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False death cap (Amanita citrina), whole fruiting body
Norbert Nagel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Inedible

False death cap

Amanita citrina · Amanitaceae

The false death cap (Amanita citrina) is an Amanita of oak, beech and pine woods with a pale lemon-yellow or white cap dotted with cream patches.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team5 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyAmanitaceae
SeasonAug–Dec
Spore printWhite
Cap width4–10 cm
Stem length6–8 cm
Records in Turkey16 records
CultivationWild only
StatusInedible

The false death cap (Amanita citrina) is an Amanita of oak, beech and pine woods with a pale lemon-yellow or white cap dotted with cream patches. The stem has a rimmed, rounded bulb at the base and a hanging ring, and it smells of raw potato. It is not considered deadly itself, but it closely resembles the death cap and its edibility is disputed, so it is not eaten.

Also called: false deathcap, citron amanita Turkish: Amanita citrina Synonyms: Amanita mappa

False death cap (Amanita citrina), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

False death cap, part by part

Spore print: White Smells of raw potato or potato sprouts; the taste is unpleasant.

False death cap (Amanita citrina), cap seen from above
Cap4–10 cm; hemispherical at first, then flattening. Pale lemon-yellow, greenish yellow or white (var. alba), with cream to pale brown patches that rub off easily.
False death cap (Amanita citrina), gills under the cap, seen from below
GillsGills white to cream, crowded and free.
False death cap (Amanita citrina), stem and stem base
Stem6–8 cm, whitish or pale yellow, with a distinct, rounded bulb at the base that has a sharp rim.
False death cap (Amanita citrina), whole fruiting body
RingPresent: a hanging white to pale yellow ring on the upper stem.
False death cap (Amanita citrina), volva (cup) at the stem base
Volva — the cup at the baseNo open sack-like volva; a narrow volval rim sits on the top edge of the bulb.

When and where

Aug–Dec

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Augin season
  9. Sepin season
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Decin season

The false death cap appears from late summer into winter. Most of our Turkish records are from October, with others in September, November and December.

Type Inedible

Months seen AugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Colour YellowWhite

Regions Black Sea RegionMarmara RegionÇanakkaleBoluIstanbulKırklareli

Where do false death caps grow?

Forms mycorrhizal partnerships with trees such as oak, beech and pine, and is especially common in woods on acid, sandy soil. It grows singly or in small groups.

Where is false death caps found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 16 Turkish records: Istanbul 6, Kırklareli 5, Bolu 4 and Çanakkale 1. It is also among Amanita specimens collected in Turkey and identified by ITS sequencing (Tapan et al., 2024).

Which months

  1. Jan0
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun0
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep1
  10. Oct10
  11. Nov4
  12. Dec1

false death cap map of Turkey: all provinces and months →

4 provinces, 16 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest false death cap observations

On "illustrative" cards the image is a photo of the species; the observation photo cannot be shown here because of its licence, but can be seen at the source.

False death cap (Amanita citrina), in its natural habitat
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

False death cap can be mistaken for the species below. Each card shows the look-alike and how it differs from False death cap.

False death cap (Amanita citrina), whole fruiting body
This species False death cap
Death cap (Amanita phalloides), whole fruiting body Deadly

not False death cap

Death cap Amanita phalloides

The death cap's cap is olive to yellowish green and usually free of patches; it has an open, sack-like white volva at the base and no potato smell. The false death cap is pale lemon-yellow with patches and has a rimmed, rounded bulb. Telling them apart takes experience; do not eat yellowish Amanitas.

Destroying angel (Amanita virosa), whole fruiting body Deadly

not False death cap

Destroying angel Amanita virosa

The white form of the false death cap (var. alba) resembles the destroying angel. The destroying angel has a shaggy stem and an open, sack-like volva at the base, and does not smell of potato.

Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), whole fruiting body Poisonous

not False death cap

Panther cap Amanita pantherina

The panther cap has a brown cap dotted with neat white warts and a rolled 'sock-like' rim above the bulb. The false death cap is pale yellow with cream patches.

What it contains

It tastes unpleasant and smells of raw potato; it has no culinary value.

General information, not a health claim.

The false death cap is not considered deadly; some sources list it as edible, others as inedible or suspect, and it is reported to contain small amounts of bufotenine. The real danger is confusing it with the deadly death cap and destroying angel. Do not eat yellowish or white Amanitas. If poisoning is suspected, call poison control and keep any leftover mushroom.

Frequently asked questions

Is the false death cap edible?

Our advice is not to eat it. Sources disagree on its edibility and it closely resembles the deadly death cap.

Is the false death cap poisonous?

It is not considered deadly; it is reported to contain small amounts of bufotenine. The main risk is confusing it with the death cap.

How do you tell it from the death cap?

The false death cap has a pale lemon-yellow cap with cream patches, a rimmed rounded bulb and a raw-potato smell. The death cap is olive green, usually without patches, and has an open, sack-like volva.

Why does it smell of potato?

Sources describe its smell as raw potato or potato sprouts, one of its easiest field signs, but smell alone is not a safe way to identify it.

Is there a white form?

Yes; there is a white form known as var. alba, which can be confused with the destroying angel.

Where and when does it grow?

In oak, beech and pine woods, especially on acid soil, from late summer into winter, most often in October.

Where is it found in Turkey?

Our map data has 16 records from Istanbul, Kırklareli, Bolu and Çanakkale.

Does it have a Turkish name?

We found no established, sourced Turkish name, so we use its Latin name. Its English name is false death cap.

When is false death cap season in Turkey?

In our calendar, false death cap season runs Aug–Dec. The false death cap appears from late summer into winter. Most of our Turkish records are from October, with others in September, November and December.

Where do false death caps grow?

Forms mycorrhizal partnerships with trees such as oak, beech and pine, and is especially common in woods on acid, sandy soil. It grows singly or in small groups.

Where are false death caps found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 16 Turkish records: Istanbul 6, Kırklareli 5, Bolu 4 and Çanakkale 1. It is also among Amanita specimens collected in Turkey and identified by ITS sequencing (Tapan et al., 2024).

What can the false death cap be confused with?

The false death cap can be confused with death cap (Amanita phalloides, deadly), destroying angel (Amanita virosa, deadly) and panther cap (Amanita pantherina, poisonous). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is the false death cap called in Turkish?

In Turkish, the false death cap (Amanita citrina) is called Amanita citrina.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Tapan ve ark. (2024), Biology Bulletin 51(6): Antioxidant Activities of Some Edible and Poisonous Amanita Species from Türkiye doi.org
  2. Wikipedia (EN): Amanita citrina en.wikipedia.org
  3. First Nature: Amanita citrina, False Deathcap first-nature.com
All sources (5)
  1. iNaturalist: Amanita citrina (Türkiye gözlemleri) inaturalist.org
  2. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
Photo credits (12)