The Blusher (Amanita rubescens) is one of the commonest Amanitas in Britain, and it gets its name from its most useful feature: wherever the flesh is cut, bruised or nibbled by slugs, it slowly turns pinkish-red. The cap is very variable, from pinkish-buff to reddish-brown, and is scattered with grey or buff veil patches. The white gills often develop reddish spots, and the stem carries a large ring with fine grooves on its upper surface.
It grows with both broadleaf and conifer trees from summer into autumn. It is poisonous raw, and although some people eat it after thorough cooking, it is easily confused with the Panthercap (Amanita pantherina), which does not redden, has a smooth ring and pure white warts, and is seriously toxic. It should not be collected to eat.
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Distribution
Very common and widespread
Habitat
Occurs with deciduous and coniferous trees
Etymology
Amanita is an old name of uncertain origin, often linked to Mount Amanus in present-day Turkey. rubescens is Latin for 'becoming red', after the reddening flesh.
Cap
The cap is 5-15 cm across, convex to flattened, and very variable in colour, from pinkish-buff to reddish-brown, purplish-brown or ash-grey. It bears many flattened or warty fragments of veil, and the flesh flushes pink where damaged.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Convex, Flattened |
| Surface | Warty |
| Width | 5 - 15 cm |
Gills
The gills are white, free and crowded. They are often spotted with pinkish red staining, which develops with age or after handling.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Attachment | Free |
Flesh
The flesh is white, staining red-brown where cut, bruised or damaged by insects. It has a mild taste and no distinctive smell.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Odour | Not distinctive |
| Taste | Mild |
Stem
Large, hanging ring with fine grooves on its upper surface; the swollen base carries rings of scaly volva rather than a sac.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 - 15 cm |
| Width | 15 - 40 mm |
| Texture | Fibrillose, Squamose |
| Shape | Bulbous, Clavate, Volvate |
Spores
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Ellipsoid, Broadly ellipsoid |
| Ornamentation | Smooth |
| Size | 8-11 x 6-7 μm |
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- ↳ Order: Agaricales
- ↳ Family: Amanitaceae
- ↳ Genus: Amanita
Synonyms
- Amanita rubescens (Pers. Fr.) S.F. Gray
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.
