{{Short description|Temporary membraneous tissue}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2024}} [[File:Phalloide-Caesarea.JPG|thumb|Immature fruiting bodies of two different mushrooms encased in a universal veil - deadly poisonous ''Amanita phalloides'' (left) and edible ''Amanita caesarea'' (right)]] [[File:Amanita muscaria 3 vliegenzwammen op rij.jpg|thumb|The white patches on the caps of these ''Amanita muscaria'' mushrooms are remnants of universal veils.]] In mycology, a '''universal veil''' is a temporary membranous tissue that fully envelops immature fruiting bodies of certain gilled mushrooms.<ref name="oxford"/> The developing Caesar's mushroom (''Amanita caesarea''), for example, which may resemble a small white sphere at this point, is protected by this structure. The veil will eventually rupture and disintegrate by the force of the expanding and maturing mushroom,<ref name="litten"/> but will usually leave evidence of its former shape with remnants. These remnants include the volva, or cup-like structure at the base of the stipe, and patches or "warts" on top of the cap. This macrofeature is useful in wild mushroom identification because it is an easily observed, taxonomically significant feature. It is a character present among species of basidiomycete fungi belonging to the genera ''Amanita'' and ''Volvariella''. This has particular importance due to the disproportionately high number of potentially lethal species contained within the former genus.
A membrane enveloping immature fruiting bodies of gasteroid fungi resembles a universal veil, but is called a ''peridium''.
==References== <references>
<ref name="oxford">{{cite encyclopedia |title= universal veil |encyclopedia=A Dictionary of Plant Sciences|edition=2. |year=2006 | editor-last=Allaby |editor-first =Michael |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> <ref name="litten">{{cite journal |last1=Litten |first1=Walter |title=The most poisonous mushrooms |journal=Scientific American |date=1975 |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0375-90}}</ref>
</references>
==See also== * Partial veil * Veil (mycology)
Category:Fungal morphology and anatomy
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