Taxonomy and Naming
The common name of destroying angel is applied to several all-white species of poisonous Amanita, to this species in Europe and to Amanita bisporiga in eastern North America, and A. ocreata in the west. A. virosa was first collected and described by Elias Magnus Fries in Sweden. Its specific epithet virosa derived from the Latin adjective virÅsus 'toxic' (compare virus).
Amanita virosa is very similar to several other species of all-white amanitas known as destroying angels, which has led to confusion over which occurs where. This specific name has been applied to all-white destroying angels occurring in North America, though others propose these all belong to A. bisporiga and other rarer species instead. There has been some question over whether Amanita verna is a valid species.
Read more about this topic: Amanita Virosa
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