Species details

Olive amanita

Amanita submembranacea

Conditional / expert preparation

Description

An olive- to grey-brown grisette with a strongly striate cap margin, no ring, and a greyish membranous volva around the stem base.

Identification features

The cap is silky smooth, olive-brown to grey-olive, and distinctly radially striate. Gills are white to cream. The slender stem lacks a ring and sits in a membranous volva that greys with age.

Identification checklist

Expose the whole stem including its base. Check the absence of a ring, strongly striate cap margin, and characteristic greyish membranous volva.

Detailed features

Cap: The cap is silky smooth, olive-brown to grey-olive, and distinctly radially striate.
Hymenophore: Gills are white to cream.
Stem: The slender stem lacks a ring and sits in a membranous volva that greys with age.
Flesh: White, brittle and without a distinctive smell.
Smell: No distinctive smell.
Spore print: White.

Size

Cap diameter: 4–8 cm
Stem height: 5–12 cm
Stem diameter: 0,9–1,2 cm

Habitat

Mainly in montane conifer woodland on acidic soils with spruce, fir, pine, and larch, from summer into autumn.

Fruiting period

June, July, August, September, October

Ecology

Trophic mode: Mycorrhizal
Host trees: Spruce (Picea), Pine (Pinus), Fir (Abies), Larch (Larix)
Substrate: Forest soil
Soil: Acidic
Notes: Mainly in montane conifer woodland on acidic soils with spruce, fir, pine, and larch, from summer into autumn.

How to separate similar species

Grisettes are very similar to one another. Reliable identification is not possible without the entire stem base and clear veil characters; young Amanita from other groups may be dangerous.

Similar species

Interesting facts

Did you know? It lacks a ring; the greyish membranous volva and strongly striate cap margin are key characters.