''Amanita arocheae'', also known as the Latin American death cap,
is a
mushroom of the large genus ''
Amanita'', which occurs in Colombia, Central America and South America. Deadly
poisonous, it is a member of
section ''Phalloideae'' and related to the death cap ''
A. phalloides''.
It is known as ''hongo gris'' in Mexico, where it is found under oak. It differs from the death cap in the colour of its
cap, which is brownish to grayish.
Taxonomy
The species was first
described in 1992 by mycologists Rod Tullos, C.L. Ovebro, and Roy Halling. It is closely related to ''Amanita phalloides'', and was referred to this species in the past by Mexican mycologists. It is named after mycologist Regla Maria Aroche.
Description
The
cap is convex to plano-convex, reaching dimensions of . The cap surface is sticky or tacky. The center of the cap is gray to brown with a gray edge. The white
gills are closely crowded together and free from attachment to the
stipe. In young mushrooms, the gills exude drops of clear fluid. The dry, white to pale grey stipe measures long by thick. It has a bulbous base, a white to grey, membranous
volva at the stipe base, and white
mycelium at the base. The stipe has a white
ring
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
.
The odor of the
flesh is mild to unpleasant.
The
spore print is white.
Spores are smooth,
amyloid, spherical or roughly so, and measure 7–10 by 6.8–9.5
μm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
.
Clamp connections are absent from the hyphae.
Similar species
''
Amanita vaginata
''Amanita vaginata'', commonly known as the grisette or the grisette amanita, is an edible mushroom in the fungus family Amanitaceae. Unlike many other ''Amanita'' mushrooms, ''A. vaginata'' lacks a ring on the stem. The pileus (mycology) ...
'' is similar, however ''A. vaginata'' has non-amyloid spores and lacks a ring on the stipe.
Habitat and distribution
''Amanita arocheae'' is a
mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...
l species that associates with
oak as a host. It is found in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
See also
*
List of ''Amanita'' species
*
List of deadly fungi
Although many people have a fear of mushroom poisoning by "toadstool
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denote ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2841086
arocheae
Deadly fungi
Poisonous fungi
Fungi of Central America
Fungi of Mexico
Fungi of Colombia
Fungi described in 1992
Fungi without expected TNC conservation status