9/12/22 Amanita ID Made Easy

Perhaps the most famous of all groups of mushrooms is the genus Amanita. These mushrooms are some of the most recognizable from their appearances in video games, movies, and folklore. Amanita is an enormous genus and is very common in every type of forest around the globe. Nearly every species of Amanita is mycorrhizal and they can occur with a broad range of conifers and hardwoods. In general, Amanitas are pretty large mushrooms with many species having caps about 4–6 inches wide and stalks 6–10 inches long. Though many Amanita are edible—some, wildly popular in some parts of the world—there are toxic species and a handful that can be lethal. Because of the very real hazard of death, most experts agree that the Amanitas should be the first group that all mycophiles become familiar with. However, most feel this group to be daunting as it includes so many species. This need not be the case. Indeed, this group is just about the easiest to become an expert with (seriously!) … and this presentation will show you how, with many examples from common species in your region. Much of the information and images in this presentation are based on the book Amanitas of North America (2020) by Bunyard and Justice; available at fungimag.com. Britt Bunyard, PhD, is the founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of the mycology journal Fungi. Britt has worked academically as a mycologist his entire career, teaching a number of university courses and writing scientifically for many research journals and popular science magazines. He has served as an editor for mycological and entomological research journals, and mushroom guide books. A popular evangelizer on all things fungal, Britt has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, PBS’s NOVA and Wisconsin Foodie television programs, and in The Atlantic, Vogue, Forbes, Saveur, Women’s World, and others. He serves as Executive Director of the Telluride Mushroom Festival. He co-authored Amanitas of North America (2020; The FUNGI Press), Mushrooms and Macrofungi of Ohio and Midwestern States (2012; The Ohio State University Press), and most recently The Beginner’s Guide to Mushrooms (December 2020; Quarry Books).