Over the last week, the warm, humid weather here in the American Midwest has helped bring forth a bounty of mushrooms that had laid hidden beneath the forest floor. Here, a wealth of mycorrhizal fungi living in concert with the trees around them make their presence known to the vigilant hiker at this time of the year.
From the brittle Russulas ranging in shade from winey purples to algal greens, to the Amanitas adored with their jewel-like scales and delicate rings, my most recent mushroom hunts have been rewarded with encounters with a variety of beautiful species.
In particular, I have been running into many members of the Amanita genus: a genus of around 600 species that include some of the most toxic mushrooms on the planet. Although they are not universal characteristics of all members of the genus, many common members of the Amanita genus can be identified by the presence/remains of a "universal veil" from which the mature fruiting body emerges to then disperse its spores. In many cases, the remnants of this "universal veil" possess important morphologic characteristics that can help to narrow down the species identity of the sample in question. For the mushrooms that I suspected to be members of the Amanita genus, I chose to dig them up out of the ground to preserve the remains of this veil at the base of the stalk (also known as the "volva").
Though I am relatively inexperienced at identifying Amanita species, I am fairly confident that several of my finds included members of the Amanita genus section Phalloideae, a subsection of the genus notable for possessing some of the most toxic mushroom species known to man. I want to bring special attention to this section of Amanitas because they are responsible for approximately 95% of all fatalities associated with ingesting mushrooms in North America and are surprising common in woodlands and suburban neighborhoods alike. Though the identity of new species in the section continue to be uncovered by DNA analysis, notable members include the Death Cap Mushroom (Amanita phalloides) as well as the Destroying Angels (A. virosa, A. bisporigera, A. ocreata and A. verna).
Death Cap Mushroom (Amanita phalloides)
Source: https://www.mushroomthejournal.com/amanita-section-phalloideae/
Eastern North American Destroying Angel
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_bisporigera
All of these species contain a toxin called "amatoxin" that is present in all tissues of the mushroom and is so potent that ingesting only a few grams of any of the listed species is considered to be a potentially lethal dose. Poisonings of this variety in North America tend to most commonly occur to people from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam who misidentify Death Cap mushrooms with the edible Paddy-Straw (Volvariella volvacea) species that is native to Southeast Asia.
Paddy-Straw Mushroom (Volvariella volvacea)
Source: https://mushroommountain.com/how-to-grow-paddy-straw-mushrooms-volvariella-volvacea/
I share this info not with the intention of scaring anyone away from hunting for and foraging mushrooms but rather as a friendly reminder that not all species are for the table! Though harmless to handle, the exceptionally potent toxins within some species deserve our respect and understanding. Unless you are a well-seasoned forager, species that bare the characteristic features of the Amanita genus are often better left in the forest than brought back to the home.
As always, feel free to offer your suggestions if you believe I have misidentified any of the species shown below. Thank you!
THE AMANITAS:
White American Star-Footed Amanita (Amanita aestivalis):
Yellow American Blusher (Amanita flavorubens):
Snakeskin Grisette (Amanita ceciliae):
Amanita Amerirubescens Group:
Amanita Sect. Validae:
Amanita Sect. Phalloideae:
Amanita Sect. Amanita:
Genus Amanita:
Apart from the wealth of Amanita mushrooms, I found a variety of far less toxic species out in the woods as well. In fact, many of the boletes as well as the chanterelles that I found are considered choice edible species when found in good condition.
OTHER FINDS:
Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus):
Ornate-stalked Bolete (Retiboletus ornatipes):
Red-cracking Bolete (Xerocomellus chrysenteron):
Spotted Bolete (Xanthoconium affine):
Dotted-stalked Suillus (Suillus granulatus):
Frost's Bolete (Exsudoporus frostii):
Ruby Bolete (Hortiboletus rubellus):
Leccinum longicurvipes
Orange Gilled Waxcap (Humidicutis marginata):
Shiny Cinnamon Polypore (Coltricia cinnamomea):
Crown-tipped Coral Fungus (Artomyces pyxidatus):
Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum):
Summer Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius):
Artist's Bracket (Ganoderma applanatum):
Beech Rooter (Oudemansiella furfuracea):
Turkey-Tail (Trametes versicolor):
Tender Nesting Polypore (Hapalopilus rutilans):
Eastern American Platterful Mushroom (Megacollybia rodmanii):
Bolete Mold (Hypomyces chrysospermus):
Neofavolus americanus:
Barometer Earthstars (Genus Astraeus):
Webcaps (Genus Cortinarius):
Chanterelles (Genus Cantharellus):
Brittlegills (Genus Russula):
Genus Tylopilus:
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REFERENCES:
https://americanmushrooms.com/deathcap.htm
https://www.mushroomthejournal.com/amanita-section-phalloideae/
https://mushroommountain.com/how-to-grow-paddy-straw-mushrooms-volvariella-volvacea/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_bisporigera