Rod & Debbie, I have added three new images of which I believe is the same species as the original loaded. The images are sharper and high resolution.The species was found growing in an area close to where the original was found. This last specimen was also taken from a cavity in a large trunk. Please see images 40133-35)

OK, Deb. I see the marginal striations. Section Lepidella is probably not the home for this creature. We can focus on sect. Amanita. This helps alot. There is a reproduction of a painting from the protologue of A. subvaginata on the subvaginata page of the Amanita Studies site (I just saw some old typos on that page. I will fix them ASAP). [DONE 9:45 am EST]

I would say that the specimen you photographed is very similar. And…I’d say Michael’s suggestion of that name (below) was as right on as one can be from a photo

IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET DRIED MATERIAL OF THIS SPECIES? I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A HALF COLLECTION. The remainder should stay in Oz.

One of the curious things about the original illustration is that it shows what appears to be a limbate volva on the stipe’s bulb. Maybe I’m wrong about the possible “limb” in Ian’s photo. Another reason to obtain dried material if possible.

Very best,

Rod

Please see the replacement images for this specimen. My apologies for the poor quality images. I have manually resized and colour corrected each image. I hope you can see a difference. Originally I used a new Image Conversion programme to batch resize, but it looks as if some image detail is lost during the resizing.
KK

The striations on the farinosa group’s caps are long and very well-defined. I interpreted the markings on this cap edge as fine splitting of the volval covering of the cap. It does seem that the warts are surrounded by a nearly continuous layer of grayish volva. Can you help us with our interpretations, Ian?

R

Sect. Amidella can be eliminated be cause of the basal bulb on the stipe and the lack of the typical volval sac. Sects. Phalloideae and Validae can be eliminated because of the absence of an annulus (and, in the first of these sections, by the lack of a limbate volva). If the spores were amyloid, then we have only sect. Lepidella as a possibility. I don’t think I can match the specimen to a species with confidence due to lack of microscopic data. The match is not terribly good, but you might consider A. griseoconia D. A. Reid, which was described from the state of Victoria.

I’m interested in hearing any suggestions from others.

Very best,

R

I also think that sects. Caesareae and Vaginatae can be excluded because the stipe has a true bulb and no volval sac. The apparent limb shown in some images seems to be the result of the flesh of the stipe’s splitting.

R

altho the focus is not quite as sharp as we have come to expect from Ian’s work! Perhaps he, too, was in trembling awe of this amazing amanita?

In Amanita nehuta (so far as I know, restricted to New Zealand) and A. subvaginata the margins of the pilei are striate; both taxa seem most closely related to species of the A. farinosa group. I don’t think that that is what Ian has come up with this time. Noah’s suggestion of A. cinereoannulosa would have a striate margin also AND an annulus (and from the distribution of volva on the stipe, I don’t think there could have been an annulus on this specimen in the past). To bad we don’t have a herbarium specimen or spores to check.

I’m guessing that this species could be in either subgenus of Amanita. I think, it belongs either in sect. Amanita or sect. Lepidella.

Ian, your photos are a real test for Amanita taxonomists!

More in a bit….

Very best,

Rod

I have found Amanita nehuta many times but don’t have any worthy images, this season coming I plan to make some nice images of this species!

powderey persistant warts, striate margin, exannulate, another photo of this sp. online even shows what looks like the weird, almost volvata-like volva in your photo, Ian. Very cool. did you save it…?

I forgot to mention that I tried to get a spore print and did manage to get a very small imprint of white. I do not think the collection was strong enough to be creditable.

Your specimen resembles Amanita nehuta, a native New Zealand species, from what I gather this is one of only three Amanita species that lack a partial veil, I am not sure if this species is present in Australia!
What type of trees were these mushrooms associated with?
Nice find.

doesn’t match Rod’s description for it, at any rate; no other photos available.

looks almost grisette like, or a weird cross between a grisette and a lepidella! but I do think that there may well be an annulus, and even a gray one, too.

but rod sez patch and these are warts to me….