mycology Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, genetics, biochemistry, biochemical properties, and ethnomycology, use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, Edible ...

, a volva is a cup-like structure at the base of a

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

that is a remnant of the universal veil, or the remains of the

peridium The peridium is the protective layer that encloses a mass of spores in fungi. This outer covering is a distinctive feature of gasteroid fungi. Description Depending on the species, the peridium may vary from being paper-thin to thick and rubb ...

that encloses the immature fruit bodies of gasteroid fungi. This macrofeature is important in wild mushroom identification because it is an easily observed, taxonomically significant feature that frequently signifies a member of Amanitaceae. This has particular importance due to the disproportionately high number of deadly poisonous species contained within that family. A mushroom's volva is often partially or completely buried in the ground, and therefore care must be taken to check for its presence when identifying mushrooms. Cutting or pulling mushrooms and attempting to identify them later without having noted this feature could be a fatal error. Whilst a volva is a feature best known from ''

Amanita The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded Edible mushroom, edible species (and many species of unknown edibility). The genus is re ...

'' species and stinkhorns such as the

Phallaceae Phallaceae is a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorns, within the order Phallales. Stinkhorns have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul-smelling, sticky spore masses ...

family and others in the Phallales order, it may also occur with other genera including: * '' Volvariella'' * '' Volvopluteus'' * '' Volvanarius'' * '' Battarrea'' Some other species such as '' Leucoagaricus volvatus,'' '' Leucoagaricus bivelatus'' also display a volva despite this not being a typical trait for these genera. The majority of the almost 300 species described In the '' Conocybe'' genus do not have a volva but there are a small number of species in ''Conocybe section Singerella'' which possess a small volva, though in some it may not be immediately evident as they can remain buried in dung. ''Conocybe'' species with a volva include: '' C. anthuriae'', '' C. corneri'', '' C hornana'', '' C. locellina'', C. vaginata, '' C. volvata'', '' C. volviornata,'' '' C. volviradicata.''

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite book , vauthors=Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA , title=Dictionary of the Fungi , edition=10th , publisher=CAB International , location=Wallingford, UK , year=2008 , page=727 , isbn=978-0-85199-826-8 {{cite book , author=Kuo M. , title=100 Edible Mushrooms , publisher=The University of Michigan Press , location=Ann Arbor, Michigan , year=2007 , pag
45
, isbn=978-0-472-03126-9 , url-access=registration , url=https://archive.org/details/100ediblemushroo00kuom/page/45 {{cite book , vauthors=Miller HR, Miller OK , title=Gasteromycetes: Morphological and Developmental Features, with Keys to the Orders, Families, and Genera , publisher=Mad River Press , location=Eureka, California , year=1988 , page=133 , isbn=0-916422-74-7 Fungal morphology and anatomy

See also

References