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White False Death Cap

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White False Death Cap

Inedible

Inedible
Autumn

Autumn
Summer

Summer

Although this mushroom looks like a deadly Amanita it is edible if you like the taste of raw potatoes.

Mushroom Type
Common Names White False Death Cap
Scientific Name Amanita citrina var. alba
Season Start Jul
Season End Nov
Average Mushroom height (CM) 7-11
Average Cap width (CM) 6-10

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Please note that each and every mushroom you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.

Cap

Cap

6-10 cm. A pure white cap with white patches of veil that can discolour to a tan-oche.


Gills

Gills

Gills white, free of the stem and fairly crowded.


Stem

Stem

7-11 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm diameter. Pure white with an obvious volval sack and a bulbous base. The stem can be hollow in older specimens.


Skirt

Skirt

Superior. The skirt is quite large.


Volva

Volva

A large obvious, marginate volva.


Flesh

Flesh

White.


Habitat

Habitat

Mixed woodland especially with Beech.


Possible Confusion

Possible Confusion

The Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa), pictured, or the Deathcap (Amanita phalloides), it is because of this possible confusion and its vile taste that we leave this mushroom well alone. Although edible, not one for the table.

Spore Print

White. Spherical.

Taste / Smell

Unpleasant, like raw potato.

Frequency

Common.

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COMMENTS

10 responses to “White False Death Cap”

  1. kc avatar
    kc

    I recommend changing the symbol for ‘type of mushroom: Edible’ to ‘Inedible’ as the taste is referred to as vile in the comments.

    Reply
    1. Eric Biggane avatar
      Eric Biggane

      Hi Kc, I think you are right, we added the inedible section long after we put the False Death Cap up so I will change it. Eric.

      Reply
  2. Joseph avatar
    Joseph

    I found this mushroom and I was wondering as an app I have says it give a hallucinogenic effect. Does it actually have a hallucinogenic toxins in it??

    Reply
    1. Eric Biggane avatar
      Eric Biggane

      I would not trust any mushroom app as it is near on impossible to ID many of our UK mushrooms from photos alone so how a computer can be accurate I don’t know.

      Reply
  3. Martin Arcimovič Martin Arcimovič avatar
    Martin Arcimovič Martin Arcimovič

    Recent research has shown that Amanita citrina has some bufonic (toad) accid in it, i.e. is mildly poisonous.

    Reply
  4. Martin Arcimovic avatar
    Martin Arcimovic

    Recent research has shown that Amanita citrina has some bufonic (toad) accid in it, i.e. is mildly poisonous.

    Reply
  5. Alex avatar
    Alex

    I found 100 mushroom due to rain can I eat them white look like the picture White False Death Cap but I live southern New Mexico any clues I wish I could show a picture but it don’t let me

    Reply
    1. Eric Biggane avatar
      Eric Biggane

      I don’t know the mushrooms in New Mexico but if it looks like an Amanita, the Deathcap family, and you can’t ID it, don’t eat it.

      Reply
  6. Ian West avatar
    Ian West

    Hi. I’m new to this site so I hope I am welcome, and don’t need to be a member or anything. I have found a great many False death caps, but nearby I found a couple that are fully open but still have sheets of tattered veil hanging from the perimeter of the cap, but significantly, no trace of a ring. They are very white apart from the browning patches of veil on the cap. I am practically certain that they must be Var alba, but I am bothered that there is not a trace of a ring on the stems. Could they be anything else? There are two together, both the same.
    Thanks for any help
    Ian West

    Reply
    1. Eric Biggane avatar
      Eric Biggane

      The mushrooms in question may be one of the Grisettes, they don’t have skirts and there are white Grisettes. Another way to tell the two apart is the volva, False Death Caps have large bulbous volvas, Grisettes have a thin sheath or cup like volva.

      Reply

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