A large white to yellowish-white Lepidella covered in coarse, pale yellow to brownish-orange cone-shaped warts that give the cap a pinecone-like look. It has a thick woolly ring that soon falls away and a large rooting bulb with heavy recurved scales. The odor is chlorine-like.
Edibility unknown; some sources list it as poisonous. Do not eat. Section Lepidella should be avoided, and white Amanitas can be confused with deadly amatoxin-containing destroying angels, which have a smooth bald cap and a sack-like volva.
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 Pinecone Lepidella 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.
Habitat
Ectomycorrhizal; tree partners not established. Solitary or in groups on the ground in mixed and broadleaf forests. Late summer and autumn.
Distribution
Southeastern and east-central United States (records include Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana); also reported from northern Baja California (Mexico) and Argentina.
Characteristics
Cap: 8-17 cm, white to yellowish white, dry; covered with coarse pale yellow to brownish-orange conical warts up to 6 mm wide; margin not lined, with partial veil remnants. Gills: free, crowded, yellowish white to pale yellow, with short gills. Stem: 10-25 cm long, 1-3 cm thick, solid, white to pale yellow, woolly. Ring: thick, woolly, soon falling away. Bulb: large, swollen in the middle, rooting up to about 5.5 cm, with thick down-curved volval scales. Odor: chlorine-like (described as old tennis shoes or old ham). Spore print: white. Spores: 8-11 x 5.5-7.5 um, ellipsoid, amyloid.
