False deathcap - Amanita citrina
- The Foraging Course Company
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Inedible/poisonous mushroom - advanced identification Season - summer to autumn Common names False deathcap, citron Amanita
Scientific name meaning: Amanita originates from the Greek Amanitai, which is though to mean of the Amanus, which is a range of mountains in Turkey. Citrina is from Modern Latin Citrinus, meaning lemon-coloured
Habitat  The false deathcap is mycorrhizal and grows in association with deciduous and coniferous trees, often favouring slightly alkaline or neutral soil. |
Overall structure and growth  The young false deathcap is contained within an egg-like universal veil or volva, which it slowly cracks out of. It finally becomes a cap and stem mushroom with the remains of the volva at the stem base as a swelling. It can appear as lone specimens or in groups. |
Cap  The cap of is white tinged with lemon-yellow. There is also a pure white variant (var. alba). It can reach between 5 and 10cm wide, and is domed at first before flattening out. Bright-white fragments of the veil/volva remain on the cap, turning dirty-white with age. However, these can be washed away in heavy rain. |
Gills and spores  The gills are white, broad, crowded and free of the stem. The spores are white. |
Stem  Sturdy and white with a lemon tinge, the stem can reach 5 to 8cm tall and 0.5 to 1.5cm wide. It has a stem ring, or skirt, that usually persists. The volva remains as a swollen bulb with a gutter at the base of the stem |
Flesh and smell  The flesh is white and a central hollow can been seen when slicing the mushroom from top to bottom. The taste is unpleasant and smell is of raw potato. |
Possible lookalikes  May be confused with the deathcap (Amanita phalloides), pictured, but its veil remnants often don't remain on the cap, its cap is olivaceous in colour, it has a sickly sweet smell and a bag-like volva. A white variant could be confused for the white deathcap variant or the destroying angel (Amanita virosa). The latter has no distinct smells, a bag-like volva and a fragile high-up veil. |
Poisonous parts Although some sources class this mushroom as edible, other class it as inedible or even mildly toxic. This conflicting information, combined with its similarity to deadly poisonous Amanitas, means it should stay off the menu Hazards This mushroom is classed as either inedible or mildly poisonous
Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Slugs and snails, as well as other invertebrates and mammals, often eat this mushroom
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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