Amanita subpallidorosea, a new lethal fungus from China

A lethal mushroom that caused two deaths in southwestern China in 2014 drew our attention. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic data indicated that the mushroom belongs to Amanita section Phalloideae and is distinct from all known taxa of the section. The novel species, designated A. subpallidorosea, has been described and compared with related taxa in the genus. This species is macroscopically characterized by a white pileus when juvenile that develops a pale rose tinge in the center with age, a subapical annulus, and large globose to subglobose basidiospores measuring 8.5–11 × 8–10 μm.