The key distinguishing macroscopic features are a thick volva that typically leaves a large patch, a distinctly striate margin, a skirt-like, membranous veil and thick saccate volva. The brown-orange color cap colors are also distinctive. Another notable feature is that the young “eggs” have a gelatinous core when fresh. However, this feature fades with age or can be missing all together in dry weather.
Western North America including California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Mexico.
With the clarifying publication of the name Amanita vernicoccora by Bojantchev, Pennycook, and Davis (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/...), this name now only applies to the fall coccora. This species fruits in the Fall (Nov.-Dec. with occasional records from early January) and has an orange to brown pileus and usually grows with madrone, tan oak, and Douglas fir. It has an unusually thick universal veil which leaves an ample volval sack and a thick white patch on the cap.
Most frequently associated with madrone, tanoak or fir, but can also occur with live oak.
Amanita vernicoccora, Amanita phalloides, Amanita ocreata, Amanita velosa, Amanita aprica
This one of the most popular edible Amanita species in western North America. It is particularly popular within the Italian immigrant community where it is known as either the Coccora or Coccoli. However, its similarity to several deadly poisonous Amanita species (A. phalloides and A. ocreata) make even very experienced mushroom collectors take particular caution in ensuring they have a correct id. This species is not recommended for beginning collectors and should not be commercial sold since it may give consumers the wrong impression of what wild mushrooms are safe to eat.
Amanita calyptroderma also known as coccora, coccoli or the Pacific amanita,[1] is a white-spored mushroom that fruits naturally in the coastal forests of the western United States during the fall and winter and spring.
This mushroom's cap is about 10–25 cm in diameter, usually orange-brown in color (but sometimes white),[2] and partially covered by a thick white patch of universal veil. It has white, close gills.[3] Its cream-colored stalk is about 10–20 cm in length and 2–4 cm in width,[2] adorned with a partial veil. It has a partially hollow stem (filled with a stringy white pith), and a large, sacklike volva at the base of the stalk.[2]
The spores of this species, which are white,[2] do not change color when placed in a solution of Melzer's reagent, and thus are termed inamyloid.[3] This characteristic in combination with the skirt-like annulus and absence of a bulb at the base of the stalk place this mushroom in the section Caesareae.
This mushroom occurs in conifer forests,[3] forming mycorrhizae with madrone (Arbutus menziesii) in the southern part of its range (Central California northwards to Washington). However, in the northern part of its range (Washington to southern Canada), its preferred host is Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).
Experienced mushroom hunters regard this mushroom as a good edible species,[4] but caution must be exercised when collecting A. calyptroderma for the table, since it can be confused with other species in the genus Amanita.[2] This genus contains some of the deadliest mushrooms in the world, most notably A. phalloides and A. ocreata.
Amanita vernicoccora is a closely related edible species,[5] which fruits in hilly or mountainous areas from late winter to spring. Otherwise similar in appearance, its cap is yellow.[2] A. caesarea is also related and edible.[3]
The deadly poisonous A. phalloides is similar in appearance.[3]
Amanita calyptroderma also known as coccora, coccoli or the Pacific amanita, is a white-spored mushroom that fruits naturally in the coastal forests of the western United States during the fall and winter and spring.
