Tag Archives: Amanita phalloides

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Ron Champoux found several Death Caps, Amanita phalloides, growing on The Sea Ranch. They are big, beautiful, and quite deadly if consumed.

ron-champoux-with-a-death-cap-mushroom-by-jill-silliphantRon's smiling, but he knows not to eat it! I used to be afraid to touch one of the deadly three mushrooms, but at a mushroom forage with David Arora, I saw him handle a Death Cap without a care in the world. So Ron isn't putting himself in harm's way by handling this Death Cap. Still, I'd wash my hands thoroughly to be on the safe side.

We have rain coming in tonight, after a string of six days without the wet stuff. And you know what rain brings - mushrooms, and hopefully they will be the edible kind.

Thanks to Ron for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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Coccora mushrooms, Amanita calyptroderma, are just poking up through the forest duff on our Anchor Bay property. They appear in the same place, year after year. A mushroom expert friend, Bev Vogt, identified them for Rick and me some years ago. She declared this part of our property, "Coccora heaven!"

In the days to come, the white you see below will adorn a golden-colored cap. These are edible, indeed considered choice by some. But with the creamy white top removed they can be confused with the Death Cap, Amanita phalloides. As the name implies, it is deadly poisonous.

I wouldn't eat a Coccora unless I had picked it myself. They are quite beautiful to look at. I will post a photograph here when they are in "full flower."