The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

[Harold Gough]

These Amanita phalloides were in a deciduous woodland I visited on Sunday. There is a white form e.g. in France. It is extremely toxic by ingestion and even spores in the mouth can make you ill. There is no antidote and severe effects require a liver transplant.

That said, slugs quite enjoy it (last image).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides

Olympus EM-1, Olympus 4/3 x2TC, Olympus 4/3 50mm f2 macro, f11. triple flash.

The stereo is crosseye.

Harold

[Barr1e]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Great series - thanks.

As for the slugs.........


Regards. Barr1e

[Gwyver]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Do the slugs need liver transplants subsequently ?

[iso]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Thanks Harold - no Red and White spotted Caps, which we are all taught to avoid. It would be good to be able to go out gathering with extensive knowledge.

[Harold Gough]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Thanks Harold - no Red and White spotted Caps, which we are all taught to avoid. It would be good to be able to go out gathering with extensive knowledge.

We have eaten two Amanita species, the Blusher (poisonous when raw) and the Tawny Grisette. The former is very similar to the poisonous Panther Cap.

Harold

[David M]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Do the slugs need liver transplants subsequently ?

I wonder if slugs hallucinate after eating Fly Agaric?

[Jim Ford]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

ISTRC that rabbits can eat Death Caps with impunity. There's something in their stomachs that neutralise the toxins.

A few years ago there was a case where a S.E. Asian mother and daughter ate Death Caps that they had gathered in the gardens in Ventnor on the IOW. They had mistaken them for Straw Mushrooms that grow in their country and are edible. I think one of them died and the other needed a liver transplant.

Jim

[Tordan58]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

This is the most toxic fungi not only in Britain but in the whole of Europe. It is believed that as little as 30g is a lethal dose. The toxin is Amatoxin which causes liver and kidney failure leading to death within a week unless new liver is transplanted. Can quite easily be mixed up with Russula aeruginea
On the list of deadly fungi is also Amanita virosa, same toxin as above though somewhat less concentrated. Still deadly. Can be mixed up with Agaricus arvensis, Tricholoma columbetta and Calocybe gambosa
Next would be Galerina marginata. Same group of toxins as above. Can be confused with a few edible mushrooms.
On that list also should also be added Cortinarius orellanoides. The toxin is orellanine that causes kidney failure and requires kidney transplant. Can be mistaken for Craterellus tubaeformis. It takes several days for the symptoms to show and then the kidneys are already damaged.
Gyromitra esculenta is a delicacy in some countries but potentially deadly if eaten raw. Parboiling before intake mitigates or eliminates the effect of the toxin (Gyrometrin, which affects liver kindey and central nervous system) but still there is always risks associated eating this mushroom.

[David M]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

So Tord, explain to the readers how your ancestors used to prepare Amanita muscaria for recreational purposes.

When I used to do slide presentations to natural history societies and camera clubs I'd tell them how to prepare Fly Agaric.

[Harold Gough]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

I wonder if slugs hallucinate after eating Fly Agaric?

Reindeer do. Maybe they try to outrun a hedgehog?

Harold

[OM USer]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Nicely photographed Harold.

[David M]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Reindeer do. Maybe they try to outrun a hedgehog?

Harold

One way of preparing it for recreational purposes I read about was feeding it to Reindeer and drinking their urine. It may have been an article in BBC Wildlife, I remember that method and getting the women to chew the Fly Agaric to a paste so the men could eat it.

[Harold Gough]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

It may have been an article in BBC Wildlife, I remember that method and getting the women to chew the Fly Agaric to a paste so the men could eat it.

Interesting. It is most toxic when chewed!

Harold

[David M]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

Interesting. It is most toxic when chewed!

Harold

I think it was referencing the Sami people (Lapps or Laplanders) traditional methods of preparing it.

[Jim Ford]

Re: The Most Deadly British Mushroom, the Death Cap

One way of preparing it for recreational purposes I read about was feeding it to Reindeer and drinking their urine. It may have been an article in BBC Wildlife, I remember that method and getting the women to chew the Fly Agaric to a paste so the men could eat it.

I believe it was Siberian shamen that used to take it in order to get prophetic visions. It would cause vomiting, and to avoid this they used to get the women to chew it and form it into a pellet. The shaman would then place it at the back of his throat and swallow it. The active ingredient was little changed in passing through the body, and to get an additional 'hit' they would drink the urine. I guess this all passed for a good time in Siberia!

Jim