Puffball or Amanita button
Calvatia, Lycoperdon species · Amanita phalloides, A. bisporigera and relatives
Amatoxins
The death cap and the destroying angels account for the overwhelming majority of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide. A single cap can kill an adult. Symptoms are delayed, then appear to improve, then the liver fails.
Check in this order
Most decisive first
| Feature | Puffball | Amanita button |
|---|---|---|
| 01Cut it top to bottom | Uniform, pure white and featureless inside, like a marshmallow. No structure at all. | The clear silhouette of a developing mushroom inside: cap, gills and stem in outline. |
| 02Colour of the interior | Pure white. Any yellowing or olive tint means it is too old to eat and should be discarded. | Pale, but with the outline visible against it. |
| 03Base | No cup or sac. | Enclosed in a membranous sac, the volva, which is why it looks like an egg. |
Where people go wrong
Not cutting every single one. A young Amanita and a small puffball look identical from the outside, and the test takes one second with a knife. Cut every specimen, individually, all the way through.
The specimen sheets
This page tells you what to check. It does not tell you the mushroom in your hand is safe, and it cannot. If you are not certain, do not eat it, and if you have already eaten something and feel unwell, contact a poison centre immediately and keep an uncooked specimen for identification.
Other pairs