There are three mushrooms that I want to find in the new year, the Fly Amanita and the two notable toxic mushrooms, the Destroying Angel and the Death Cap. The Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa), besides having one of the coolest names of any fungus, is one of the two musrooms responsible for nearly all mushroom-related fatalities in the United States. The primary reason for the number of fatalities tied to this mushroom is that there are several varieties of edible mushrooms that look similar to it, and people who are careless don't take the time to properly identify it.
The Destroying Angel has several features that distinguish it from other mushrooms, regardless of appearance. The most important is the presence of a saclike volva, usually buried underneath the soil. It is this feature that identifies it as a member of the Amanita family, and therefore to be avoided. It is white to ivory colored, with crowded gills and a bell-shaped or conical cap. What differentiates this from other Amanita species is that the ring is often indistinct to not present.
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