BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The cap of Amanita californica is about 60 - 70 mm wide, plano-convex, probably whitish, with a nonsulcate, slightly appendiculate margin.  The cap is almost completely covered by pulverulent-flocculose layer of whitish volva.

The gills are crowded, moderately broad, rounded near the margin of the cap, and probably white. The short gills are attenuate.

The stem is up to 100 x 6 - 8 mm, probably whitish, exannulate, flocclose, and with hardly any remnants of pulverulent volva at the base.

The spores measure (6.6-) 7.1 - 9 (-9.2) x 5 - 6.2 µm and are amyloid and broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid. Clamps are absent at bases of basidia.

The present species was described from southern California (Santa Barbara). There is no record of potential plant symbionts. Bas (1969) states that he assumed the color was white or whitish because the specimen was called "A. solitaria" by its collector.

There are several undescribed white species of section Lepidella known from southern California due to the work of Mr. Greg Wright in decades past. It should not be assumed that an unfamiliar white Lepidella found in the coastal part of southern California is A. californica. (RET would be very interested to receive such material if well-dried, well-annotated, and accompanied by a photograph.)