Key to Gilled Mushrooms KeyThis is a key to gilled mushrooms, that is, mushrooms having a definite cap with a fertile surface consisting of gills. The fruiting body usually also has a stem, although that may be lateral or absent (usually, then, the mushroom is growing from wood). You can use this key to identify mushrooms that you find.
Agaricales OrderFruiting body containing fibers (usually in the stalk)
Amanita GenusFruiting body having a combination of some of the following characteristics:
Stalk growing out of a cup of cottony tissue called a volva (all white-spored mushrooms with a volva go here)
Cap with scattered patches or flakes of the same sort of tissue as the volva (see second picture), easily peeled off
Annulus (skirt-like ring on stalk)
Amanita SectionAll yellow-capped Amanitas can go here
All Amanitas with concentric, toothed rings around the base of stalk definitely go here
No volva; basal bulb sometimes small, often rimmed in one way or another
Universal veil generally leaves remains on cap as small scattered patches
Amanita SubSection
Diagnosis
- Base of stalk has concentric, toothed rings
-
Annulus usually present; usually (in my experience) jagged at the edges
Narrow down your identification:
Amanita muscaria var. albaCap white, sometimes tinged with yellow or brown over the disk
Amanita muscaria var. formosaCap yellow
Amanita muscaria var. muscariaCap bright red
Amanita parcivolvataCap up to 3" across; bright red; margin strongly striate
Annulus absent
Volva absent
Universal veil yellow, remaining as pale yellow flakes on cap and brighter yellow powder on stalk