Amanita liquii
Amanita liquii, or the "Dark-Faced Ringless Amanita," is a striking and rare mushroom that emerges from July to September in the majestic high altitudes of southwestern China, particularly in subalpine to alpine forests up to 4,000 meters. This robust mushroom forms a mycorrhizal relationship with firs and pines and stands out for its almost black, mysterious appearance, said to evoke the dark face of the Chinese folk hero Li Kui, its namesake.
🏵️ Cap
Size: Large, reaching up to 14 cm (5.5 inches) in diameter.
Shape: Starts nearly hemispherical, becoming convex to flat, often with a slight central bump.
Color: Deep sepia to blackish, with a rich brown gradient toward the edge, never showing a yellow tint.
Texture: Covered with dark gray to sepia, sometimes gray volval remnants that are felt-like and wart-like (2-10 mm wide, 1-3 mm high).
Margin: Tuberculate-striate (ribbed 15-25% of the way in), giving it a unique appearance.
🍃 Gills
Attachment: Free and crowded.
Color: Creamy white when young, turning grayish as it matures, with distinctive blackish to dark brown edges.
Short Gills: Truncate to subtruncate, adding to its unique look.
🍂 Stem
Size: 13-17 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide.
Shape: Subcylindrical or slightly tapering upward, with no ring or basal bulb.
Color and Texture: Whitish to brownish and densely covered with dark gray to blackish scales, often arranged in belts. The base can be slightly grayish to rusty brown.
Volval Remnants: Verrucose to granular, gray to dark gray with hints of brown, arranged in incomplete belts at the base.
👃 Odor & 🍽️ Edibility
Odor: Indistinct.
Edibility: Inedible — not for consumption!
🔬 Spores
Size and Shape: (11.0-) 11.5 - 15.0 (-24.0) x (9.5-) 11.0 - 14.5 (-20.0) µm, globose to subglobose.
Characteristics: Inamyloid (do not stain with iodine), with no clamps on the basidia.
🌌 This rare mushroom, with its nearly black visage and association with mythical heroism, is a unique find for mycologists exploring the high forests of China. Its inky hues, robust stature, and connection to folklore make it an unforgettable sight for those lucky enough to encounter it.
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: harum.koh (CC BY-SA 4.0)
