosevelt, New Jersey 08555-0057, U.S.A.
Extensive REVISION of this key was completed 16 July 2005.
[Note: Species with pinkish or brick- colored bruising reactions
should be referred to Amanita
section Amidella.
In the case of a specimen referred to this key that has a strong
raspberry red staining reaction and (sometimes) the odor
of anise, it should be referred to A. mutabilis Beardslee in Amanita
section Lepidella.
| 1. |
Spores with Q
> 1.7—elongate to cylindric to
bacilliform.
|
|
|
| |
2. |
Entire
basidiocarp white.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
3. |
Stipe gracile,
often largely below surface of soil; pileus at least sometimes
appendiculate; bulb often
pointed below and usually radicating; spores cylindric to
bacilliform; known from sandy
Atlantic coastal plain north to at least New Jersey and from the
coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico. Diverse
species of Amanita subsection Limbatulae Bas
[sect. Lepidella].
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
3. |
Stipe usually
mostly above ground, with bulb rounded below (probably a single species); pileus not
appendiculate; odor of carrion or chloride of lime; spores (9.5-) 10.2 - 13.8
(-16.0) × (3.8-) 4.2 - 5.8 (-6.5) µm, with Q
= 2.25 - 2.54 (-2.76); described from Florida;
known as far north as the coastal plain of North Carolina and as
far west as the sandy oak-pine forests of eastern Texas. Amanita
virosiformis (Murrill) Murrill
=Amanita tenuifolia (Murrill) Murrill.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
2. |
Pileus not
white; Q
<2.5; universal veil with relatively long, upstanding free limb
attached only near very bottom of stipe; bulb may be minimal.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
4. |
Pileus
sometimes yellowish cream at first, eventually
grayish brown to umbrinous; KOH on pileus orange to reddish
orange; spores (10.0-) 10.5 -
12.8 (-14.8) × (4.2-) 5.0 - 6.5 (-7.2) µm, with
Q = 2.0 - 2.28; described from North
Carolina and central Mexico. Amanita
longitibiale Tulloss, Pérez-Silva & T.
Herrera.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
4. |
Pileus
black or “midnight blue” at first, becoming
grayer with maturation; spores (8.0-)8.5 - 13.5 (-15.5) × (5.0-)
5.2 - 6.5 (-8.5) µm, with Q = 1.54 - 1.89; known from the Appalachian Mtns. in North and South
Carolina and West Virginia. Amanita sp.
S9 [Tulloss].
Note: Please
contact me if you find this fellow!
|
|
|
|
|
| |
5. |
Pileus
distinctly pigmented, not white, often virgate.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
6. |
Pileus greenish
or olivaceous, sometimes with yellow tint; infrequently white;
spores
(7.5-) 8.0 - 10.1 (-12.5) × (5.5-) 6.1 - 8.0
(-9.0) µm, with Q = 1.20 - 1.33 (-1.40);
widely introduced and, hence, possible throughout
area of interest with various imported trees,
Castanea dentata, Pinus, and Quercus,
now well-established with indigenous Quercus or Pinus
at
many localities. Amanita
phalloides
(Fr. : Fr.)
Link.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
6. |
Pileus grayish
to brownish, lacking green, olivaceous, and
yellow tints; spores (5.8-) 7.0 - 10.0 (-12.8) ×
(5.5-) 6.8 - 9.5 (-12.0) µm, with Q =
1.04 - 1.08 (-1.10); associated with indigenous Quercus
spp. from Mexico to Colombia. Amanita
arocheae Tulloss,
Ovrebo & Halling.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
5. |
Basidiocarp
entirely white, at least at first; pileus not
notably virgate.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
7. |
Basidia
dominantly bisterigmate, at least commonly so in late spring and
early summer, later in year sometimes dominantly or entirely
4-sterigmate; small to medium-sized
mushroom; pileus may take on pale pink, pale
orange, or other tints over disc with age; yellow reaction
rapidly in response to KOH solution.; spores
(5.2-) 7.2 - 9.9 (-11.0) × (4.8-) 6.4 - 8.5
(-10.0) µm, with Q = (1.05-) 1.06 - 1.18
(-1.20). Amanita
bisporigera G. F. Atk.
= Amanita phalloides var. striatula
Peck
= Amanita vernella (Murrill) Murrill.
Note:
At least one entity that appears nearly identical to A.
bisporigera, but differs in failing to react to KOH or
reacting only very weakly has been found repeatedly in the
Chiricahua Mtns. of Arizona (USA) and in the neovolcanic zone of
central Mexico. The typically reacting A. bisporigera
is not known from Arizona. The taxonomic status of the
nonreacting entity (which
has never been described in detail) is undecided.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
7. |
Basidia
dominantly or entirely 4-sterigmate.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
8. |
KOH
solution
producing yellow reaction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
10. |
Partial
veil white, membranous and quite thin; bulb often rounded
below but sometimes subradicating; universal veil sometimes
having very distinct limbus internus; inflated cells in context
and universal veil with walls thin or up to 0.5
µm thick; spores (6.8-) 8.8 - 12.0 (-13.8) ×
(5.9-) 6.3 - 8.5 (-10.8) µm, with Q =
1.27 - 1.47 (-1.52); known from Washington to
California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico, with Corylus, Pinus, and
Quercus. Amanita
ocreata Peck
= Amanita bivolvata Peck.
Note: A single
collection (at the moment, simply called Amanita sp. M35)
from the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico, might be keyed out to
this terminus of the present key. The known
morphological differences with A. ocreata include the shape of the spores (proportionately narrower,
(9.8-) 11.4 - 13.7 (-14.0)
×
(6.8-) 6.9 - 8.5 (-(9.0) µm,
with Q = 1.66). Since
the field notes on A. sp. M35 when fresh indicate that
there was an odor of cheese, it is possible that a hyphomycete
was infecting the basidiocarp (see A.
polypyramis
(Berk. & Curt.) Sacc.); and, since the flesh
reportedly stained yellowish, there may have been a second
parasite present (see A.
subsolitaria
(Murrill) Murrill). This could have distorted
both the shape of the fruiting body and the shape and size of
the spores.
The
single known specimen was sampled for sequencing of the 5’
end of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene. In the
subsequent analysis, Amanita sp. M35 proved basal
to a clade including A. ocreata, but apparently was
distinct from that species (Hallen et al., to appear).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
10. |
Partial
veil cream or pale yellowish, membranous, but distinctly
thickened; bulb always pointed below; limbate volva upstanding
with notable space separating it from the stipe. Spores
(8.5-) 8.8 - 12.0 (-14,4) × (5.8-) 6.1 - 8.1 (-9.0), with Q =
1.39 - 1.57; found very infrequently, known from southeastern Canada and northern tier
states of the USA (e.g., Michigan and Minnesota) east of the Rockies with Quercus, Tsuga,
Pinus, Larix, or Populus; similar in overall macroscopic
appearance to A. magnivelaris Peck (below), which doesn't turn
yellow with KOH. The present taxon appears to be rather rare.
Amanita
decipiens sensu Lamoureux.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
9. |
Spores with Q
<1.20. [Possibly the distinguishing of two taxa here is incorrect.] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
11. |
Medium to large
mushroom; spores (7.0-) 7.5 - 10.0 (-13.2) ×
(6.0-) 7.0 - 9.5 (-11.5) µm, with Q =
1.06 - 1.11 (-1.13); name commonly used in eastern USA and
southeastern Canada. See A. bisporigera, above. Amanita
virosa sensu auct. amer.
Note: A.
virosa sensu auct. amer. is simply (or, to
be more conservative, nearly entirely) composed
of 4-spored collections of A. bisporigera.
There seems to be a tendency to shift progressively from
2-spored to 4-spored basidia as the fruiting
season progresses. Molecular work (Hallen et al., to
appear) has indicated that at least one collection from North
America (Virginia, USA) has been found that falls in a
distinct clade with specimens of European A. virosa
Lam. This raises the possibility (among others) that the
European species has been recently imported into the US.
Not enough is known of the European species and A.
bisporigera so that a complete morphological comparison
between the two can be made. They are separable
molecularly.
Spores from northern European collections determined as A. virosa sensu stricto
do not differ significantly from those of the 4-spored
collections of A. bisporigera. Spores of the
European material measure: (6.6-) 8.2
- 10.5 (-13.0) × (6.1-) 6.9 - 9.5 (-12.6) µm, with Q
= 1.06 - 1.10. Hence, no rapid morphological
determination method is known that successfully separates
dried collections of unknown origin by region.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
11. |
Small mushroom;
spores (4.9-) 8.0 - 10.1 (-11.2) × (4.2-) 7.0 -
8.7 (-9.4) µm, with Q = (1.09-) 1.16 -
1.17. Known to the author from the New Jersey Pine Barrens
(Pinus-Quercus forest) from late in the collecting season. Possibly based on
depauperate material of the above. Amanita sp.
33.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
8. |
KOH solution not producing a yellow reaction on pileus
or reaction with KOH unknown; spores with average
Q > or = 1.20. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
12. |
Having strong
odor of garlic; spores (7.2-) 7.5 - 9.5 (-9.8) ×
6.5 - 8.0 (-8.2) mm, Q = 1.20 -1.23;
described from Florida; occurring with Quercus and Pinus. Amanita
suballiacea (Murrill)
Murrill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
13. |
Spores with Q
< or = 1.30. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
14. |
Spores per
Marchand (1971) “(8.75-) 10.0 - 10.5 (-11.2)
× (7.0-) 7.5 - 8.25 (-9.4) µm,” with Q
approx. 1.2 - 1.3. See also, A. decipiens sensu
Lamoureux, above. Amanita
verna (Bull. : Fr.)
Lam.
[Not confirmed from region of study and not known to be distinct
from A. decipiens (Trimbach) Andary & Bon.]
[Note: It is
currently argued in European literature that the
common conception of A. verna as a species
that does not turn yellow in KOH may be due to
the application of the name to specimens of A.
phalloides f. alba (see below). It is
noteworthy that my data from white specimens of A.
phalloides from the northwestern U.S.A.
matches very closely with that provided by
Marchand (above). Authors holding this position
believe that taxa recently treated as varieties
of A. verna that stain yellow with KOH are
actually representative of the type variety of A.
verna.]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
14. |
Inflated cells
in context and universal veil often with walls up
to 1.3 µm thick; spores (7.5-) 7.8 - 10.8
(-12.0) × 6.0 - 8.0 (-10.8) µm, with Q =
1.23 - 1.29; possible throughout area of interest
with various imported nut trees, Castanea
dentata, Pinus, and Quercus. Amanita
phalloides f. alba
Britzelm.
[Note:
Vittadini’s phrase “totus albus”
is not a name, but a descriptive phrase; and
Vittadini cannot be held to be the original
author of “Agaricus virosus var. albus.”
In fact, there is no such name; Vittadini’s
taxon is “Agaricus virosus var. b.”
Veselý (1934) did not treat this entity as
completely white. He states that when Amanita
phalloides is completely white, it is
properly referred to A. verna or, as he
called it, A. phalloides subsp. verna. RET
thinks that white specimens of A. phalloides
probably do not deserve separate taxonomic treatment. See A.
phalloides, above.]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
13. |
Spores with Q
> 1.30. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
15. |
Partial
veil proportionately large and distinctly thickened. Spores: (7.2-) 8.2
- 10.8 (-12.5) × (5.2-) 5.8 - 7.8 (-9.2) µm, with Q = 1.38 - 1.49;
described from New York State, USA; known from
as far north as Prov. Québec. Apparently, often confused
with taxa having thin partial veils. Amanita
magnivelaris
Peck.
Note: Yves Lamoureux and
RET have gone over his material and discussed
it repeatedly over several years. They now believe that the
yellow-staining entity is a relatively rare thing and is (at
least) not the
normal form of A. magnivelaris. Temporarily, they call
it A. decipiens sensu Lamoureux, above.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
15. |
Partial
veil of various diameters and thin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16. |
Pileus
white, often with (or developing) smoke gray tint; universal
veil with plentiful inflated cells; spores often dominantly
elongate, (7.0-) 8.0 - 11.0 (-12.0) × (4.8-) 5.2 -
6.5 (-7.5) µm, with Q = 1.50 - 1.66; originally
described from Honduras and Belize in association with Pine (Pinus).
Amanita eburnea Tulloss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16. |
Pileus
never having gray tint; universal veil lacking plentiful
inflated cells; spores never dominantly elongate; not yet
reported from Mesoamerica.. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|