Coker'S Amanita

Coker's Amanita (Amanita cokeri) is a large, distinctive basidiomycete fungus in the family Amanitaceae, named in honour of William Chambers Coker, the pioneering American mycologist who documented much of the eastern North American fungal flora in the early twentieth century. This impressive toadstool produces pure white to cream-coloured fruiting bodies with a cap reaching 10–20 centimetres across, typically covered in large, thick, pyramidal warts or patches that are persistent remnants of the universal veil. The gills and stipe are white, and the base of the stipe is enlarged into a prominent bulb enclosed in a thick, ragged volva—characteristics typical of the dangerous Amanita genus. Amanita cokeri is found in eastern North America, fruiting from summer through early autumn in association with oaks, pines, and other forest trees with which it forms ectomycorrhizal symbioses. Its distribution ranges from New England south to Florida and west to the Gulf Coast states. Despite its imposing appearance, Amanita cokeri is considered inedible though not unambiguously poisonous; nevertheless, no species in the Amanita genus should be consumed without expert confirmation, as the genus contains the world's most deadly mushrooms. Its conservation status has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN, as is typical for fungal species.