Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete of the genus Amanita. It is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, and usually red mushroom.
The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. The genus is responsible for approximately 95% of fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own. The most potent toxin present in these mushrooms is α-Amanitin.
The Amanitaceae is a family of mushroom-forming fungi. Amanita Pers. is one of the most speciose and best-known fungal genera. The family, also commonly called the amanita family, is in order Agaricales, the gilled mushrooms. The family consists primarily of the large genus Amanita, but also includes the smaller genera Amarrendia, Catatrama, Limacella, Limacellopsis, Saproamanita, Torrendia and Zhuliangomyces. Both Amarrendia and Torrendia are considered to be synonymous with Amanita but appear quite different because they are secotioid.
An agaric is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushrooms" or "toadstools". In North America they are typically called "gilled mushrooms". "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body.
Amanita caesarea, commonly known as Caesar's mushroom, is a highly regarded edible mushroom in the genus Amanita, native to southern Europe and North Africa. While it was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1772, this mushroom was a known favorite of early rulers of the Roman Empire.
Amanita altipes, also called the yellow long-stem amanita, is a species of agaric fungus found in coniferous woodlands in southwestern China.
Amanita parvipantherina, also known as the Asian small panther amanita, is a Chinese species of agaric which fruits in July and August. It has a brown cap up to 6 centimetres wide covered with whitish remnants of the universal veil. The stem is up to 9 cm tall. The similar A. pantherina is usually larger and less fragile, with fainter striations around the cap margin.
Amanita orientifulva, also known as the Asian orange-brown ringless amanita, is a species of agaric fungus that fruits singly or scattered from June to September.
Amanita subjunquillea, also known as the East Asian death cap is a mushroom of the large genus Amanita, which occurs in East and Southeast Asia. Potentially deadly if ingested, it is closely related to the death cap A. phalloides.
Amanita excelsa var. spissa is a variety of basidiomycete fungus of the genus Amanita. This large, grey to brown-capped fungus has a very variable appearance but is commonly encountered in coniferous and deciduous forests in Europe and North America. It is sometimes referred to by the common name grey spotted Amanita.
Amanita persicina, commonly known as the peach-colored fly agaric, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Amanita with a peach-colored center. Until c. 2015, the fungus was believed to be a variety of A. muscaria.
Amanita hemibapha, commonly known as the half-dyed slender Caesar, is a species of agaric found in southeast Asia and Oceania, although some distribution reports may refer to different taxa.
Amanita exitialis, also known as the Guangzhou destroying angel, is a mushroom of the large genus Amanita. It is distributed in eastern Asia, and probably also in India where it has been misidentified as A. verna. Deadly poisonous, it is a member of section Phalloideae and related to the death cap A. phalloides. The fruit bodies (mushrooms) are white, small to medium-sized with caps up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter, a somewhat friable ring and a firm volva. Unlike most agaric mushrooms which typically have four-spored basidia, the basidia of A. exitialis are almost entirely two-spored. Eight people were fatally poisoned in China after consuming the mushroom in 2000, and another 20 have been fatally poisoned since that incident. Molecular analysis shows that the species has a close phylogenetic relationship with three other toxic white Amanitas: A. subjunquillea var. alba, A. virosa and A. bisporigera.
Amanita nothofagi is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. Endemic to New Zealand, the species was first described by mycologist Greta Stevenson in 1962. The fruit bodies have dark brown caps that are up to 13 cm (5.1 in) in diameter and covered with patches of soft greyish-brown scales or warts. The gills underneath the cap are crowded together, free from attachment to the stem, and white, becoming tinged with yellow in age. The stem of the mushroom is 4–14 cm (1.6–5.5 in) long by 0.5–2.5 cm (0.2–1.0 in) thick, and has a ring. The spore print is white, and individual spores are spherical to ellipsoid, measuring 7.5–9 by 7.5–9 micrometres. The mushroom may be confused with another New Zealand species, A. australis, but can be distinguished by certain characteristics. Amanita nothofagi is a mycorrhizal species, and grows in association with native New Zealand trees such as Southern Beech.
Amanita pachycolea, commonly known as the western grisette or the Stuntz's great ringless amanita, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Amanitaceae.
Amanita chepangiana, commonly known as the Chepang slender Caesar, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Amanitaceae native to China and southern Asia.
Amanita chrysoblema, with the common name American fly agaric, white variant, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Amanita. Although named chrysoblema, it is traditionally thought to be an Amanita muscaria variant, a group of fungi commonly known as fly agarics.
Amanita princeps, the head man slender Caesar, is a species of agaric fungus in the genus Amanita. It is found in tropical China, Southeast Asia, and the Malay Peninsula down to Singapore. It is edible, and is collected in the wild and sold in local markets. Many incidents of mushroom poisoning have occurred among Laotian and Hmong immigrants to North America, since it is easily confused with Amanita phalloides, the death cap, in both appearance and odor.
Amanita orientigemmata, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Amanitaceae native to northeastern, northwestern and southern China, India and Japan, first described by Zhu L. Yang & Yoshimichi Doi in 1999.
