Fleshy Fungi of New Brunswick >> Amanita cf. flavescens

Amanita cf. flavescens (E.-J. Gilbert & S. Lundell) Contu

Picture of <i>Amanita</i> cf. <i>flavescens</i> 06-07-19/04 Picture of <i>Amanita</i> cf. <i>flavescens</i> 30-09-18/01

Two collections:

Amanita flavescens was originally described from Norway and Sweden and is only rarely reported in North America. Tulloss discusses and illustrates this species in some detail on his Amanitaceae website . It is characterized by its yellow buff pileus, ringless stipe and white volva. Microscopically it is recognized by its often spherical basidiospores. Tulloss reported a collection from Newfoundland that was very similar to the European material, which suggests that it might have a northern distribution on both continents.

There is ample reason to believe that neither of the collections presented here are actually correctly identified as A. flavescens nor, in fact, whether they even belong to the same species. They are included under that name only for convenience and because in common with A. flavescens they have a pale yellowish pileus, lack an annulus, have a white volva, have nearly spherical basidiospores and occur with conifers. They differ from one another in having slightly differently-shaped basidiospores and in having quite different lamellae when viewed in cross section. That last characteristic, although requiring some patience to determine, involves the presence or absence of broad club- to sausage-shaped cells in the divergent part of the lamellar trama, clearly lacking in Collection 30-09-18/01).

Photograph: D. Malloch (30-09-18/01, 06-07-19/04).