Amanita strobiliformis

29 September 2010 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin

Species

Cap

Convex, expanding with age, surface felty, breaking into scales, margin extremely ragged, white to greyish white, to about 25 cm across

Gills

Free, crowded, broad, white

Stem

Stout, scaly, ring thin, fragile, rooting, sometimes with a fleshy sack, or volva, at the base

Flesh

Firm, white

Smell

Indistinct to slightly unpleasant

Taste

Indistinct

Season

Late summer to autumn

Distribution

Rare

Habitat

In deciduous woods, favouring calcareous soils

Spore Print

White

Microscopic Features

Spores ellipsoidal, smooth (8.5-10.5) x (5.5-7) µm²

Edibility

Edible, but could be confused with deadly poisonous species