Amanita echinocephala
What You Should Know
Amanita echinocephala is a large, whitish, or ivory-colored mushroom with a characteristic spiny, or warty-looking cap. Grows singly or in small groups on chalky soils with beech trees. It is very drought-tolerant.
Pronounced edible by some, but probably best avoided in case of confusion with other poisonous Amanita species. This mushroom is rare and protected. There are also reports about nephrotoxic effects similar to Amanita smithiana.
Other names: Solitary Amanita.
Amanita echinocephala Mushroom Identification
Cap
The cap can be up to 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, and is white to ivory, or silver-gray in color. It is covered in raised pyramidal warts, that become less well-defined and less frequent towards the margin. These are remnants of the universal veil which covers the mushroom in its earliest stages. The young buttons are darker and sometimes shaped like a two tier loaf, with a ring of raised scales around the base.
Stem
The white to ivory stem is 8–16 cm (3–6.5 in) high and 2–3 cm (1–1 in) wide, with several rings of upturned scales towards the bulbous base. It is fairly deeply rooted, often laterally below the surface. The ring is thin and fragile, often adhering to the stem.
Gills
The gills are cream but sometimes have a slight green tint. They are largely free of the stem and sometimes have a small decurrent tooth.
Flesh and Odor
The flesh is white and is said to have an unpleasant smell.
Spores
Elloipsoidal, smooth, 9.5-11.5 x 6.5-8µm; amyloid.
Spore Print
White.
Habitat
Mycorrhizal in mixed woodland with dryish calcareous soil. Possibly occasionally with conifers. Occurs in Britain, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.
Season
June to October.
Amanita echinocephala Look-Alikes
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Distinguished by a wart-like white cap with tattered veil fragments hanging from the brim. At maturity, its cap is still domed rather than flat.
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Has conical warts on the cap, and have recurved scales right to the underside of the ring. It is usually found on heavier soils.
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There is a white pouch residue on a white or light-colored grapefruit cap, but it is not pyramidal. Also, it has a brittle pendant ring.
Amanita echinocephala Taxonomy and Etymology
It was first described as Agaricus echinocephalus in 1835 by the Italian mycologist Carlo Vittadini, before being placed in Amanita by Lucien Quélet and hence receiving its current binomial name. It derives its specific epithet echinocephala from the Greek echino- "hedgehog" and kephale "head".
It has been placed in the Lepidella section of the Amanitaceae by some authors, because of its lack of a well formed volva.
Amanita echinocephala Synonyms
Amanita procera Pers., 1818
Agaricus echinocephalus Vittad., 1835 (basionym)
Amanita solitaria (Bull.) Fr., 1836 sensu auct. pl.
Amanita flandinia Plee, 1864
Amanita umbella var. echinocephala (Vittad.) Quél., 1886
Amanita strobiliformis var. aculeata Quél., 1886
Amanita echinocephala var. bicollariata Boud., 1906
Amanita aculeata (Quél.) Bigeard & Guillem., 1909
Venenarius solitarius (Bull.) Murrill, 1912
Lepidella echinocephala (Vittad.) E.-J.Gilbert 1925
Amanita vittadinii var. echinocephala (Vittad.) Veselý, 1934
Aspidella solitaria (Bull.) E.-J. Gilbert, 1940
Aspidella echinocephala (Vittad.) E.-J.Gilbert, 1941
Armillaria echinocephala (Vittad.) Locq., 1952
Sources:
Photo 1 - Author: 松岡明芳 (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)
Photo 2 - Author: Coliop-Kolchovo (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International)
Photo 3 - Author: GLJIVARSKO DRUSTVO NIS from Serbia (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
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