454 



The; Sheathed Amanitopsis (Edible) 

 Aiiiauitopsis z'aginata (Bull.) Roz. 



This mushroom occurs hi the woods or in groves under trees and 

 is c^uite common. Occasionally it occurs in open pastures or stubble- 

 fields. It is edible, but there is a very poisonous species of Amanita, 

 Amanita spreta, which looks very much like this m^ushroom except 

 that the Amanita has a ring on the stem and the Amanitopsis has not. 

 For this reason no one should eat Amanitopsis vaginata until he is 

 very thoroughly familiar with it, especially since the ring of Amanita 

 spreta occasionally is lost, in which case the plant looks very much 

 like Amanitopsis. 



The cap of Amanitopsis vaginata is from 3 to 8 cm. (i to 3 

 inches) broad, at first bell-shaped but finally expands until it is nearly 

 flat. The margin is thin and deeply striate, that is, it is marked by 

 conspicuous furrows and ridges. The color of the surface may be 

 gray, mouse-color, brown, yellowish, or white, but the flesh is always 

 white. 



The gills are wdiite or whitish and free from the stem, and the 

 spores are white. 



The stem is cylindrical, tapering upward somewhat, but not bulb- 

 ous at the base, and is from 8 to 15 cm. (3 to 6 inches) long. The 

 stem may be smooth or covered with small scales or downy particles. 

 Sometimes in dry weather the outer layer of the stem splits in such 

 a way as to form large scales. The stem is either hollow^ or stuffed 

 with a cottony pith. There is no ring. The volva is thin and fragile 

 but prominent. It forms a large close sheath about the cylindrical 

 base of the stem but is free from the stem except at the lower portion. 

 If the plant is pulled up instead of being dug, the volva is very likely 

 to be pulled off and remain in the ground, in which case the plant 

 might easily be mistaken for some mushroom w'hich lacks a volva. 



Amanitopsis vaginata is a very pretty plant and some mushroom- 

 eaters are ver}^ fond of it. The whole plant is very fragile and brittle 

 and the flesh is thin, and since there is some danger of mistaking it 

 for poisonous species of Amanita I do not recommend it. It may be 

 found from June to November. 



Collected in Champaign, Jackson, and Union counties. 



