A. Muscaria in Central California?

Question

Does Amanita Var. Muscaria grow anywhere in Central CA? I've seen them in Sequoia Nat'l Forest, but what about further north? Up in the Angeles Mountains, for example?

Answer 1

The species is widely distributed throughout the planet.  Amanita muscaria grows in summer and autumn under coniferous and deciduous trees, from the lowland up to the subalpine zone.  It occurs practically all over the temperate and subtropical zones in Europe, North Africa, South Africa, Asia, Japan, Australia, North America (in the Western States of the USA more often than in the Eastern States) and in South America.

http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/fun...

Here you find a distribution map of genus Amanita:

http://zipcodezoo.com/Key/Amanita_Genus....

"A. muscaria var. muscaria is described as having white warts or universal veil tissue; we do not seem to have this variety".

http://www.svims.ca/council/Amanit.htm

This publication also contains an identification key for species of genus Amanita.

Amanita muscaria var. flavivolvata is common in Western North America. Has a more southern distribution than some other A. muscaria varieties, but still quite common in northern California.

http://www.erowid.org/plants/amanitas/am...

There is a bit confusion about new and elder taxonomy and names of Amanita/Agaricus. In this publication, chapter classification you find the actual names and distribution of the varieties:

http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo1...