Technical description (t.b.d.)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The following is largely based on the description of Bas (1969).

The cap of Amanita silvicola is 50 - 120 mm wide, convex, with a slightly flattened center to plano-convex or flat, with a nonsulcate, appendiculate margin long remaining incurved. The cap is at first completely covered by a rather thin, soft, white to sordid, floccose, continuous layer of volva, later often with scattered, large to small, floccose to felted, irregular patches of volva on a subviscid, white cap skin.

The gills are crowded, free to narrowly adnate, rather narrow to moderately broad, and white with a flocculose edge. The short gills are rounded-subtruncate to attenuate.

The stem is 60 - 100 x 15 - 25 mm, subcylindrical, solid, white, floccose, exannulate or with evanescent floccose annular zone, with floccose to felted remnants of volva on the outside of the subabrupt to abrupt, often marginate, rather top-shaped bulb (up to 30 mm wide). The bulb may lose its abrupt character with age and become closer to clavate without a distinct margin.

Throughout the fruiting body, the flesh is white and soft. Odor and taste are reportedly indistinct.

The spores measure (6.1-) 7.0 - 10.0 (-12.5) x (4.0-) 4.2 - 6.2 (-8.8) µm and are amyloid and ellipsoid to elongate or (infrequently) cylindric. Clamps are absent at bases of basidia.

The present species was originally described from Oregon, U.S.A. Within the U.S.A., the species is also known from the states of California and Washington. I believe its range may extend across the Sierra Nevada and include at least part of Montana. In Canada, the species is also known from the Prov. British Colombia.

The type collection was made in a dense forest of Hemlock (Tsuga) and Thuja.

Dr. Bas (1969) placed Amanita silvicola as the sole taxon in his stirps Silvicola.
-- R. E. Tulloss

Drawing: Dr. Cornelis Bas (1969) (courtesy of Persoonia, Leiden, the Netherlands)

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Last changed 7 January 2005.
This page is maintained by R. E. Tulloss.
Copyright 2004, 2005 by Rodham E. Tulloss.
Drawing copyright 1969 by Persoonia.