As food, mushrooms are used as a topping for pizza and burgers, as well as in soups, and are sometimes eaten alone. Many mushroom enthusiasts prefer to go hunting for mushrooms in the woods, however not all wild mushrooms are safe to eat. One of the most dangerous fungi is the deadly greenish Tignosa or Amanita Phalloides; this and other toxic mushrooms of the Amanita genus damage the body by inhibiting the formation of certain proteins in the liver and kidneys, resulting in coma and death. The toxins of Amanita Phalloides are present and concentrated in all tissues of the fungus, 3 g of the tissue of this fungus can be lethal. Due to the serious threat it poses, it is important to know how to recognize the deadly Amanita Phalloides
Steps
Step 1. See if it has a whitish stem up to about 6 inches long, with a large, round cap and a white, sack-shaped volva, remnant of the tissue that protected the lamellae of the fungus at its base as it developed
Step 2. Measure the mushroom cap and see if it has a greenish or yellowish color
The hat is about 6-15 cm wide and can be yellowish green, green, yellow and sometimes whitish, with 1 or more fragments of white and membranous veil.
Step 3. Dig a little in the ground to find the base of the mushroom stem
The base of the stem of the fungus, in young specimens with cap and volva, is often found in the soil around the plant with which the fungus is associated. The hat can also detach or separate over time, so even if it is not present, the mushroom could still be an Amanita Phalloides.
Step 4. Look at the smooth, wavy edge of the hat
The hat is convex in the younger specimens, but flattens with the age of the mushroom, developing a wavy margin.
Step 5. See if he has a lot of thick, white gills under his hat
Amanita Phalloides and other mushrooms of the genus Amanita show white gills, or with greenish reflections, under the cap that are very dense and remain free at the attachment of the stem. The color of the gills is another characteristic to distinguish the deadly Amanita Phalloides from Volvariella volvacea and other edible mushrooms. The gills of Volvariella volvacea are pinkish brown. Other mushrooms, such as those of the genus Agaricus, also have pink gills, which turn brown with age.
Step 6. See if the spores are white by placing the mushroom cap on a piece of paper with the gills facing down and leave it overnight
An Amanita Phalloides will leave white spores, while a Volvariella volvacea will leave them pink.
Step 7. Smell the mushroom
Amanita Phalloides has an almost zero odor that is slightly reminiscent of rose petals; the smell can be used if you cannot tell from the physical appearance whether the mushroom is an Amanita Phalloides or another variety.
Warnings
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Try to find out more about Amanita Phalloides. The mushroom is of European origin, present in broad-leaved woods and in spruce conifers. From Europe it has spread to both North America and North Africa and is now reaching Australia and South America. Randomly imported with seedlings of both species, it has developed symbiosis for oaks and pines and has also been found among oaks in coastal areas, such as those of New Jersey, Oregon and the San Francisco Bay area of Calfornia, as well as for beech, birch, chestnut and eucalyptus trees, and is also present in some grassy areas. It lives in symbiosis with the tree, taking carbohydrates from its roots and providing magnesium, phosphorus and other nutrients in return.
Amanita Phalloides is often mistaken for edible Volvariella volvacea (or simply Volvariella). The two mushrooms are similar in appearance, but there are differences, as described elsewhere in this article
- Amanita Phalloides is found from late summer to late autumn in the more temperate latitudes. In North America and Europe, it means late August to late November. In Australia and South America, from late February to late May.
- If you accidentally eat a poisonous specimen of the Amanita mushroom family, seek the appropriate treatment immediately. The longer you wait, the more the toxins damage your body. Treatment for Amanita poisoning begins with administering milk thistle extract to inhibit the ability of toxins to attack the liver, coupled with albumin dialysis to remove those toxins. In severe cases, a liver transplant may be necessary.
- The Amanita Phalloides is not the only member of the Amanita family who is mortal. Other Amanitas - Amanita virosa, Amanita bisporigera and Amanita bivolvata, Amanita verna - collectively known as "Angels of Death", are equally poisonous mushrooms, differing in appearance from Phalloides in that they are white and have the driest cap. The Amanita virosa lives in Europe, while a. bisporigera and a. bivolvata live in eastern and western North America, respectively. (Some Amanita mushrooms, such as Amanita caesarea or Caesar's mushroom, are great edibles, but unless you can recognize them from their deadly cousins, you should avoid them.)
