Amanita ovoidea - Bearded Amanita

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Mainly mushrooms of warm southern European countries, at first glance these chunky Amanita fungi could easily be mistaken for white forms of the Deathcap, but the large veil fragments around the cap rim are a helpful distinguishing feature.

Reportedly edible, this is a dangerous Amanita because it is so similar in appearance to deadly poisonous species from the same genus; it is also rare and so should not be picked.

In common with all European Amanita fungi, this is a mycorrhizal mushroom and it is most likely to be found in association with Quercus (oak) tree species. The Bearded Amanita specimens shown on this page were found under Cork Oaks in the Algarve region of southern Portugal.

Identification guide

Cap	8 to 25cm in diameter, the cap remains closed for a long time before becoming hemispherical at maturity; white or cream and smooth but with partial veil fragments hanging from the rim once the veil has fractured. The cap flesh is white.
	Gills White, free and crowded.
	Stem 8 to 15cm tall and typically 2cm in diameter; pure white and covered in white scales; the stem flesh is white and fibrous. Volva The large, sack-like volva is creamy white, turning ochraceous with age; it is usually buried deep in the soil.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Slightly sweet odour at maturity; easily confused with deadly poisonous Amanita species such as the Destroying Angel and so tasting is definitely not recommended.
Habitat	Under deciduous trees, notably oaks, on alkaline soil; most commonly seen in southern Europe.
Season	August to December or even into the New Year in some southern European countries. This species is extremely rare in Britain, where it has been reported only from Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight.
Occurrence	Infrequent on mainland Europe; very rare in Britain and not yet reported from Ireland.
Similar species	Amanita citrina var. alba usually retains velar fragments on the cap; it has the sharp smell of new potatoes rather than a sweet sickly odour. Amanita virosa is taller and slimmer with a less chunky volva; it also lacks the marginal veil fragments and is largely confined to northern regions where Amanita ovoidea is not likely to be found.