Blusher
| Blusher | |
|---|---|
| Amanita rubescens near Piacenza, Italy | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Amanitaceae |
| Genus: | Amanita |
| Species: | A. rubescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Amanita rubescens | |
| Amanita rubescens Mycological characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Gills on hymenium | |
| Cap is flat | |
| Hymenium is free | |
| Stipe has a ring | |
| Spore print is white | |
| Ecology is mycorrhizal | |
| Edibility is edible but not recommended | |
The blusher is the common name for several closely related species of the genus Amanita. A. rubescens, or the blushing amanita, is found in Europe and eastern North America, and A. novinupta, also known as the new bride blushing amanita, is found in western North America. Both their scientific and common names are derived from the propensity of their flesh to turn pink upon bruising or cutting.
The mushroom is edible and tasty, sought for in several European countries. It may however easily be confused with the potentially deadly panther cap by inexperienced foragers, and guides advise extreme caution when collecting this species. Blushers can be distinguished from similar species by the pink or reddish colouration that appears when the mushroom is damaged, typically most visible at the base of the stipe from insect damage.