Assessment Notes

Justification

Amanita vernicoccora is a common spring-fruiting Amanita from oak forests in California and southern Oregon, with scattered reports into Washington. Although oak habitat has declined, and the fungus is likely to have declined as a result, it is unlikely that this is at a rate sufficient to approach the thresholds for listing as threatened. Therefore, it is assessed as Least Concern.

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Taxonomic notes

This species was long-considered a pale-capped, spring-fruiting form of Amanita calyptroderma (as A. calyptrata Thiers 1982, Arora 1986), before being formally described as a distinct species (Bojantchev et al. 2011).

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Geographic range

This species is widespread and common in California into southern Oregon, in both coastal and montane forest; and occasional to rare in Washington, USA.

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Population and Trends

The population is widespread, growing with oaks (Quercus spp.) in coastal, Coast Range and montane forests in California. There has been decline of oak woodlands in California and Oregon. As a widespread species, in multiple habitats, the overall population decline in this fungus isn't likely to approach 30% over three generations.

Population Trend: decreasing

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Habitat and Ecology

It is ectomycorrhizal with oaks; especially with Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), Black Oak (Q. kelloggii) and occasionally other oaks (Quercus spp). More rarely it is found with conifers (mostly in the Pacific Northwest). It occurs in coastal and Coast Range Forests, into mid-elevation montane forests in the Sierra Nevada. Fruiting is in winter and spring.

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Threats

This species may be being impacted by habitat loss, due to urban development, and clearing of woodlands for horticulture, as well as drought and climate change in California. Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum) has also had detrimental affects on Coast Live Oak habitat.

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Conservation Actions

No specific conservation actions have been identified with regards to this species, and no specific research is needed either.

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Use and Trade

This species is edible, and occasionally collected for food.

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Source and Citation

Siegel, N. 2021. Amanita vernicoccora. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T198477547A198489032. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T198477547A198489032.en .Accessed on 5 October 2024

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• Country occurrence