Amanita novinupta

Pileus
Cap 5-14 cm broad, convex, expanding to nearly plane, the margin not striate or obscurely so at maturity; surface moist, smooth, pallid, becoming blotched to unevenly pinkish-buff, darkening slightly in age; universal veil remnants: white to pinkish-buff warts, scattered or aggregated in a central patch; flesh thick at the disc, thin elsewhere, white, firm, bruising pinkish-buff very slowly; odor indistinct; taste mild.

Lamellae
Gills adnexed, moderately broad, close, milky-white, pallid in age.

Stipe
Stipe 6-12 cm tall, 1.5-3.5 cm thick, hollow to stuffed in age; equal to tapered to a slightly enlarged base, or with a small bulb; surface white, dry, finely striate at the apex, with pale pinkish-brown squamules below, the volva, one to several scaly rings or collars at the base; partial veil membranous, thin, white, the upper surface striate, the lower surface with flattened cottony scales, forming a fragile, pendulous, superior ring.

Spores
Spores 7-8.5 x 5.5-6 µm, broadly elliptical, amyloid; spore print white.

Habitat
Scattered to in small groups under oaks, especially Coast Liveoak (Quercus agrifolia); fruiting from late winter to early spring.

Edibility
Edible and good. Only very experienced collectors should eat any Amanitas.

Comments
Until recently, this beautiful mushroom was known locally as Amanita rubescens. The latter, however, is an Eastern species, taller in stature, and more darkly colored. Amanita novinupta is distinguished by a pale pinkish-brown cap, the color often unevenly distributed, cap warts which may be scattered to aggregated into a central patch, a non striate cap margin, squamulose stipe and a scaly or collar-like volva. It fruits late in the season often in the company of Amanita velosa, occasionally with the deadly, cream-colored Amanita ocreata.