Amanita is a genus of gilled mushrooms that have white or light colored spores, free gills, a volva, and sometimes an annulus.

Amanitas should be avoided by the typical mushroom hunter. Though the genus has some great edible species, some members produce deadly toxins like Isoxazole Derivatives and Amatoxins. Sometimes the distinction of edible or deadly can come down to whether the wind or a squirrel carried the annulus away. The White Panther (Amanita multisquamosa-01) from this survey is an example of finding a toxic specimen missing important characteristics. When in doubt, throw it out. Mushroom hunting safety includes learning about poisonous specie. Please read more about edibility here.