- Amanita pantherina
Taxobox
color = lightblue
name = Panther cap
status = secure
image_width = 250px
regnum = Fungi
divisio =Basidiomycota
classis =Agaricomycetes
subclassis =Hymenomycete s
ordo =Agaricales
familia =Amanitaceae
genus = "Amanita "
species = "A. pantherina"
binomial = "Amanita pantherina"
binomial_authority = (DC. ex Fr.) Krombh.mycomorphbox
name = Amanita pantherina
whichGills = free
capShape = flat
hymeniumType=gills
stipeCharacter=ring and volva
ecologicalType=mycorrhizal
sporePrintColor=white
howEdible=poisonous
howEdible2=psychoactiveThe panther cap ("Amanita pantherina"), also known as the false blusher due to its similarity to the true Blusher "(
Amanita rubescens )", is a toxic mushroom found in woodland throughoutEurope , westernAsia andNorth America . It is poisonous and to some degree psychoactive. The fruiting bodies appear in deciduous, and less commonly coniferous, woodland in summer and autumn.Description
The fruiting body of "A. pantherina" has a bronze or pale orange-brown
pileus (cap) bearing small white warts and between 5 and 15 cm (2-6 in) in diameter. In younger specimens the cap is domed, becoming flatter with age. The upper remains of thevelum form a ring around the cap margin in younger mushrooms. In moist conditions the pileus is often viscid, with a farinaceous (or starchy) odor.The stipe (stem) grows to a length of between 6-10 cm (2-4 in) and between 1–2½ cm in diameter, with a narrow hoop-like ring low down. The lower remains of the velum form a volva (sheath) around the basal bulb, often with one or two narrow rings.cite book | author = Jordan P & Wheeler S | year = 2001 | title = The Ultimate Mushroom Book | publisher = Hermes House | ISBN = ]
The white
spore s are smooth, elliptical, non-amyloid and 9½–13×7–9.5 µm in size.imilar species
Although not normally fatal, "Amanita pantherina" should be studied with caution. It can also be misidentified as "
Amanita gemmata " and confused with theBlusher "(Amanita rubescens)", though the latter's flesh turns red or 'blushes'.Distribution and habitat
The panther cap is an uncommon mushroom, found in both
deciduous , especiallybeech and, less frequently,coniferous woodland and rarely meadows throughoutEurope , westernAsia andNorth America in late summer and autumn.cite book | author = Jordan P & Wheeler S | year = 2001 | title = The Ultimate Mushroom Book | publisher = Hermes House | ISBN = ] It has also been recorded fromSouth Africa , where it is thought to have been accidentally introduced with trees imported from Europe. [cite journal|author=Reid DA, Eicker A|year=1991|title=South African fungi: the genus "Amanita"|journal=Mycological Research|volume=95|pages=80–95|format=PDF|url=http://www.msu.edu/user/hallenhe/SAJB%20amatoxin.pdf|accessdate=2007-11-13]It is an ectomycorrhizal fungus, living in root
symbiosis with a tree, derivingphotosynthesis ed nutrients from it and providing soil nutrients in return.Toxicity
The Panther cap contains
muscarine and is generally regarded as more poisonous than the relatedFly Agaric , having been the cause of some fatalities. Panther caps are rarely used as a hallucinogen, also similar toFly Agaric but often with more disastrous results. They are dried or cooked at a low temperature before ingestion. [cite book | last = North| first = Pamela | year = 1967 | title = Poisonous Plants and Fungi in colour | publisher = Blandford Press & Pharmacological Society of Great Britain |pages=p. 114]Note: Pantherina is extremely dangerous for pets, dogs appear to be attracted to it and will feed on it. Brain death can result in as little as one hour.Fact|date=October 2008
References
External links
* [http://mushroomhobby.com/Gallery/Amanita/Amanita_pantherina/index.htm MushroomHobby -- "Amanita pantherina" in California and beyond...]
* http://home.wanadoo.nl/abiemans/e_ama_pant.html
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