Amanita virosa

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Destroying Angel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi Division: Basidiomycota Class: Agaricomycetes Subclass: Hymenomycetes Order: Agaricales Family: Amanitaceae Genus: Amanita Species: A. virosa
Binomial name
Amanita virosa

Classification and naming

Amanita virosa or the European destroying angel is one of a group of deadly pure white mushroom species collectively known as the destroying angels or the death angels. Amanita virosa is one of the most poisonous of all known toadstools. It belongs to the fungi kingdom; a poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Amanita virosa was first collected and described by Elias Magnus Fries a Swedish mycologist and botanist.

Description

Amanita virosa is pure white in appearance with gills which are usually not attached to the stalk.