Amanita phalloides (Death Cap)

The fruitbody is a mushroom with a cap atop a central stem. Young caps are close to hemispherical in shape but then flatten as they expand. When fully open they are gently curved and smooth. The colour is usually yellowish green, but may sometimes be olive to light brown. The fully open caps are up to 15 centimetres in diameter. The cap is slightly sticky in wet weather but dry and shiny in dry weather. The gills are white. The stem is white and from 5 to 15 centimetres long and 1 to 2 centimetres in diameter.

Both a universal veil and a partial veil are present before the mushroom has expanded. The universal veil leaves a cup like remnant (or volva) around the base of the stem and the partial veil leaves a skirt-like ring of tissue around the upper part of the stem.

Spore print: white

Toxicity: Deadly and the cause of several deaths in Canberra.

For more information see: http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/deathcap.html.