Two common species of Amanita
Amanita phalloides (death cap)
Amanita muscaria (fly agaric)
Some reference pictures from the Web are at the bottom of the page
First, we have Amanita Muscaria
found 12-09-14 along buildings on Meadows Rd.
Note the scaly volva. Arora "Mushrooms Demystified" page 264 shows the types of volva on Amanita
Judy said: "This is one of the many color variants of Amanita muscaria; it can range from nearly white to deep red,
depending on time of year and location"
The gills are free
Here is the veil
The spores are definitely white
The following is a picture showing the
different phases in the development
Amanita phalloides
Amanita phalloides (The Death Cap)
from bayareamushrooms.org
Amanita phalloides are believed to have first arrived in California on the roots of imported, ornamental trees, most likely Cork Oak
Like all amanitas, young Amanita phalloides are completely covered by a tissue called a universal veil. This tissue is tough and membranous. As the young mushroom expands, the veil tears cleanly. This normally results in the mature mushroom having a bald cap. Color in many amanita species can be quite variable, but a classic phalloides will have a greenish-yellow cap with visibly embedded radial fibrils. Death Caps can also be green, yellow, brown or tan or rarely white, and often take on a metallic sheen with age and drying. The white gills, which normally do not quite meet up with the stem or stipe and are called free, are first covered by a partial veil. This veil drops as the cap expands, to form a delicate skirt or annulus around the stipe. click here to go to the bayareamushrooms site
Amanita muscaria
from mykoweb.com
With its bright red, sometimes dinner plate-sized caps, Amanita muscaria is one of the most striking of all mushrooms. The white warts that adorn the cap, white gills, well developed ring and distinctive volva of concentric rings separate the Fly Agaric from all other red mushrooms. Click Here for more info from mykoweb.com