Amanita virosa - Destroying Angel

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Commonly referred to as the Destroying Angel, Amanita virosa is a deadly poisonous fungus. It is found infrequently in the lowlands but is more plentiful in mountainous areas.

In northern Europe Destroying Angels usually appear in July, August and September. A similar species, Amanita verna, commonly known as Fool’s Mushroom, appears in springtime.

The two pure white amanitas are almost impossible to distinguish from macroscopic characteristics, but if you are in to chemical testing then it is worth noting that Amanita verna does not react to potassium hydroxide whereas the flesh of Amanita virosa instantly turns yellow. For most people the different fruiting times are fairly conclusive, especially as these are not the kinds of fungi that anyone would want to collect as food.

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Watermarked preview (new window) of Photolibrary image FN324f_amanita_virosa.jpg (Large file)...

Identification guide

	Cap 5 - 10cm diameter; pure white without marginal striations. The cap is initially egg-shaped and then campanulate (bell shaped) or occasionally almost flat but with a broad umbo, and is often tilted on the stipe. Although some young caps carry white remains of the universal veil, they soon wash off in wet weather and are rarely seen on mature caps.
	Gills White, free and crowded.
	Stem 9 to 15cm tall and often slightly curved; pure white and fibrous with an ungrooved, fragile ring high up on the stipe. The large, sack-like volva is usually buried deep in the soil.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Slightly sickly and unpleasant odour; deadly poisonous - must not be tasted.
Habitat	Often found at the edge of deciduous or mixed woodland; more common at higher altitude.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	Infrequent.
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. Young caps of Amanita virosa could be collected by accident when gathering edible Agaricus species; gills of Amanita virosa are pure white, whereas the Agaricus species have gills that are initially pink and later brown.