The fruit body is a mushroom with a yellow, orange or reddish cap atop a white to yellowish stem. The cap, up to 5 cm in diameter, is initially hemispherical but flattens on expansion and, at maturity, is shallowly convex (or even flat) and often with marginal striations. The gills are white. The stem, up to 1 cm in diameter and 5 cm in length, is smooth and lacks the ring that is commonly found in species of Amanita.
A universal veil is present at the button stage. Veil remnants may stick to the cap but fairly often you see caps free of these and quite smooth. However, a remnant of the veil is always present around the bulbous base of the stem, as a closely-fitting cup (or volva). The margin of the volva is orange ring (as shown here: http://www.cpbr.gov.au/fungi/images-captions/amanita-xanthocephala-0015.html). The volval margin is commonly at or a little below ground level so, to see it, you may need to gently brush leaf litter aside.
Spore print: white.
On soil, singly or in groups in eucalypt grasslands, woodlands or forests.
This is an Australian endemic. The original description (as Agaricus xanthocephala) was published in 1845 and was based on a collection made in Western Australia.
Amanita xanthocephala is listed in the following regions:
Synonyms
Agaricus xanthocephalaMaps
Bangalee Walking Track Bodalla State Forest Booderee National Park Callala Creek Bushcare Eurobodalla National Park Lower Cotter Catchment Meroo National Park Murramarang National Park Namadgi National Park Narrawallee Creek Nature Reserve South East Forest National Park The Pinnacle Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Wanniassa Hill