Created: 2008-06-22 11:12:20
By: Ron Pastorino (Ronpast)
Summary: Not very fleshy

The lack of gray tints bothered me also and I believe the cap was not real fleshy. It dried up fairly easily and the dried material is not thick. It will now be “Amanita sp.” and I’ll work on my tendency to force identifications.

Created: 2008-06-22 09:47:26
By: Rod Tulloss (ret)
Summary: Gross stuff..

Debbie,
One of the characters that I use for A. spreta is a gray (or graying) partial veil. We don’t have that character in these pictures. Amanita spreta can vary in cap color from nearly white to brown-gray or gray-brown. The “warm brown” of these pictures suggests that we may have something else. An undescribed species would not be a surprise…at all. I still find this hard to say, but the species would fall in sect. Caesareae. Microscopically, A. spreta is closer to A. caesarea than it is to the Slender Caesars of eastern North America or the robust False Caesars of western North America. The cap of A. spreta is thick and rather fleshy like A. caesarea (Europe and Mediterranean region) and A. basii (Mexico). It has rather short marginal striations perhaps shorter than does the mushroom in Ron’s photos. Ron did you get an impression of the thickness of the cap on this critter?

Very best,

Rod

Created: 2008-06-22 08:07:33
By: Ron Pastorino (Ronpast)
Summary: Nothing gross

Not actually measuring spores yet. I always use words like “seem”, appear".
The A. spreta has few gross morpho characteristics that one can feel comfortable with, especially in the field. Kind of a process of elimination and I would not feel bad if someone overruled me on this one.

Created: 2008-06-21 18:30:12
By: debbie viess (amanitarita)
Summary: Way to go, measuring spores!

What are the gross morpho characters that cued you in? Don’t know this amanita…