A. calyptroderma, Amanita calyptrata and A. lanei

These names have been variously applied to what at least appear to be two distinct populations in western North America. The first fruits in the fall and has an orange to brown pileus and usually grows with madrone, tan oak and Douglas fir. The second is a spring fruiting species with a lemon-yellow pileus which in coastal California grows with live oak, in the Sierra Nevada grows with pine, and is occasionally found under fir in the pacific northwest. Other than these clearly distinquishing features, the two Amanita are fairly similar. They each have an unusually thick universal veil which leaves an ample volval sack and thick white patch on the cap. The other interesting feature is that both species are edible. In my experience, when cooked, the fall species generally has a stronger fishy, slightly metallic flavor. The spring species has a milder flavor and I’ve never noticed the metallic component. Finally to add to the confusion in northern California I have collected what appeared to be a pure white version of the fall fruiting species. It was fruiting in the same habitat (mixed madrone, fir, and tanoak) and at the same time of year as the fall species. I consider this to just be an albino version of the fall form.

At the current time (February 2007), no one is completely confident in how the names should be correctly applied. Most of what I know about this taxonomic issue is from personal communications with Rod Tulloss, Jan Lindgren and David Arora. I take full responsibility for any errors. As I understand it, the problem started in 1900 when Peck applied the name Amanita calyptrata to a collection that generally matches both of the species described above, except that it was described as being greenish. Thiers suggests that this is a weather induced variation, but I have never seen an example of such. The other problem with this name is that Amanita calyptrata was previous applied by Lamarck to a completely different European mushroom is what is now in a completely different genus, because at that time the definition of Amanita was still being debated. In any case this means that Amanita calyptrata cannot be used. Apparently Murrill recognized this and republished the species using the same type as Venenarius lanei, which was later transfered back to Amanita by Saccardo & Trotter. However, Murrill’s publication was after a publication in 1909 by Atkinson of Amanita calyptroderma with a separate type collection and a description that encluded both species. According to David Arora, this type was collected in Ben Lomond in December and “It is unquestionably the familiar fall form of the coccoli. The cap is described as ‘maize yellow,’ which, if we remember the era in which it was published when most corn varieties were a dark, rich yellow-orange, is a very good description of the fall form (excluding its tendency to be brown in some localities).”

Interestingly, Anne Pringle mentioned that she ran a DNA sequence on the two forms and found that they are extremely close. She did not do enough work to draw any conclusion or to publish what she found.

Based on all of this I generally use Amanita calyptroderma for both. My reasoning is that A. calyptroderma is the first valid published name so it must apply to at least one of the forms. It is possible that A. lanei is also valid, but only if the greenish type is shown to be the same as the spring form and that is established to actually be a separate species.

References:

Arora, D. 1986. Mushrooms Demystified, 2nd Edition. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California. 959 pp. Discusses both forms as Amanita calyptrata. Includes color pictures of both.

Jenkins, D.T. 1986. Amanita of North America. Mad River Press, Eureka, CA. This text uses Amanita calyptrata Peck and mentions Amanita calyptroderma as a synonym. He mentions a pale yellow to white variety and a greenish variety. Interestingly he says both of these are `regularly collected.’

Lincoff, G.H. 1981. The Audubon Society Field Guid to North American Mushrooms. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. Primarily discusses the orange-brown fall form as Amanita calyptroderma Atk. & Bal, but mentions two `color variants’, the Green-capped Coccora (A. calyptrata) and a white variant. The photograph is of the orange-brown `variant’.

Phillips, R. 1991. Mushrooms of North America. Little, Brown and Company, Bostan, MA. This text uses Amanita calyptrata Pk. The text says “color varies from whitish yellow to greenish to orange-brown and yellowish on the margin�. The included photograph is of the yellow spring species. In the photo you can see dried live oak leaves.

Thiers, H.D. 1982. The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California. I. Amanitaceae. Mad River Press. Eureka, CA. This text uses Amanita calyptrata Peck and lists Amanita calyptroderma Atk. & Ballen. as well as Amanita calyptratoides Peck (a distinct, smaller brown species with a collapsing annulus) as synonyms. Again the discussion mentions both the `commonly encountered form in which the color of the pileus is yellow’ and `the green or grayish state often seen in old basidiocarps or after exposure to low temperatures.’ Photographs are given of the fall species and a “white formâ€?.

Web references:

The CABI biosciences Index Fungorum (http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp, 2/20/2007) lists Amanita calyptroderma G.F. Atk. & V.G. Ballen as the only accepted name (green). It also lists Amanita calyptrata Peck, Amanita calyptrata Lam., Venenarius lanei Murrill and Amanita lanei (Murrill) Sacc. & Trotter all as questionable names (gray), but without clear synonymy to Amanita calyptroderma.

MykoWeb (http://www.mykoweb.com, 2/20/2007) lists Amanita lanei (Murr.) Sacc. & Trott. and gives Amanita calyptroderma and Amanita calyptrata as synonyms.