For two years in a row this was by far the most common mushroom that I saw in Bulgaria. I saw it virtually everywhere, from purely broadleaved forests to recently (30+ years) planted conifers (=Pinus sylvestris). I’m sure I’ll see it again this summer. I would not be surprised if we’re dealing with several hidden species, but I’d be surprised if the Europeans hadn’t noticed it by now.

http://mushroomhobby.com/...

It is really quite interesting to see the wide variation in cap color of the European material treated as Amanita rubescens. It would be well worth a wider study than has been done…to my knowledge at any rate. Well-dried and well-photographed material would be very helpful. Felipe Wartchow (Universidade do Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil) and I are studying world rubescent taxa of Amanita sect. Validae at present. Either of us would be happy to receive dried material of variously pigmented taxa assignable to Amanita rubescens.

Rod Tulloss

Rod Tulloss