BRIEF DESCRIPTION: (t.b.d.)

The spores measure (6.5-) 6.8 - 9.0 (-10.6) x (4.8-) 5.0 - 7.0 (-8.9) µm and are broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid (infrequently subglobose) and amyloid. Clamps are absent from bases of basidia.

Amanita flavoconia is one of the most common and wide-spread species of Amanita in eastern North America. If Amanita flavoconia var. inquinata Tulloss, Ovrebo & Halling is included, the range extends from boreal forest to the Colombian Andes! The var. flavoconia is known from forests including conifers, beech, or oak in southeastern Canada as far north as the Island of Newfoundland (boreal forest in Gros Morne Nat. Pk.) and the eastern USA as far south as eastern Texas (sandy pine-oak forest). Notice how red and bell-shaped or subconical the immature caps can be (bottom photo, above).  The species was originally described from New York state, and Atkinson's photograph of the type collection can be found here.

The present species is often mistaken for Amanita frostiana (Peck) Sacc., a species with inamyloid, globose spores.  Even the type collection of A. frostiana contains some specimens of A. flavoconia.

For comparison, see Amanita elongata Peck, A. erythrocephala Neville, Poumarat & Aste, A. flavella E.-J. Gilbert & Cleland, A. flavipes S. Imai, A. flavivolva Murrill, A. flavoconia var. inquinata (link above), A. fraterna (Murrill) Murrill, A. luteofusca Cleland & E.-J. Gilbert, A. xanthella Corner & Bas, and A. xanthomargaros Corner & Bas. -- R. E. Tulloss