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Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), whole fruiting body
inyucho from Holland · CC BY 2.0
Poisonous

Panther cap

Amanita pantherina · Amanitaceae

The panther cap is a poisonous Amanita with a brown cap scattered with white warts, white gills and a bulbous stem base with a distinct rim.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team6 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyAmanitaceae
SeasonJul–Dec
Spore printWhite
Cap width5–12 cm
Stem length6–12 cm
Records in Turkey49 records
CultivationWild only
StatusPoisonous

The panther cap is a poisonous Amanita with a brown cap scattered with white warts, white gills and a bulbous stem base with a distinct rim. It contains ibotenic acid and muscimol and is reported to cause more severe poisoning than the fly agaric.

Also called: false blusher, panther amanita Turkish: Panter mantarı, panter amanitası, benekli amanita

Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

Panther cap, part by part

Spore print: White Not distinctive; the flesh does not change colour when cut.

Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), cap seen from above
Cap5–12 cm, convex to flat; olive-brown to dark brown with small pure-white warts; margin finely striate.
Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), gills under the cap, seen from below
GillsFree, crowded, white gills.
Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), stem and stem base
Stem6–12 cm, white; a rounded bulb at the base with a sharp, collar-like rim on top.
Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), stem and stem base
RingWhite, thin, hanging ring without striations.
Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), volva (cup) at the stem base
Volva — the cup at the baseFused to the bulb, forming a sharp-edged rim.

When and where

Jul–Dec

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

The panther cap fruits in summer and autumn; Turkish GBIF records cluster in August and in October–November.

Type Poisonous

Months seen JulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Colour Brown

Regions Black Sea RegionMediterranean RegionMarmara RegionOsmaniyeGiresunSamsunBoluBursaIstanbulBalıkesirKırklareli

Where do panther caps grow?

The panther cap grows in broadleaf and conifer woods, especially under oak, beech and pine, forming a mycorrhizal partnership with the trees.

Where is panther caps found in Turkey?

In Turkey, panther cap records come mostly from the forests of İstanbul, with others from Kırklareli, Giresun, Kastamonu, Sinop, Balıkesir, Kocaeli and Osmaniye.

Other provinces: Düzce (1), Sakarya (1)

Which months

  1. Jan1
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun0
  7. Jul1
  8. Aug1
  9. Sep3
  10. Oct22
  11. Nov15
  12. Dec6

panther cap map of Turkey: all provinces and months →

14 provinces, 49 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest panther cap observations

Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), in its natural habitat
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What is it mistaken for?

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

Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), whole fruiting body
This species Panther cap
Blusher (Amanita rubescens), whole fruiting body Inedible

not Panther cap

Blusher Amanita rubescens

Its flesh turns pink-red when cut or bruised, its warts are greyish-pink and its ring is striate. It is toxic raw, and because of the panther cap risk it is best left alone.

Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), whole fruiting body Poisonous

not Panther cap

Fly agaric Amanita muscaria

Its cap is red-orange; a rain-faded fly agaric can resemble a panther cap. Both are poisonous.

Grey spotted amanita (Amanita excelsa) Inedible

not Panther cap

Grey spotted amanita Amanita excelsa

Grey-brown cap with grey, mealy warts and a striate ring; hard to separate from the panther cap and not eaten.

Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera), whole fruiting body Edible species

not Panther cap

Parasol mushroom Macrolepiota procera

Much larger with brown scales, a snakeskin-patterned stem, a thick movable ring and no volva.

False death cap (Amanita citrina), whole fruiting body Inedible

not Panther cap

False death cap Amanita citrina

The false death cap has a pale lemon-yellow or white cap with cream patches, a rimmed rounded bulb and a raw-potato smell. The panther cap is brown with white warts.

Toxins

The panther cap's active compounds are ibotenic acid and muscimol, which act on the central nervous system; levels have been found to be higher than in the fly agaric. Source

Frequently asked questions

Is the panther cap poisonous?

Yes. The panther cap contains ibotenic acid and muscimol and is poisonous, causing dizziness, confusion, vomiting and in severe cases coma. Cooking does not destroy the toxins.

How do you identify a panther cap?

A brown cap with small pure-white warts, white gills, an unstriated ring and a rounded bulb at the stem base topped by a sharp rim. The flesh does not change colour when cut.

What is the panther cap confused with?

Mostly with the blusher (Amanita rubescens) and the grey spotted amanita (A. excelsa); a rain-faded fly agaric or a young parasol can also be confused. The blusher's flesh turns pink when cut.

Where does the panther cap grow in Turkey?

In oak, beech and pine woods. Most GBIF records come from İstanbul's forests, with others in Kırklareli, Giresun, Kastamonu, Sinop and Osmaniye.

When does the panther cap appear?

From summer to December; Turkish records cluster in August and October–November.

What should you do if someone eats a panther cap?

Call 112 or the Turkish poison centre on 114 straight away, do not leave the person alone and take any leftover mushroom to hospital. Do not try to induce vomiting yourself.

Are panther caps poisonous?

Yes, the panther cap is poisonous and must not be eaten. Symptoms of panther cap poisoning usually start between 30 minutes and 2 hours: dizziness, confusion, muscle twitching and vomiting, and in severe cases coma. No cooking method removes the toxins.

When is panther cap season in Turkey?

In our calendar, panther cap season runs Jul–Dec. The panther cap fruits in summer and autumn; Turkish GBIF records cluster in August and in October–November.

Where do panther caps grow?

The panther cap grows in broadleaf and conifer woods, especially under oak, beech and pine, forming a mycorrhizal partnership with the trees.

Where are panther caps found in Turkey?

In Turkey, panther cap records come mostly from the forests of İstanbul, with others from Kırklareli, Giresun, Kastamonu, Sinop, Balıkesir, Kocaeli and Osmaniye.

What can the panther cap be confused with?

The panther cap can be confused with blusher (Amanita rubescens, inedible), fly agaric (Amanita muscaria, poisonous), grey spotted amanita (Amanita excelsa, inedible), parasol (Macrolepiota procera, edible species) and false death cap (Amanita citrina, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is the panther cap called in Turkish?

In Turkish, the panther cap (Amanita pantherina) is called Panter mantarı; other local names include panter amanitası and benekli amanita.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Satora ve ark. (2006), Toxicon: Amanita pantherina zehirlenmesi vaka ve derleme pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Şahin ve ark. (2023), Recent Trends in Pharmacology: Assessment and management of poisonous mushrooms in Türkiye dergipark.org.tr
  3. Wikipedia (EN): Amanita pantherina en.wikipedia.org
All sources (6)
  1. First Nature: Amanita pantherina first-nature.com
  2. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  3. iNaturalist: Türkiye gözlemleri inaturalist.org
Photo credits (16)