Commonly called the destroying angel, the fruiting body of this mushroom producing species is entirely white throughout the pileus, lamellae and stipe. Spores are also white. It grows in the Eastern U.S. mostly in coniferous forests but may also be found in hardwood forests. A. phalloides is the Western U.S. analog species. The most remarkable characteristic of A. virosa is its toxicity. Liver enzymes convert compounds in the A. virosa into substances that lyse hepatic cell membranes causing extensive scarring throughout the liver. The only treatment for Amanita virosa consumption is a liver transplant or else the person dies.