Amanita phalloides , commonly known as the
death cap, is a deadly poisonous
basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus
Amanita. Widely distributed across
Europe,
A. phalloides forms ectomycorrhizas with various broadleaved trees. In some cases, the death cap has been introduced to new regions with the cultivation of non-native species of
oak,
chestnut, and
pine. The large fruiting bodies (
mushrooms) appear in summer and autumn; the
caps are generally greenish in colour, with a white
stipe and
gills.