Amanita franchetii

[ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Amanitaceae > Amanita . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

Amanita franchetii, with its subtle shades of brown and yellow, is a beautiful species that is widely distributed in northern North America but rarely found--though it appears to be more common in the Pacific Northwest than elsewhere. Defining features include the brownish base color of the cap; the yellow or yellowish warts, ring, and volva; the non-lined cap margin; and the absence of any "blushing" of the sort found in Amanita flavorubescens.

Edibility is not recorded for Amanita franchetii--but it is an amanita, and should not be under consideration for the table.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with conifers and hardwoods; growing alone or scattered; fall (winter in California); widely distributed in northern North America but most common in the Pacific Northwest and northern California.

Cap: 4.5-10 cm, convex, becoming broadly convex or flat; dry; brown to yellowish brown; with yellowish warts or patches; the margin not lined.

Gills: Free from the stem by maturity; whitish or pale yellowish; close or crowded.

Stem: 6-12 cm long; up to 2.5 cm thick; tapering to apex and ending in a swollen bulb; fairly smooth; whitish; with a whitish to yellowish ring above, and yellowish remnants of the volva below.

Flesh: White; not discoloring on exposure.

Spore Print: White.

Microscopic Features: Spores 7.5-9 x 5.5-6.5 µ; smooth; elliptical; amyloid.

Amanita francheti (with one "i") and Amanita aspera are synonyms.

REFERENCES: (Boudier, 1881) Fayod, 1889. (Saccardo, 1891; Thiers, 1982; Arora, 1986; Jenkins, 1986; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Miller & Miller, 2006.)

Further Online Information:

Amanita franchetii at MykoWeb
Amanita franchetii at Roger's Mushrooms

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2005, March). Amanita franchetii. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_franchetii.html