Amanita constricta
Common names: Constricted Grisette, Great Grey-Sack Ringless Amanita.
๐ฝ๏ธ Edibility
Amanita constricta is technically edible but is not recommended for consumption. Its resemblance to deadly Amanitas like Amanita phalloides (Death Cap) and Amanita ocreata makes it a risky choice. ๐ซ
๐ Mushroom Identification
๐ Cap:
Color: Ranges from gray-brown to brownish-gray, with dark streaks and sometimes white to grayish patches.
Size: 1.97 to 5.12 inches (5 to 13 cm) wide; starts convex, then flattens, and may develop a small bump (umbo).
Texture: Moist and sticky in wet weather, smooth to touch, with a distinctly ridged edge (striate).
Bruising: When moistened, the cap can bruise a reddish-brown.
๐ฟ Gills:
Color: Begin white, turning gray to brownish-gray with age.
Arrangement: Close to crowded, free from the stem, and often fringed.
Notable Detail: The edges appear darker and fibrillose (fringed) under magnification.
๐ Stem:
Size: 3.15 to 7.09 inches (8 to 18 cm) tall, 0.39 to 0.79 inches (1 to 2 cm) thick, typically cylindrical but narrowing slightly towards the cap.
Color: White at the top, covered in fine brown scales lower down.
Volva: A distinctive, saccate (sac-like) structure fused to the stipe with a flaring margin. It may bruise reddish-brown.
๐ฆ Spores:
Shape & Size: Subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, 9.5โ12.8 x 8.2โ11.5 ฮผm.
Spore Print: White, with smooth, inamyloid spores (not staining with iodine).
๐ Habitat & Ecology
Type: Mycorrhizal, forming a symbiotic relationship with trees ๐ฒ.
Preferred Trees: Often found near oak, Douglas fir, and tanbark oak.
Range: Known from California, with a possible range extending to southwestern Canada.
Season: Fruiting from fall through mid-winter, especially after seasonal rains โ.
โ ๏ธ Caution & Comments
Part of the โgrisetteโ group, Amanita constricta is visually similar to some deadly Amanitas.
The species is identified by its fused volva, lack of ring (annulus), and distinct cap and gill coloration.
Lookalikes: Easily confused with Amanita vaginata, A. pachycolea, and A. protecta.
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: Mandy Hackney (CC BY 4.0)
Photo 2 - Author: Lynn (CC BY 4.0)
Photo 3 - Author: Sergey Golubev (CC BY 4.0)
Photo 4 - Author: Jonathan Curley (CC BY 4.0)
