Amanita jacksonii

Did You Know?

• The species was named in honor of Canadian watercolorist and mycological illustrator Henry A. C. Jackson.
• Its range extends from Quebec, Canada, to at least Hidalgo, Mexico, and has been observed as far south as Cayo District, Belize.
• Adults of the pleasing fungus beetle Tritoma biguttata affinis have been recorded from a supposed Amanita caesarea, which might be a misidentification of A. jacksonii.

Description

The cap of this mushroom measures 8 to 12 centimeters across. It starts out oval, then becomes convex with a noticeable central bump, and has a sticky surface. Its brilliant red or orange color fades to yellow at the edge, which is lined for about 40 to 50 percent of the cap's radius. The red pigment gradually fades from the margin inward as it ages. Warts or patches are typically absent. The gills are moderately crowded to crowded, colored orange-yellow to yellow, and are either free from the stem or slightly attached; they do not bruise, and the short gills are cut off bluntly. The stem is 90 to 140 millimeters tall and 9 to 16 millimeters thick, yellow with orange fibers and patches left from the volva. Spores are broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, measuring 7.8 to 9.8 by 5.8 to 7.5 micrometers, and do not stain with iodine. Clamps are common at the bases of the basidia. The flesh is whitish to pale yellow and does not change color when cut. It resembles Amanita caesarea and certain poisonous Amanita species.