Amanita phalloides, the death cap, is the deadliest mushroom known and causes the majority of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide. It has a greenish to olive, yellowish or sometimes white cap, white free gills, a skirt-like ring and a large white sac-like volva. Native to Europe and North Africa, it has spread with planted trees to North America, Australia and other regions.
Deadly poisonous; no antidote is established. Contains heat-stable amatoxins (chiefly α-amanitin); about half a cap can kill an adult. Vomiting and diarrhea begin 6–12 hours after eating, may be followed by an apparent recovery, then liver and kidney failure; mortality is about 10–30%. Seek emergency care immediately if ingestion is suspected, even before symptoms appear.
Help build this page
This page grows with the community. Here is what it is still missing:
Photos. None yet — moderators review each photo before it appears.Sign in to add a photo
Sightings. Spotted it in the wild? Add it to the map.Open the map
Strains. No public strains of this species on WeMush yet.
Track Your Own Death Cap Grows
Join WeMush to log cultivation data, discover strains, and connect with fellow growers.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
Habitat
Ectomycorrhizal with broadleaved trees, mainly oaks, also beech, chestnut, birch, hornbeam, hazel, pines, spruce and eucalypts; in coastal California with coast live oak. Season: Summer and autumn.
Distribution
Native to Europe (southern Scandinavia and Ireland to the Mediterranean, east to Poland and western Russia) and North Africa. Introduced to North America (both coasts; genetic work supports introduction on the West Coast), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tanzania, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, usually with planted trees.
Characteristics
Cap: 5–15 cm; rounded, then flattening; pale green, yellowish-green, olive, bronze or white, paler toward the margin; sticky when wet, easily peeled. Gills: Free, crowded, white. Stem: 8–15 cm long, 1–2 cm thick; white with greyish-olive scales. Ring: Skirt-like, floppy, high on the stem. Volva: Large, ragged, white, sac-like; may be hidden in litter, so dig out the whole base. Odor: Faint and honey-sweet when young, becoming strong and sickly-sweet. Spore print: White; spores amyloid. Chemical reactions: Flesh does not turn yellow with KOH.
