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    Amanita solitaria

    Amanita solitaria (Bull.) Fr. · Amanitaceae

    ☠ Poisonous

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Amanita solitaria
    Photo: Sporulator (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Amanita solitaria is a large, white Amanita with pyramid-shaped warts on the cap and thick, lengthwise ribbed ridges on the stem. It is poisonous and must not be eaten.

    SeasonJuly to October
    Spore printwhite
    FamilyAmanitaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 8 to 20 cm wide, white to cream white, with pointed, pyramid-shaped warts.
    2. Underside. The gills are white, free and crowded.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is thick and white, with a large, hanging ring and a bulbous, lengthwise ribbed volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells faint to unremarkable. Never taste it.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and does not change colour.

    Lookalikes

    A large, white Amanita with thick, lengthwise ribbed ridges on the stem and pointed veil remnants on the cap. Poisonous and easily mistaken for edible Amanitas or deadly destroying angels.

    Side by side

    Amanita solitariaEuropean destroying angelPanther capWarted amanitaBlusher
    Capwhite, pyramid-shaped warts, 8 to 20 cmwhite, smooth, conicalbrown scaly, 5 to 12 cmgrey-white with flat patchesbrownish, 8 to 15 cm
    Undersidewhite gillswhite gillswhite gillswhite gillswhitish to pink gills
    Stemthick, ring, ribbed volvamembranous ring, sac-like volvaslender, hanging ringring, rooting bulbring, stem turns red
    Fleshfirm, whitewhitewhitefirm, whiteturns brown
    EdibilityPoisonousdeadly poisonouspoisonousedible with restrictionsedible

    Habitat & Season

    Lime-rich to neutral forest soils. Lowlands to mountain forest.

    Host trees

    Deciduous trees, especially oak and beech.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Autumn in lime-rich deciduous woods.

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

    All mushroom regions →

    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat it. If you suspect someone has eaten it, call the emergency number and the poison centre immediately.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    Salzburg: Collecting poisonous mushrooms is banned, except single specimens for identification.

    Poisoning

    ToxinUnknown toxins; in the genus Amanita, muscarine and other alkaloid groups are also possible.
    SyndromeGastrointestinal syndrome.
    SymptomsNausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea, sometimes dizziness.
    OnsetUsually within a few hours of the meal.
    What to do now: This is an emergency, even if there are no symptoms yet. Go to a hospital immediately or call 999 / 112 and the poison centre (NHS 111, England). Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear, and do not be misled by an apparent improvement. Do not induce vomiting. Keep leftover mushrooms, cleaning scraps and vomit, and tell everyone who shared the meal.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is Amanita solitaria poisonous?

    Yes, it is considered poisonous and should not be eaten.

    What is Amanita solitaria mistaken for?

    Most likely for the warted amanita, which is edible with restrictions, or for deadly poisonous destroying angels without warts on the cap.

    What should I do if I have eaten it?

    Call the emergency number and the poison centre immediately; keep the mushroom remains.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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