# Brown American Star-Footed Amanita (*amanita brunnescens*)

The Brown American Star-Footed Amanita is a fascinating mushroom that can be found in many forests. Its unique star-shaped base makes it look like a little alien from outer space!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** This mushroom typically grows in wooded areas, often near trees and other plants.
- **Also known as:** Alien Mushroom, Brown Amanita, Star-Footed Mushroom

![Brown American Star-Footed Amanita](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Amanita_brunnescens.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Joseph O'Brien, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amanita_brunnescens.jpg)

## Appearance

The Brown American Star-Footed Amanita has a medium to dark brown cap, often sticky when wet, that flattens with age. Its white gills are free from the stem, which is also white and features a distinctive, deeply lobed or star-shaped bulb at its base.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Amanitaceae
- **Genus:** Amanita

## Interesting facts

- Its scientific name, brunnescens, means "becoming brown," describing its cap.
- Its unique "star-foot" base is a leftover from when it started as a tiny mushroom "egg"!
- Mushrooms are not plants; they are part of a special kingdom called Fungi.
- This mushroom wears a delicate ring, like a tiny skirt, on its stem!

## Special abilities

- **Tree Teamwork:** Brown American Star-Footed Amanita can share nutrients with tree roots because of its mycorrhizal relationship that helps them both grow stronger.
- **Spore Scatterer:** Brown American Star-Footed Amanita has millions of microscopic spores that help them spread far and wide by catching wind currents.
- **Chemical Defender:** Brown American Star-Footed Amanita has protective compounds because of its toxic chemistry that helps deter hungry creatures from eating it.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 8-15 cm
- **Edible:** poisonous
- **Size:** 5-15 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Red Oak (*Quercus rubra*) — exchanges nutrients with its roots
- **Symbiotic with:** [Eastern White Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-white-pine) (*Pinus strobus*) — forms beneficial root associations
- **Symbiotic with:** [Eastern Hemlock](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-hemlock) (*Tsuga canadensis*) — shares resources with its root systems

## Traits

- [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color.
- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not touch or eat wild mushrooms without adult supervision.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Brown American Star-Footed Amanita?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Brown American Star-Footed Amanita?

8-15 cm

### Is Brown American Star-Footed Amanita edible?

poisonous

### How big is Brown American Star-Footed Amanita?

5-15 cm

### Where is Brown American Star-Footed Amanita usually found?

This mushroom typically grows in wooded areas, often near trees and other plants.

### What does Brown American Star-Footed Amanita grow on?

soil

### When is Brown American Star-Footed Amanita in season?

Summer to Fall

### What color are Brown American Star-Footed Amanita spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Ole Bull State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ole-bull-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Brown American Star-Footed Amanita Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-american-star-footed-amanita)