Species of fungus
Species of fungus
Amanita franchetii, also known as the yellow veiled amanita,[1] or Franchet's amanita,[2] is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae.
Taxonomy
It was given its current name by Swiss mycologist Victor Fayod in 1889 in honor of French botanist Adrien René Franchet.[3]
A. aspera is a synonym of A. franchetii.[4]
There exists a variety known as A. franchetii var. lactella that is entirely white except for the bright yellow universal veil remnants.[5]
Description
The cap is 5–12 centimetres (2–4+1⁄2 inches) wide, and is yellow-brown to brown in color. The flesh is white or pale yellow, and has a mild odor.[6] The closely spaced gills are the same color as the flesh. The stipe is thick and larger at the base, also white to yellowish; loose areas of yellow veil form on the base. A thick ring is left by the partial veil.[7]
Similar species
A similar fungus in western North America was also referred to as A. franchetii, but was long suspected of being a separate, undescribed species,[8] and in 2013 was formally described under the name A. augusta.[9]
Distribution and habitat
A. franchetii occurs in Europe and North Africa with oaks (Quercus ssp.), chestnuts (Castanea ssp.), and pines (Pinus ssp.).[8]
A. franchetii var. lactella is found in the western Mediterranean region, associated with several species of oak (Quercus suber and Q. robur) and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus),[5] and is also reported from Serbia.[10]
Edibility
A. franchetii is considered inedible,[11][12] and is reported as being toxic when raw or undercooked.[7] Although the species was implicated in the 2005 deaths of ten people in China who displayed symptoms similar to those caused by amatoxin poisoning,[13] this case report has been called into question for possible misidentification of the mushrooms involved.[14]
_Fayod.jpg)
