Amanita Section Phalloideae Species in the Mediterranean Basin: Destroying Angels Reviewed.

Abstract

Simple SummaryWhitish lethal species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae (‘destroying angels’) are known to be among the most poisonous fungi worldwide due to their production of amatoxins. The taxonomy of species occurring in the Mediterranean region is here revised, clarifying the identity of several names. Amanita decipiens, A. porrinensis, and A. virosa var. levipes are here considered later heterotypic synonyms of A. verna, A. phalloides, and A. amerivirosa, respectively, while a new name, A. vidua, is proposed for a spring-occurring taxon. The amatoxins and phallotoxins present in Mediterranean destroying angels were characterized, and their epidemiology discussed on the basis of the case study of available data from Spain.In Europe, amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly poisonings caused by macrofungi. The present work presents a multidisciplinary revision of the European species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae based on morphology, phylogeny, epidemiology, and biochemistry of amatoxins and phallotoxins. Five distinct species of this section have been identified in Europe to date: A. phalloides, A. virosa, A. verna, the recently introduced North American species A. amerivirosa, and A. vidua sp. nov., which is a new name proposed for the KOH-negative Mediterranean species previously described as A. verna or A. decipiens by various authors. Epitypes or neotypes are selected for species lacking suitable reference collections, namely A. verna and A. virosa. Three additional taxa, Amanita decipiens, A. porrinensis, and A. virosa var. levipes are here considered later heterotypic synonyms of A. verna, A. phalloides, and A. amerivirosa, respectively.