Species introCountry intro
Grisette Mushroom - Amanita vaginata
Conical, grayish-brown, tacky cap with a central bump and scattered gray patches. The margin was prominently lined. Gills were white, close, and had short gills. The stipe was white and had a white volva that was buried.
Habitat: Growing on the ground between two rocks in a swampy, mixed forest.
This species is part of the Amanita sect. Vaginatae complex. The exact species may yet be unknown. To explain, here is a blurb from Michael Kuo: "More likely, there are many North American species going under the classic European name "Amanita vaginata." Amanita expert Rod Tulloss treats literally dozens of unnamed, vaginata-like, numbered taxa ("species 46," and so on) in his keys to North American amanitas (2003, 2008)--all separated on putative morphological differences. In short, a comprehensive DNA and morphological study of well documented "Amanita vaginata" collections from across the continent will be required before there are "good names" for our North American species."
Source: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_vaginata.html
''Amanita vaginata'', commonly known as the grisette, is an edible mushroom in the Amanitaceae family of fungi. Unlike many other ''Amanita'' mushrooms, ''A. vaginata'' lacks a ring on the stem. The cap is gray or brownish, 5 to 10 centimetres in diameter, and has furrows around the edge that duplicate the gill pattern underneath. It has a widespread distribution in North America, and is thought to be part of a species complex that includes other similar-looking Amanitas.
