I spotted these guys today on a trail run in the East Bay, CA. It just rained so there were lots mushrooms and amphibians out! I pointed these mushrooms out to my son as cool organisms that are not to be eaten.
I saw all of the death cap features I’ve read about / been warned about, except for a volva. But maybe there’s one buried under the leaves. These were growing under what might be oak trees.
I’m aware the Western Destroying Angel also grows in this area, and might be more likely to appear at this time of year?
Spore print would help w/ ID, white is a (+) association. No staining/ bruising of cap and stip is (+). Also presence/ absence of a volvulus at the ground end a bulbus stipe/stem would be typical of the Amanita genus. The smooth stipe/stem is a (-). I’ve ID’d A. phaloides before in the field. This one would be high suspicion (+), and since it also doesn’t look like anything I do forage, would be a ‘pretty picture, learning experience’, and let’s keep looking.