Panther cap (Amanita pantherina): How to Recognise It

• Cap: Cap 3-18 cm, brown to yellowish-brown, covered with cottony white warts.
• Gills: Free or nearly free gills, white, crowded.
• Stem, ring and volva: Stem 4-20 cm, base enlarged; skirt-like ring above; one or two narrow hoop-like rings from the universal veil remain at the top edge of the bulbous base.
• Spore print: White.
• Where and when it grows: Forms mycorrhizal associations with conifers such as pine, Douglas fir, and spruce (European populations also with broadleaf trees like beech); fruits in autumn and winter (autumn-winter on the North American West Coast).
• Range in North America: Reported along the U.S. West Coast (California to the Pacific Northwest) and in the southwestern Rocky Mountains.

• the blusher, Amanita rubescens: The panther cap does not turn red/pink ('blush') when damaged, whereas the blusher does.

Toxin: ibotenic acid and muscimol. Severity: serious poisoning. Timing: Part of the same ibotenic acid/muscimol poisoning syndrome; symptoms generally appear 30 minutes to 2 hours after ingestion. A delayed start is the dangerous part: hours without symptoms do not mean the mushroom was harmless.

Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S.) right away, or your local emergency number. Keep any leftover mushroom, a photo of it, and note when it was eaten. Do not wait for symptoms and do not try home remedies. This page does not give medical advice.

A clear photo of the whole mushroom, including the base dug out of the ground, the gills and a spore print, lets the app and a mycologist narrow down what it might be and flag features that match Panther cap. No photo, app or website can confirm that a wild mushroom is safe to eat. Use identification to know what to avoid, not what to cook.