Amanita muscaria

Areas of growth of ovate fly agaric.

This type of fly agaric can be found in various mixed forests. Amanita muscariae most often settle in the Mediterranean. Calcareous soil is a favorite growing place. These mushrooms are often found under beech trees. Amanita muscaria is listed in the Red Book of the Krasnodar Territory.

Reproduction of ovoid fly agaric.

Amanita muscaria reproduce by spores. The spores are round, colorless. The color of the spore powder is white, sometimes there may be a pink tint.

Disputes remain viable for a long time - tens of years. With their help, mushrooms are spread over long distances. Spores are spread by wind, water, animals. When the spores of the ovoid fly agaric get into the right conditions, they germinate, mycelium forms, and a new fungus appears.

What is the danger of ovate fly agaric.

As noted, you should be very careful when collecting ovoid fly agaric. The fact is that they are outwardly similar to pale toadstools, which cause severe poisoning. Toadstools are very dangerous poisonous mushrooms, so only experienced mushroom pickers can collect egg-shaped fly agarics.

Related species of fly agaric ovate.

Amanita muscaria is a poisonous representative of the genus. The caps in young specimens are spherical, then they become open, sometimes the edges rise. The color of the cap is yellow-ocher or brownish, the surface is completely covered with yellow or white warts. The leg is tuberous at first, later it becomes slender. The color of the leg is brown-ocher with a whitish felt bloom. Sometimes scales are visible at its base. There is a thin, sagging, smooth ring on the knife. The pulp is brittle, fleshy, odorless, white.

Amanita mushrooms bear fruit from July to November. They grow in forests mixed with spruce, as well as spruce coniferous forests. They settle on the soil. Meet in small groups or singly. They rarely come across. They prefer the northern regions.

Amanita muscaria bright yellow is another poisonous mushroom. His hat is smooth, first convex, and then flat. The surface of the cap is dry, and its color is ocher yellow. The pulp gives off a faint radish smell. The color of the pulp is white or yellow. The leg is long, fragile. Its surface is smooth or pubescent, yellowish. At first there is a ring on the stem, but it quickly disappears, leaving a slightly noticeable color.

Amanitae are bright yellow from spring to autumn. The degree of toxicity of these fungi depends on the place of growth. Basically, these fly agarics grow under coniferous trees. The species is common in the Northern Hemisphere. Not very common.

LAT Amanita ovoidea Conditionally Edible Synonyms: Agaricus ovoideus, Amanita alba, Amidella ovoidea

Specifications:

Systematics:

Refers to conditionally edible or even edible mushrooms. Some mushroom pickers believe that, unlike most fly agarics, it is ovoid, edible, very tasty and can be used in any form. However, a number of sources have questioned the edibility of the mushroom.

In addition, beginners and inexperienced amateurs should treat it with caution, since there is a very high risk of confusing a mushroom with a poisonous toadstool and getting severe poisoning

Death cap

Next, we will talk about the most poisonous mushroom in the world, which also belongs to the genus Amanita. Let's find out more about what a pale toadstool is.

Edible or not

It is forbidden to eat pale toadstool in any form. Even after boiling with a change of water, this mushroom retains its toxicity.

To kill an adult, it is enough to give him about 30 g of pulp.Death occurs as a result of a powerful intoxication, which causes the appearance of toxic hepatitis (liver failure), as well as acute heart failure. As a result of the action of toxic substances, the liver begins to deteriorate rapidly. The kidneys do not have time to remove toxins and simply refuse.

Important! The danger lies in the absence of symptoms of poisoning on the first day. Death after use occurs after 1.5 weeks in any case

Other name

Amanita muscaria is also called green fly agaric or white fly agaric. The Latin name of the species is Amanita phalloides.

What does it look like

• The mushroom cap has a diameter of up to 10 cm. At the initial stage of development of the fruiting body, it has a domed shape, but over time it becomes flat and then concave. As for the color, there are several variations. In some regions, there is a marsh-green grebe, in others, a yellowish-brown one. Also, the hat can be white.

The pulp is colored white. A distinctive feature is that after damage and prolonged contact with oxygen, the pulp does not change its color. Has a very faint odor.
The length of the leg varies between 8-15 cm in length and 1-2.5 cm in diameter. The color is identical to the hat. Sometimes there are mushrooms with a moiré pattern on the stem.

The plates are white, soft to the touch, located freely.
A distinctive feature of the white toadstool is the presence of a Volvo. This is a small part of the mushroom that looks like a burst egg and serves as a defense. Volvo can be noticed only in young mushrooms. In them, it has a width of up to 5 cm, is partly in the soil, the color is white, sometimes slightly yellowish.

When and where it grows, doubles

You can meet the most dangerous mushroom in the world on fertile soils where it feels best. As in the case of the red fly agaric, the toadstool enters into symbiosis with trees, so this mushroom can be found in any deciduous forest where beeches, oaks, and hazel grow. Sometimes found in open areas, where livestock is often grazed.

Distributed in the temperate climate of Eurasia, and also found in North America.

Separately, it should be said about the doubles. The fact is that due to toadstool, a huge number of people die every year only for the reason that it is confused with champignon.

Learn more about champignons: benefits and harms to the body, methods of growing, technology of growing at home, freezing in a home refrigerator.

If the toadstool is painted pure white, then an inexperienced mushroom picker, cutting off only the cap, can easily confuse and eat an incredibly dangerous mushroom. Also, toadstool is confused with green russula, floats and green tea.

In order not to confuse champignon with toadstool, you should first of all look at the color of the plates, which darken with time in champignons. In the green fly agaric, they always remain white. As for russules, they never form a volva, and there is also no ring in the upper part of the leg. The flesh of the russula is brittle, and that of the fly agaric is fleshy, dense.

Video: how to distinguish between pale toadstool and green russula

At the greenfinch, not only the outer part of the cap is painted, but also the plate. They are greenish in color. Also, greenfinch lacks a Volvo.

Application and benefits

Amanita is collected during the entire growing season. Only hats of a dark color are taken, rounded and even. Cut lengthwise, the mushrooms are dried in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 50 °. If the caps of fly agarics are large, it is advisable to pre-dry them in the open air. Store dried mushrooms in a sealed container in a dark, dry place. Medications made from fly agaric should only be taken under the supervision of a homeopathic physician.

External use always gives a good healing effect. Amanita in the forest is the first remedy for wound healing.To do this, you just need to take a hat, knead it and bandage it to the affected area. In less than 2 hours, the wound will begin to heal.

When using fly agaric, you should always remember that this mushroom is deadly poisonous! All mushrooms collected for storage, as well as preparations from them, must be kept in signed containers on the far shelves. Children and pets must not have access to them. If there are signs of fly agaric poisoning or even suspicion of it, you should urgently seek medical help.

Areas of growth of Vittadini's fly agarics.

This species is common in some southeastern and southern regions of Russia. These mushrooms grow in the reserved steppes of Stavropol, Saratov region, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia.

Amanita muscaria Vittadini grow in European countries with relatively warm climates: from Italy to the British Isles. Also, these mushrooms are found in Asia: in the Far East, in the Caucasus, in Central Asia, Israel. Amanita Vittadini also lives in Africa, South and North America.

These mushrooms grow in the steppes, forest-steppes, and next to forest belts. In southern Europe, this species is considered extremely rare, which may be why it is called poisonous. Fruiting of these fly agarics occurs from April to October. These mushrooms can settle on various soils.

The similarity of the Vittadini fly agarics with other mushrooms.

The fly agaric Vittadini bears an external resemblance to the white fly agaric, which is a deadly poisonous species.

Also, the fly agaric Vittadini can be confused with a white umbrella, but there is no danger in this.

Evaluation of the nutritional qualities of the Vittadini fly agarics.

Young fly agarics Vittadini are considered edible. Their pulp has a pleasant smell and taste. But these are very rare mushrooms, so you should refrain from collecting them. In addition, there is a risk of confusing this conditionally edible mushroom with a deadly poisonous one.

Classification of fly agarics by Vittadini.

Some mycologists believe that the Vittadini fly agarics have traits of both the Amanita genus and the Lepiota genus, in this regard, they include these mushrooms in the Lepidella genus.

A feature of the Vittadini fly agarics.

Interestingly, when dry, the young fruiting bodies of the Amanita Vittadini do not lose their vitality. During a drought, their development temporarily stops, and when heavy rains fall in the steppe, development continues again.

Related species of the Vittadini fly agaric.

Amanita Battarra is also considered a conditionally edible species. The shape of its cap can be ovoid, bell-shaped and convex. The edges are uneven, ribbed. The cap is thin in structure. Her color is yellow-olive or gray-brown. The surface of the cap is bare, but traces of a common veil are often visible. The leg is yellow-brown, with scales.

Amanita Battarra bears fruit from July to October. This type of fly agaric grows in mixed and coniferous forests. They settle mainly on acidic soils.

Amanita Elias is also conditionally edible. The shape of his cap varies from ovoid to prostrate with a central tubercle. It can be whitish, pink, beige and brown in color. There are blanket particles on its surface. The leg can bend slightly, its base is widened. There is a whitish, hanging ring on the stem.

Amanita muscaria of Elias are mainly found in the Mediterranean regions. This species is rare in our country. You can find them in mixed and deciduous forests, under nuts, beeches, hornbeams and beeches. Fruiting is observed from August to September. These mushrooms do not appear every year.

Precautionary measures

How to protect yourself and your loved ones from poisoning by poisonous mushrooms?

To do this, you should follow a number of simple rules:

1. Collect only familiar types of mushrooms. Any doubts about identifying a mushroom is a good reason not to put it in the basket.
2. You cannot store unknown mushrooms in the same basket with edible ones. If you want to show them later to a more experienced mushroom picker, put them in a separate container. Do not touch such mushrooms with your bare hands.
3. It is necessary to cut mushrooms with a whole leg - this helps with their identification.
4. You cannot buy dried, salted, pickled and canned mushrooms from random people and in places of spontaneous trade.
5. In no case should you try mushrooms while harvesting!

If you follow all these precautions, then you can not be afraid of becoming a victim of a beautiful, but very dangerous destroyer angel.

Methods for harvesting a whitewash

Belyanka is a lamellar mushroom, which means that it is better to use it in salted or pickled form. Whites are also suitable for freezing. They are great in salads, sauces, soups, pies, or as a standalone snack.

How to salt white waves?

The hot way of salting whitefish

Mushrooms prepared for salting are thoroughly cleaned of debris, leaves, wormholes, damaged parts are cut out and washed well. Then they are placed in a glass or enamel dish, poured with cold water and placed on the stove, without stirring until it boils completely. When the water boils, the mushrooms are gently mixed and the foam removed. White whites are cooked from the moment of boiling for 15-20 minutes. Then they are thrown into a colander, allowed to drain completely, then laid in dense layers of 5-7 centimeters in a wide dish and sprinkle each layer with coarse table salt, at the rate of 30 grams of salt per kilogram of white eggs. Pepper, currant, cherry, bay leaves are placed on the bottom of the dishes and on top of the mushrooms. You can add cloves or garlic. Oppression is placed on top.

Cold method of salting whitefish

With the cold method of salting, the whites must be soaked for two to three days to remove the bitterness. To do this, they are cleaned, washed and filled with plenty of water. It is necessary to change the water at least two to three times a day. Soak the whites until the bitterness disappears completely. Then the mushrooms are always placed upside down in a wide bowl, in layers of 5-7 centimeters. Each layer of whites is sprinkled with coarse table salt - 30 grams of salt per kilogram of mushrooms. Lay the waves as tightly as possible. Spices are placed on the bottom and on top of the mushrooms. Oppression is placed on top of the whites. The white waves prepared in this way will be ready for use in about 3-4 days.

Pickled white waves

For the preparation of pickled whites, they take peeled and washed mushrooms and soak them in cold water for three days, changing the water two or three times a day. It is imperative to ensure that the whites do not acidify. It is advisable to sort the mushrooms by size. Loan soaked mushrooms are thoroughly washed and boiled in salted water for 20 minutes, after which they are thrown into a colander and allowed to drain off the water. The marinade is prepared in the proportion: 150 ml of water, a teaspoon of table salt, a teaspoon of sugar, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves. The marinade is brought to a boil over medium heat, the whites are put in it, half a tablespoon of vinegar is poured and boiled for another 10 minutes. Hot whites are laid out in sterile jars, sealed and hermetically closed with lids, also sterilized. The jars are turned upside down, covered with a towel and left to cool completely. Store pickled whites in a cool dark place.

Ecology and distribution of spring fly agaric

Spring fly agarics grow in deciduous forests. They are common in warm temperate regions. Most often, spring toadstools can be found in deciduous thickets that grow on soil with a predominance of limestone. Spring fly agarics bear fruit in spring.

Other mushrooms of this genus

Amanita muscaria, he is also prickly-headed fly agaric, he is a fat bristly man is an inedible mushroom. The cap of the bristly fly agaric is initially almost round, but over time it transforms into an open one. The diameter of the cap is quite large - 14-16 centimeters.

The cap is fleshy, its edges can be even or serrated.The color of the cap varies from white to grayish, over time it becomes light ocher, and sometimes a greenish tint appears. The entire surface of the cap is covered with pyramidal warts. The leg is slightly thickened in the middle, and cylindrical in the upper part. The height of the leg is 10-15 centimeters, with a diameter of 1-4 centimeters. The color of the leg is yellowish or white, sometimes there may be an olive tint. The pulp is very dense, white in color, its smell and taste are unpleasant.

Amanita muscaria grows in mixed and deciduous forests. They are rare. They prefer coastal areas near lakes and rivers. They thrive in calcareous soils. Amanita muscariae are distributed mainly in the southern regions of Europe. These mushrooms bear fruit actively from June to October.

Amanita muscaria is an inedible, poisonous mushroom. Amanita muscaria's cap is at first semicircular, and later prostrate. The leg is whitish. There are yellowish flakes over the entire surface of the fruiting body. The diameter of the cap of the Amanita muscaria ranges from 4 to 9 centimeters. The hat is rather fleshy, yellowish or olive in color. The leg is slightly thickened downwards, and tapers upwards. At first, the leg is dense, but over time it becomes hollow. Its height is 4-8 centimeters, with a diameter of 1-2 centimeters. On the leg there is a weakly expressed Volvo, characterized by friability.

Amanita muscariae grow in deciduous and mixed forests, preferring to settle under beeches, hornbeams and oaks. They bear fruit in groups. Amanita muscariae are common in Europe, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Japan, North America and North Africa.

Amanita Elias is found in the European-Mediterranean regions, and in our country it is considered rare. There is not much information about these fly agarics. Amanita Elias love to grow in deciduous and mixed forests. They are often found in eucalyptus groves. Mycorrhiza is formed with deciduous trees - hornbeam, beech, walnut and oak. Fruiting from August to September. Fruit bodies do not appear annually.

The diameter of the cap of the fly agaric Elias reaches 10 centimeters. The shape of the cap in young mushrooms is ovoid, becomes convex at an older age, a tubercle may remain in the center. The color of the cap varies from pink, white and beige to brown. Particles of the bedspread are visible on the surface. The edges of the cap may be ribbed, often curving upward. The leg height is 10-12 centimeters.

The leg is central, sometimes with a slight bend, towards the base, as a rule, it is widened. A whitish ring is always present on the leg. Amanita Elias is considered a conditionally edible mushroom, but it has absolutely no nutritional value.

Toxicity, signs of poisoning and first aid

Amanita muscaria should not be eaten in any case. It is deadly as it contains potent poisons and toxins.

The first signs of poisoning with spring fly agaric are the same as during poisoning with the no less dangerous pale toadstool: after about 6-48 hours, severe vomiting and diarrhea (often with blood) begin, colic in the intestines. The victim experiences a strong feeling of thirst, muscle pain, a weak pulse, and the pressure decreases. Loss of consciousness often occurs. Jaundice develops, the liver enlarges.

First aid is to immediately call an ambulance and take the primary detoxification measures: rinse the victim's stomach and take a well-known adsorbent - activated carbon.

Unfortunately, in most cases the outcome is fatal - a person dies within 10 days. The point is that help usually comes too late. But if you go to a medical facility within 36 hours from the moment you eat the mushrooms, then the prognosis is favorable.

If there is any sign that the mushroom you have met is a representative of the spring fly agaric species, then just walk by and do not risk your health. But from the outside you can't even say that this handsome white man can kill.

Description of spring fly agaric

There is a fairly accurate description of the spring amanita: a typical representative of this species has a rather wide smooth cap in the form of a curved saucer. The outer surface is glossy and smooth. At an early age, the cap has the shape of a ball with lateral edges concave inward. As it grows, the cap straightens out gradually. The color of the top can range from white to a light creamy shade.

The length of the leg can be from 5 to 12 cm, depending on the growing conditions and the degree of illumination during the daytime. The leg thickness is no more than 3 cm in diameter. A slight thickening may be observed at the point of attachment of the cap. A similar growth develops as it grows in the place where the fungus emerges from the ground cover.

The surface is rough with a slight sticky coating, which is very poisonous. In case of contact with skin of hands, rinse immediately with running water. Otherwise, these substances can penetrate into the pulp of other mushrooms, which will be collected later. This can cause moderate acute poisoning.

After the cap unfolds, a characteristic ring of dense white fibers remains on the leg at the point of attachment of the plates. All parts of the pulp, including the cap and leg, are highly poisonous. The reverse side of the cap has a lamellar structure, with a frequent arrangement of elements.

If you doubt that the specimen you have found belongs to this species, take a look at the spring fly agaric in the photo gallery below. For even the smallest resemblance, throw it in the trash can right away.

We also want to warn you. If the spring fly agaric has already ended up in your mushroom basket, then you should not risk your health. Throw away all contents without the slightest regret.

A distinctive feature of spring grebes is that they contain contact poisons. In contact with any parts of edible mushrooms, these substances quickly penetrate into the pulp. This can cause poisoning.

Meanwhile, very often doctors fail to save people who have experienced the poisonous effects of the white fly agaric. Most often, this fungus is found in deciduous thickets with a predominance of limestone in the soil.

Amanita muscaria (white) in the photo (click to enlarge):

Amanita muscaria can be considered a type of pale toadstool, but at the same time it is part of the Amanitov family.

Amanita muscaria has a white hat color that reaches a width of up to 10 centimeters in diameter at maturity. The hat in youth is in the form of a hemisphere, in adulthood it is flat. The flesh of the mushroom is white and dense, has no smell, it tastes very unpleasant. The leg of the mushroom reaches a length of up to 12 centimeters in adulthood and up to 2.5 centimeters in thickness. Smooth to the touch, thickens towards the root. The stem has a white ring with indistinct stripes, and the roots have a volva (thickening in the form of an egg).

Distributed in the Russian Federation in a temperate climate, bears fruit mainly in deciduous forests with calcareous soil, the growing season is spring.

It is not in vain that the spring fly agaric can belong to the variety of the pale toadstool, since it is very similar in appearance to it.

Amanita muscaria is a deadly poisonous mushroom with poisoning symptoms similar to those of the pale toadstool. This is uncontrollable vomiting, intestinal pain, muscle pain, constant desire to drink, diarrhea with blood, jaundice, enlarged liver, weak pulse, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness.

What is the difference between white fly agaric and other mushrooms?

Regarding the external characteristics of the white fly agaric, it is also often compared with the mushroom "brother" - the toadstool fly agaric. However, these two types of poisonous plants should not be confused, because they can bring completely different harm to the human body.

It is noteworthy that at the initial stages of its growth, the white amanita is the prototype of ordinary mushrooms. Mushroom pickers who work in the early spring are always wary of small mushrooms, because there is a risk of bringing poison with them. Because of this clear similarity, most of the spring mushroom poisoning is the merit of white fly agarics.

Amanita muscaria is one of those mushrooms that can be easily confused with a number of edible plants. According to statistics, novice and inexperienced mushroom pickers in half of the cases bring home these mushrooms, mistaking them for edible ones. So, there were cases when the white fly agaric was confused with a float or an umbrella. The last of the listed mushrooms are very often confused with various types of fly agaric and poisonous mushrooms, since at the stage of ripening, the appearance of the umbrellas is almost indistinguishable from its fellow killers.

Of course, the most valuable and correct advice in a situation where you find it difficult to determine the name and origin of the mushroom is simply not to touch it. If there is no experienced mushroom picker nearby who can determine the quality or possible harm of the plant, then risking your health seems completely wrong.

Description of the mushroom

Amanita muscaria is also known to mushroom pickers under the name white toadstool (From the Latin Amanita virosa). It is white, not pale. Although they are close relatives, there are a number of significant differences between them.

The English name of the mushroom "destroying angel" is translated as "destroyer angel" - a self-speaking name that does not require explanation.

Amanita muscaria is easy to spot in the forest - all parts of the mushroom have a pure white color, which makes it noticeable against the background of green moss or fallen leaves. Only with age can the mushroom acquire a slight creamy or yellowish tint.

Hat

The cap is usually 5–9 cm in diameter, sometimes there are specimens up to 16 cm in diameter. Initially, it has an elongated bell-shaped shape, becoming flatter as it grows. An obligatory distinguishing feature of this fly agaric is the presence of a prominent crown on the cap. Unlike other types of fly agarics, the smelly one does not have the remains of a common blanket on the cap - the so-called specks. It is smooth, shiny, slightly sticky when wet.

LPs

The plates of the mushroom are often located, free. Their white color is another important sign by which the white toadstool is easily identified. If the plates are colored, then you can be completely sure that this is not a smelly fly agaric.

Leg

The leg is white, up to 12 cm long, up to 1.5 cm in diameter. Slender or slightly curved, with a pronounced tuberous expansion at the base of the mushroom. The surface of the leg is coarse-fibrous, covered with scales directed downward.

On the stem, as a rule, there is a white uneven ring, sometimes growing to the cap. But there are specimens of mushrooms on which the ring disappears completely. Therefore, the widespread opinion that the white toadstool always has a ring on its leg is not true and can lead to an irreparable mistake.

At a very young age, the white grebe is hidden under a common veil and has an ovoid shape. As it grows, this veil breaks and becomes a saccular thickening of the stem at the base of the mushroom - a volvo. It is not always noticeable because it can be buried in the soil.

Pulp

The flesh of the stinking fly agaric is white, does not change color on the cut. Has a faint unpleasant smell, vaguely reminiscent of the smell of rotten potatoes.