Description

The panther cap is known to have a cap wide from 5 to 12 centimeters. The cap is spherical when young, and becomes a flat form when older, with the edges sometimes curved upwards. The cap is mostly grey or brown colored, and has many white warts on its surface, similar to fly agaric mushrooms. The stipe is usually a bit wider towards the bottom, and is known to have a ring. The white usually dense, free, and leave a white colored spore print.

Chemical reactions

The flesh reacts with sulphuric acid producing a dark brown coloration.

Habitat

Panther cap is one of the relatively commonly found mushrooms and grows in almost all types of forests - from oak and beech forests, to coniferous woods. It can be found growing alone, or in groups of two to three specimens. It grows primarily in Europe and western Asia, but it has also been found in southern Africa.

Season

This mushroom grows throughout a longer period of time - from June to November.

Edibility

Although not as poisonous as death caps, panther caps are also very dangerous, and should be avoided.

Similar species

It could eventually be mistaken with the blusher mushroom (Amanita rubescens), but it is different from panther cap in that it doesn't have a tight shell (vulva) that is located at the bottom of the stipe.