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ARTICLES AND NOTES

AMANITA NAUSEOSA: AN AUSTRALIAN SPECIES?

Tony Young

69 Narcissus Avenue, Blacktown, N.S.W. 2148, Australia

Fruiting bodies of Amanita nauseosa (Wakef.) Reid have appeared frequentlyat both Kew and the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. At times the fungushas fruited so prolifically as to excite public curiosity (Watling, 1980).

Although Roy Watling noted in his article that Guzman had recordedA. nauseosa from Mexico, Watling expressed doubt as to whether the Britishand Mexican collections were con-specific. Moreover, no satisfactory answerhad been found as to how the species had arrived at Kew in the first place.The general trend of Watling's argument was the opinion that field collectionsof a taxon con-specific with the 'British' A. nauseosa were yet to be made.

Fruiting bodies of a taxon that appears to be A. nauseosa have now beencollected in native bushland around Sydney. A first collection of two fruitingbodies was made in early February 1981 on Middle Head in Sydney Harbour.The fungus was growing in sandy soil amongst leaf litter under shrubs of aspecies of Leptospermum. A second collection was made a few days later atQuakers Hill (about 65 Km due west of the first site), again in sandy soil, buton this occasion amongst long grass under a species of Eucalyptus. Finally, thefungus has fruited plentifully in my own garden (also in the Quakers Hill area)around a cherry tree which originally came from the Blue Mountains a further50 Km westwards.

All collections made so far have exhibited the characteristically pungentand nauseating odour. The intensity is such as to generate reluctance to eventouch the sporophores, and a residue of odour remains on the hands afterrepeated washings. The cap and stem are tawny ochre and more or less "shaggy"from velar remnants. The gills are a slightly paler shade and have unevenlyserrated edges. The stickiness of the universal veil is very noticeable with allcollections thus far; even the slightest touch will leave some veil fragmentsadhering to the fingers. As noted in the British collections, the rather juicyor turgid flesh tends to weep on cutting, although the exudate is not as copiousas for the 'hot-house' plants. This may possibly be due to the weather conditionsprevailing at the time of collection.

A. nauseosa thus appears to be well distributed in at least the Sydneyregion of New South Wales, and its range is probably much wider. Reid (1980)described 46 taxa, but predicted that far more species were likely to be foundhere. A. nauseosa was not included in the monograph, and the species seemsto have been noted from Australia for the first time this year. Possibly thisAmanita occurs only sporadically in the field, however its appearance so soonafter Reid's publication argues well for his prediction.

ReferencesREID, D.A. (1980) A Monograph of the Australian Species of Amanita Pers. ex Hook.

(Fungi). Australian Journal ofBotany, Supplementary Series No.8.WATLING, R. (1980) Amanita nauseosa - a foreign visitor? Bulletin of the British Myco-

logical Society, 14, 23.