Amanita echinocephala

Taxobox
name = Amanita echinocephala
status = rare (Red Data List)

---

regnum = Fungi
divisio = Basidiomycota
classis = Agaricomycetes
ordo = Agaricales
familia = Amanitaceae
genus = "Amanita"
species = "A. echinocephala"
binomial = "Amanita echinocephala"
binomial_authority = (Vittad.) Quél.
synonyms = "Amanita solitaria" (Bull.:Fr.) Fr.mycomorphbox
name = Amanita echinocephala
whichGills = free
capShape = convex
capShape2 = flat
hymeniumType= gills
stipeCharacter= ring
sporePrintColor=white
howEdible=caution

"Amanita echinocephala" is a large, whitish or ivory-coloured mushroom with a characteristic spiny, or warty-looking cap. It lives on chalky soils with beech trees, and appears earlier than most mushrooms of similar size in southern England. It frequently occurs singly or in small groups, resulting in it being referred to as The Solitary Amanita or, more specifically, European Solitary Lepidella. It is very drought tolerant. "Amanita solitaria" is a synonym and opinions are divided as to which name takes precedence.

Taxonomy

It was first described as "Agaricus echinocephalus" in 1835 by the Italian mycologist Carlo Vittadini, before being placed in "Amanita" by Lucien Quélet and hence receiving its current binomial name. It derives its specific epithet "echinocephala" "hedgehog-headed" from the Greek "echino-" "hedgehog" and "kephale" "head".cite book | author = Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott | year = 1980 | title = A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged Edition) | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = United Kingdom | isbn =0-19-910207-4] [cite book |title=Mushrooms & Toadstools in colour |last=Seymour |first=Jacqueline|year=1978 |publisher=Stafford Pemberton Publishing |location=Crows Nest, NSW |isbn=0-904681-43-2 |pages=p. 36 ] It has been placed in the "Lepidella" section of the Amanitaceae by some authors, because of its lack of a well formed volva. "Amanita solitaria" (Bull.:Fr.) Fr. is considered a synonym here but according to many modern authors (subject specialists in "Amanita", e.g., C. Bas or R.E. Tulloss) it is a valid name for this species.

Description

The cap can be up to 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, and is white to ivory, or silver-grey in colour. It is covered in raised pyramidal warts, that become less well defined, and less frequent towards the margin. These are remnants of the universal veil which covers the mushroom in its earliest stages. The young buttons are darker, and sometimes shaped like a two tier loaf, with a ring of raised scales around the base. The white to ivory stipe is 8-16 cm (3-6 in) high and 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) wide, with several rings of upturned scales towards the bulbous base. It is fairly deeply rooted, often laterally below the surface. The ring is thin and fragile, often adhering to the stipe. The gills are cream, but sometimes have a slight green tint.cite book | author = Regis Courtecuisse and Bernard Duhem | year = (British version) 1995 | title = Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe | publisher = Harper Collins | isbn = 0 00 220025 2] They are largely free of the stipe, but sometimes have a small decurrent tooth. The flesh is white, and is said to have an unpleasant smell.cite book | author = Roger Phillips | year = 2006 | title = Mushrooms | publisher = Pan MacMillan | isbn = 0-330-44237-6|pages=p. 151]

imilar species

Because the two species often share the same growing ground, "A.echinocephala", and "A. strobiliformis" have both been erroneously identified as "Amanita solitaria" in the past.

*"Amanita strobiliformis" (Vittad.) Bertill. lives in the same locations, often at the same time. It is a more robust mushroom, with large thick; but flat patches on the cap, and typically has noticeable hanging veil remnants around the cap margin. With a delicate mealy ring.
* "Amanita vittadinii" (Moretti) Vittadini has conical warts on the cap, and has recurved scales right to the underside of the ring. It is usually is found on heavier soils.

Distribution and habitat

"Amanita echinocephala" occurs in Britain, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. It appears in Britain during summer, and early autumn. It grows in light, dry calcareous soils with both broad leaved, (usually beech Fagus) and coniferous trees. It is quite drought tolerant, giving rise to the suspicion that Southern England could be at the northern extent of its range. Occurs with on calcareous soils in hardwoods, often associated with ("Tilia") in the Czech Republic, sometimes together with "A. strobiliformis". [cite journal |last=Borovicka |first=J |year=2006|title=Poznámky k muchomurce šiškovité -- Amanita strobiliformis a príbuzným druhum ze sekce Lepidella. |journal=Mykol. Sborn. |volume=83 |issue=2 |pages=43-46 |language=Czech]

Edibility

Pronounced edible by some, but probably best avoided in case of confusion with other poisonous "Amanita" species. This mushroom is rare and protected. It is on the United Kingdom Red Data List. Newly, it was reported that this species hyperaccumulates silver. [cite journal |last=Borovicka |first=J et al. |year=2007|title=Hyperaccumulation of silver by "Amanita strobiliformis" and related species of the section "Lepidella". |journal=Myc. Res. |volume=111 |issue=11 |pages=1339-1344 ]

References