About Amanita thiersii Skay4041 (GCA_002554575)

Amanita thiersii or Saproamanita thiersii, commonly called Thiers' lepidella, is a North-American saprotrophic basidiomycete fungus in the genus Amanita. It is a white mushroom originally described from Texas but today found in nine states of North America. It was named after Harry Delbert Thiers. The cap of this small mushroom is white and convex, measuring and covered by volval remnants. It is sticky to the touch when wet. The gills are variable in length and number and are densely packed in some specimens and widely spaced in others. They are not attached to the stipe, which is long and about thick, with a white ring. The spores measure 7.8--9.8 by 7.3--9.0 µm and are roughly spherical in shape. The spore print is white.

The mushroom grows in lawns, pastures and prairies. It is a saprotroph, living on decaying plant material, and not mycorrhizal as is the case with Amanita species. Previously it was placed in Amanita, but in 2016 the saprophytic members of that genus were separated off into the new genus Saproamanita by one research group, though this split is controversial. Fruit bodies appear during July and August, either in isolation or in groups, and often form fairy rings. The genome of A. thiersii is being sequenced as part of the United States Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute Community Sequencing Program. It is hoped that this will provide a better understanding of the cellulose decomposition capabilities of the fungus. The toxicity of A. thiersii has not been studied but it is suspected of being poisonous.

(Text and image from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.)

Taxonomy ID 703135

Data source JGI

More information and statistics