Amanita spissa

Cap	8 - 15 cm diameter; brown or grey-brown; usually retaining irregular, patches of grey fragments of the universal veil; initially domed, becoming almost flat or occasionally slightly concave at maturity. The velar patches are easily washed or wiped off the cap surface. Beneath the pellicle the flesh of the cap is white and firm.
Gills	While most Amanita species have free gills, the gills of Amanita spissa are adnexed. They are white and crowded.
Stipe	8 - 12 cm long and 1.5 - 2.5 cm in diameter; white and with a transient ring that is usually grooved on its upper surface. The stipe is smooth or lined above the ring; covered in white scales below. At the swollen base there is no clear volval gutter and the volva itself is no longer evident when the fruit body reaches maturity.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	A faint, unpleasant odour but no distinctive taste.
Habitat	Mycorhizal with hardwood and softwood trees, often most abundant near the edge of mixed woodland.
Season	July to November.
Occurrence	Frequent; often recurring in the same place for several years.
Similar species	Amanita pantherina has white velar remains on the cap, free gills an ungrooved ring, and a distinct volval ridge at the base of the stem.