Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric)

<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;">The fruit body is a mushroom with a cap atop a central stem. At maturity the cap is generally red (but may be more orange-red) and usually with numerous white flecks of tissue on the cap surface. Those flecks are remnants of the <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">universal veil</strong> (a membrane that enveloped the whole mushroom at the button stage). The veil remnants on the cap may disappear over time. The gills and stem are white. At the bulbous stem base, remnants of the universal veil remain as rings of white scales. This species also has a <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">partial veil</strong> (that covers the gills in an immature mushroom) and in a mature mushroom this remains as a skirt-like ring of tissue around the upper part of the stem.</p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;">Spore print: white.</p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;">This is an introduced species from the northern hemisphere and in Australia is found mostly near introduced northern hemisphere trees (especially pines, oaks and birches).</p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;">In Tasmania and New Zealand it has been found growing in native forests, miles away from any introduced trees. While it has evolved and formed mycorrhizas with various northern hemisphere plants it is clear that in Australasia it has been able to adapt to other mycorrhizal partners.</p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;">It should not be possible to mistake <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Amanita muscaria</em> for any other species.</p>