The membrane around the base is large and thick. The stem is scaly
and shining white like the cap. This pure-looking, handsome mushroom is
one of the most poisonous of its kind. It is called Amanita virosa--the
poisonous Amanita, from a Latin word meaning poison. We have never found
any specimen with insects on it. They seem to know its deadly qualities
and shun its acquaintance.
Let us look at the gray mushroom and see how it differs from the others.
It has no ring, its color is a soft gray or mouse color, the margin is
deeply grooved. The cap is almost flat, the flesh does not reach to the
margin, and is white. It is very smooth, but another time we might find
the same mushroom with scales upon it. The cap measures 3 inches across.
The stem tapers upward, is slender, and is 4 inches long. The gills are
free, not attached to the stem, and are swollen in the middle. They are
not very close together and are shining white. The base extends deep
into the ground, and is sheathed with a membrane that is loose and
easily broken off.
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