Poisonous mushroom - intermediate identification Season - late summer to autumn Common names panther cap
Scientific name meaning: Amanita originates from the Greek Amanitai, which is though to mean "of the Amanus", which is a range of mountains in Turkey. The specific epithet comes from the Latin pantherinus, meaning panther like, and a reference to its spots - in zoological terms, leopard and panther are synonyms
Habitat  A mycorrhizal fungus found predominantly with broad leaf trees, particularly beech and oak, and less often with coniferous trees. |
Overall structure and growth  A mushroom that can appear as solitary specimens or in small groups. |
Cap  The cap opens out to be convex initially and flattens with age. It appears in shades of grey-brown, has bright white warts (veil remnants) and striations at its edge. Diameter is between 5 and 12cm. |
Gills and spores  The broad gills are white, crowded and free of the stem. The spore print is white. |
Stem  The white stem can reach 5 to 12cm tall. It has a thick ring that becomes thinner with age and lacks any striations. At the base of the stem there is a volval swelling that has a gutter on its upper surface where it meets the stems. Often there is a woolly ring above the volval remains. |
Flesh and smell The flesh is white and firm, and a central channel is present in the centre of the stem. The smell is of mild radish. Tasting this mushroom is not advised due to its toxicity. |
Possible lookalikes  The grey spotted amanita (Amanita excelsa) (pictured) and the blusher (Amanita rubescens) both look similar to the panther cap. However, the warts on both are much flatter than those of the panther cap and are dirty white in colour. Both also have a striated ring, which the panther cap does not. In addition, the blusher bruises pink/red where its flesh is damaged. |
Poisonous parts All parts of this mushroom are poisonous. Its main toxins are muscarine, muscimol, muscazone and ibotenic acid Hazards All parts are poisonous
Use in herbal medicine and medicine none known If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses Has been used recreationally as a psychoactive. However, it is toxic and should be considered poisonous Importance to other species A food source for various invertebrates
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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