Members of the genus _Amanita_ are characterised by their anatomy and certain macroscopic features; the former is illustrated under _A. muscaria_, i.e. the divergent gill-trama. The main macroscopic character of note is the presence of a volva at the base of the stem and it is the details of this volva which helps to distinguish different species. _A. phalloides_ has a distinct, loose, membranous sheath, in _A. citrina_ the volva is reduced to a narrow rim around the bulbous stem and in _A. rubescens_ and _A. muscaria_ the volva is simply a series of concentric zones of woolly scales. All the four species noted above possess a ring, but _A. fulva_ the ‘Tawny grisette’ and _A. vaginata_ (Fries) Vittadini the ‘Grisette’ only possess a volva; this has lead to the use of the generic name _Amanitopsis_ in many books, now no longer considered necessary. The veil in _Amanita_ is probably the most highly developed amongst our common agarics and from Appendix iv it can be seen how the scaly cap and stem originate and how the volva differs from the ring. The volva and cap-scales constitute what has been called the universal veil and the ring which stretches from the cap margin to the stem has been termed the partial veil. The spores of species of _Amanita_ are large and their shape and chemical reactions help to distinguish the different species within the genus. One of the most interesting features, however, is that the spore-mass, although usually described as white, in many species is not white but flushed greenish grey, etc. The slight subtleties in colour of the spore-print assist in classification. The following notes may be instructive in conjunction with the information above (for common names see above). (i) Possessing a ring on the stem:-- ~A. citrina~ S. F. Gray _Cap_: width 55-80 mm. _Stem_: width 18-22 mm; length 70-80 mm. A lemon-yellow or whitish capped agaric with bulbous stem-base, white patches of volva on cap and white stem with flesh strongly smelling of new potatoes. Spores: almost globose and measuring 9-10 × 7-8 µm. ~A. excelsa~ (Fries) Kummer _Cap_: width 75-140 mm. _Stem_: width 20-28 mm; length 85-120 mm. A greyish or brownish capped agaric with clavate stem-base, grey patches of volva on the cap and white concentrically scaly stem with flesh unchanged on exposure to the air. Spores: broadly ellipsoid and measuring 9-10 × 8-9 µm. ~A. rubescens~ (Fries) S. F. Gray _Cap_: width 70-120 mm. _Stem_: width 12-25 mm; length 65-100 mm. A reddish fawn or pinkish buff capped agaric with swollen stem-base, pinkish or flesh-coloured patches of volva on cap and reddish concentrically scaly stem with flesh becoming reddish when exposed to the air. Spores: ellipsoid and measuring 9-10 × 5-6 µm. ~A. pantherina~ (Fries) Secretan ‘Panther’ _Cap_: width 48-95 mm. _Stem_: width 12-20 mm; length 65-100 mm.