The Orange Grisette (Amanita crocea) is a tall, elegant Amanita with a saffron-orange cap, deeper in colour at the centre and finely grooved at the edge. Like all grisettes it has no ring, but its orange stem is patterned with soft, zig-zag bands, and the base sits in a large, white, bag-like volva that is often buried and needs careful digging out to see.
The gills are cream. It grows with birch, and more rarely beech, in woodland from summer into autumn, usually singly or in small groups, and is uncommon in most areas. The Tawny Grisette (Amanita fulva) has a duller orange-brown cap and a smoother stem. Some guides call it edible, but because young Amanitas can be confused with deadly species, no grisette should be collected to eat.
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Distribution
Widespread but localised, uncommon in most parts.
Habitat
Associated with Betula, more rarely Fagus.
Etymology
Amanita is an old name of uncertain origin, often linked to Mount Amanus in present-day Turkey. crocea is Latin for 'saffron-coloured', from crocus, after its cap.
Associates
Betula
Cap
Saffron-orange, deepest at the centre, with a finely grooved margin; smooth.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Campanulate, Flattened |
| Surface | Smooth |
| Width | 4 - 10 cm |
| Margin | Striate |
Gills
Free, crowded and cream.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Attachment | Free |
| Spacing | Crowded |
| Edge | Smooth |
Flesh
White to cream.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Taste | Mild |
Stem
No ring; orange with soft zig-zag bands, arising from a large white bag-like volva.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 - 12 cm |
| Width | 10 - 15 mm |
| Texture | Fluccose |
| Shape | Volvate |
Spores
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Globose, Subglobose |
| Size | 9.5-12 x 8.5-11 μm |
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- ↳ Order: Agaricales
- ↳ Family: Amanitaceae
- ↳ Genus: Amanita
Synonyms
- Amanita crocea (Quel.) Kuhner & Romagn.
- Amanita vaginata var. crocea Quel. apud Bourdot
- Amanita vaginata var. crocea Quél.
- Amanitopsis crocea (Quel.) Gilbert
- Amanitopsis crocea (Quél.) E.-J. Gilbert
Reference Sources
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
G. Kibby (2020) Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe Vol. 2. Geoffrey Kibby.
G. Kibby (2016) The Genus Amanita in Britain. Geoffrey Kibby.
