Amanita heterochroma - Amanitaceae.org - Taxonomy and Morphology of Amanita and Limacella
[print] [map]
name Amanita heterochroma
name status nomen acceptum
author S. Curreli ex S. Curreli
english name "Curreli's Variable Amanita"
synonyms
≡Amanita variabilis S. Curreli nom. illeg.
non Amanita variabilis E.-J. Gilbert & Cleland
intro The following is based on the original description of Amanita heterochroma by Curreli (2000) and the recent description of Neville and Poumarat (2004).
cap The cap of A. heterochroma is 80 - 150 mm wide, fleshy, yellow-greenish tone when young, light brown out from the center, entirely brown at maturity, at first globose, sometimes with slight depression when fully expanded, viscid in humid weather, usually with a smooth margin.  Marginal striations appear rarely in mature material, and then only faintly.  The volva is present as plentiful warts that are ash-gray.  The flesh is white and firm.
gills The gills are free, rather crowded, narrow markedly toward the stem, at first white, then cream-yellowish ochraceous, with a finely floccose edge. The short gills are truncate and of diverse lengths.
stem The stem is 100 - 180 × 15 - 25 mm, cylindric or slightly narrowing upward, smooth, white and smooth above the ring, ash gray becoming brown at maturity below the ring.  The bulb is turnip-shaped, is more or less rooting, and has a point at the bottom.  The ring is white, fragile, may be lost or remain only as a small fragment.  The volva is friable, ash-gray, and forms numerous rings around the bottom of the stem and top of the bulb.  The flesh is white and firm.
spores The spores measure (8-) 9.5 - 15 (-22) x 6.7 - 8.2 µm and are ellipsoid to elongate and inamyloid.  Clamps are rather numerous at bases of basidia.  Neville and Poumarat (2004) report that the type of the present species is immature and lacks spores.  Based on other material they report the following: (8.5-) 9 - 11 (-11.5) x (6-) 6.5 - 7.5 (-8) µm and are ellipsoid, rarely elongate and inamyloid.
discussion This species occurs in association with Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Cistus monspeliensis in sandy-gravelly soil.  It is only known from Sardinia (Italy).  Neville and Poumarat note that there is a slight possibility this species was introduced to Europe from Australia with Eucalyptus.  On the other hand, the apparent close relationship to Amanita muscaria (L. : Fr.) Lam. suggests the present species may have evolved from a Eurasian ancestor.

The reader should compare the present species with Amanita gioiosa S. Curreli ex S. Curreli since the two taxa appear in the same habitat.

The best available description of the present species is that of Neville and Poumarat (2004).—R. E. Tulloss and L. Possiel
brief editors RET

[top]