Specimen #13: Brown Capped, Scaled Mushroom

Figure 1: Scales and volva apparent

Name: Amanita brunnescens, Booted Amanita
Family: Amanitaceae
Collection Date: September 12, 2011
Habitat: Shaded, wooded area next to tree
Location: South Chagrin Reservation
Description: Somewhat large, young basidiocarp with apparent volva.  Pileus is clearly scaled, and the cap is brown.  Volva appears to be collar-like. Older specimens appear to have lost scales based on photographs.
Collector: Taylor Summerfield

Key used: Arora, David, 1986. Mushrooms Demystified, 2nd Edition, Ten Speed Press, New York, New York.

Key Steps: Key to the Major Groups of Fleshy Fungi
1. Spores produced on mother cells called basidia; fruiting body variously shaped (see pp.52-54)...Basidiomycotina, P.57


Key to Basidiomycetes:
1. Basidia and spores borne externally...2
2. Fruiting body not at first egglike with gelatinous interior, no slime covering fruiting body...Hymenomycetes, below

Key to Hymenomycetes:
1. No pores or tube mouths on underside of cap...3
3. Underside of cap radiating blades (gills)...Agaricales, below


Key to the Agaricales:
1. Spore frocibly discharged, hence a spore print obtainable...2
2. Spore print white to buff...3
3. Universal veil enveloping young specimens and forming a volva at base of stalk when it ruptures and/or leaving warts on cap...Amanitaceae, p. 262


Key to Amanitaceae:

1. Volva present at base of stalk...2

2. Cap usually with warts...Amanita, below

Key to Amanita:
1. Volva collar-like, cap with remnants of universal veil...15
15. Universal veil remnants not yellow; cap may or may not be whitish...22
22. Cap not pale yellow-green...23
23. Cap brown to olive brown in color; stalk lacking grayish patches...Amanita brunnescens, p. 279


Links:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_brunnescens.html
http://morelmushroomhunting.com/amanita_brunnescens.htm
http://americanmushrooms.com/coolest.htm
http://www.amanitaceae.org/?Amanita+brunnescens