Amanita spretella - Amanitaceae.org - Taxonomy and Morphology of Amanita and Limacella
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name Amanita spretella
name status nomen acceptum
author (Murrill) Murrill
english name "Florida False Caesar"
intro

The following description is based on the original description by Murrill (1948).

cap

The cap of A. spretella is 50 mm wide, gray, darker over the center, convex to broadly convex, slightly umbonate, smooth, viscid when moist, with striate margin (60% of the radius). Volval remnants are absent. The flesh is thin and white.

gills

The gills are crowded, narrow, adnexed, white, unchanging when damaged, with a smooth edge.

stem

The stem is 85 × 6 - 8 mm, slightly tapering upward, hollow, fibrillose, white above the ring, pale rosy-cream below. The ring is skirt-like, pure white, unchanging, and attached 25 mm below the top of the stem. The saccate volva is baggy, lobed, white, unchanging, membranous, not fragile, and 30 × 20 mm.

spores

In his study of the type collection, Jenkins (1979) reported the following spore measurements: 11.7 - 13.3 × (6.7-) 7.0 - 7.8 µm.  They are ellipsoid to elongate and inamyloid.

discussion This species was originally described from a single specimen in northern Florida (Alachua County) in oak dominated upland in an otherwise wetland area.

Murrill emphasizes among other things the delicate coloring of the stem and a possible relationship to Amanita spreta (Peck) Sacc.

The general appearance of this species suggests it might be a member of Amanita stirps Hemibapha, however, that is not the case; neither is it related to Amanita spreta which is a member of stirps Caesarea. The present species cannot belong in either of these groups because the subhymenium is not cellular. With some hesitation, RET suggests the possibility of a relationship to A. calyptroderma Peck.  At any rate we will use the phrase "False Caesar" in our proposed English name for this species.

New material of this species is very much desired and is necessary for a proper understanding of it.—R. E. Tulloss and L. Possiel
brief editors RET

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