Amanita muscaria (lemon): amanita citrina has an unpleasant odor

Growing at home and in the country

If there are no forests in your region, and fly agarics are needed to create medicines, then theoretically they can be grown. To do this, you need to collect spores in the forest and sow in prepared soil. Growth will begin in a few years.

A brief process for growing fly agaric looks like this:

1. First of all, it should be borne in mind that special conditions will be needed to breed these mushrooms. Amanita forms mycorrhiza with birch, spruce, aspen, oak and other deciduous and coniferous trees. Prepare the soil for sowing or purchase a special substrate.
2. Sow the spores (mycelium) by moistening the soil with water. The necessary moisture level of the mycelium should be constantly maintained so that the growth is successful.
3. It can take several years to breed fly agarics. Failures are also possible due to extreme temperatures, frost, overflow, or, conversely, a dry season. But this species demonstrates a high degree of adaptability to almost any habitat.

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 rapidly deteriorate. 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 cap of the mushroom 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. 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 leg length 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, hazel trees 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.

The benefits of the horn-shaped funnel

First of all, this mushroom contains a huge amount of beneficial trace elements, for example, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. It is recommended for people who suffer from muscle cramps, have increased dry skin and metabolic disorders, as well as everyone suffering from problems with the central nervous system, osteoporosis and hypertension. Often, experts advise including funnel maker in their diet for people who have a lack of calcium. It is also recommended to use it for better bone healing.

In addition, the mushroom contains vitamins such as PP, D, A and B. If you use it systematically, you can solve many health problems without the use of chemicals and medicines. It has an antiparasitic effect and removes all toxins from the body.

But you should not use it too often, it is better to observe a certain interval, about 1 - 3 days.

Also, this mushroom is used as a folk remedy, it replaces antibiotics. The Old Believers often resorted to his help in order to relieve the patient's inflammatory processes, as well as get rid of the infection. Excellent chemical composition has a beneficial effect on the human immune system and significantly strengthens it.

Some people who have started consuming this mushroom on a regular basis have noticed that their eyesight has improved.

The horn-shaped funnel must be present in the diet of children, as it contributes to the proper development of the body. But you need to be very careful, excessive consumption of this mushroom can lead to negative consequences.

The nutritional value

We already wrote earlier that there is almost no protein in the mushroom, per 100 g of the product it contains only one, 1.5 g. Fat contains 0.5 g, and carbohydrates 6.8 g. But it is worth noting that the mushroom contains a fairly large amount of dietary fiber, for 100 g of them, almost 4 g.

The funnel pot is perfect for people with diabetes as it contains only 1.1 g of dextrose.

Description of the royal fly agaric

The diameter of the cap varies considerably - from 5 to 25 centimeters. First, the royal fly agaric has a spherical cap shape, while the edges are pressed against the stem, and the surface is densely covered with yellowish or white wart.

Over time, the cap becomes convex-outstretched, sometimes with a raised ribbed edge, while the surface of the cap is strewn with numerous yellowish and whitish warty flakes on a yellow-brown, yellow-ocher, or ocher-brown background. The color in the center of the cap is darker.

Under the cap there are often wide white plates, with age they become yellowish or yellow-cream.The flesh of the royal fly agaric is brittle, thick, white in color, without a special smell, and directly under the skin the color of the flesh is golden yellow.

The height of the leg also varies widely - from 8 to 25 centimeters, and the width is 1-3 centimeters. At first, the shape of the stem is tuberous, but over time it becomes slender and expanded towards the base. The leg is covered with a whitish felt bloom, and the color under the leg is brown-ocher. With age, the leg becomes hollow.

There is a thin sagging ring on the leg. The surface of the ring is smooth, slightly striped, often torn. The color of the ring is white, and the edge is brownish or yellowish. Volvo warty, adherent to the leg, looks like two or three yellowish rings of warts. The stem and rings have a well-pronounced yellowish tint.

Areas of growth of royal fly agaric

These mushrooms grow in all types of forests in the northern and European parts of our country. In Europe, they grow in the eastern and northern parts, and in the west and south they are very few in number. In addition to Europe and Russia, these mushrooms are found in Alaska and Korea.

Royal fly agarics form mycorrhiza with a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees. The fruiting period is July-October.

Similarities between royal fly agaric and other mushrooms

Often, the royal fly agaric is confused with the red and panther fly agaric, since they are outwardly located roughly between these species. However, if you look closely, the royal fly agaric can be easily distinguished from the red fly agaric by the fact that its hat does not even have a hint of a red tint. In its color there are exclusively yellow, white and brown tones. In addition, the royal fly agaric has yellowish flakes on the leg, which the red fly agaric does not have.

Sometimes royal fly agarics grow pale-colored, while the cap is inexpressive yellow-brown in color, in which case it can be confused with a gray-pink fly agaric. But the latter is easy to recognize by the flesh that turns red on the cut.

In color, the panther fly agaric is similar to the royal fly agaric, but it can be distinguished by the white rather than yellow pulp under the skin of the cap, in addition, at the base of the leg there is a cup-shaped volva, it is not adherent, like that of the royal brother, but with a pronounced lagging edge ...

Evaluation of taste, medicinal properties, benefits and possible harm

The taste of the pulp vaguely resembles chicken with a barely perceptible aftertaste of fly agaric, which cannot be accurately estimated.

The healing properties are due to the presence of betaine in the pulp (biologically active, vitamin-like substance). It is used as a biological supplement, it is part of drugs designed to improve liver function. Research is ongoing into the use of betaine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, cancer and as a weight loss aid.

Also in the gray-pink fly agaric contains rubescenslisin, which has hemolytic properties. Destroys the cell membranes of red blood cells, injected intravenously causes death from hemorrhagic pulmonary edema. However, it is destroyed under the influence of high temperatures (above 80 ºС) and, getting into the stomach, is not absorbed, therefore, does not harm.

Primary processing and cooking recipes

It is believed that you can eat the mushroom raw, but mostly it is fried after preliminary boiling, while it is recommended to drain the first portions of water after boiling. Amanita is suitable for pickling and salting in any way. Dried fruit bodies are used to make soups and sauces. Among other things, the mushroom can be frozen after boiling, it will retain all its properties for a year.

During heat treatment, it is important to remember that there should be 3 times more water by volume than mushrooms. It is strictly forbidden to use it as a broth.

Application of Lemon Amanita

Amanita muscaria is not used for medical purposes.Largely because it does not contain substances useful for the human body. Also, it is not used in cooking due to its negative taste. The poisonous hallucinogenic substances contained in this mushroom can have a detrimental effect on human health, thereby leaving serious consequences for the body.

Some try to make tinctures based on this fly agaric, as traditional medicine teaches. However, the use of such a mushroom as a medicine is the reason for the most frequent visits to doctors.

If in the composition of the red or royal fly agaric you can find useful substances that in one way or another can positively affect the health of people, then this type of fly agaric, on the contrary, does not have any useful substances that at least definitely would affect one or another organ.

Therefore, before starting treatment, think ten times about how much risk you are at. And we also recommend that you consult with your doctor, who will certainly be able to dissuade you from a rash step to use such a fly agaric as a treatment.

Amanita is a dangerous mushroom, the use of which can negatively affect your health. This is especially true of toadstool or yellow-green fly agaric. Despite its visual appeal, this mushroom is extremely dangerous and can cause serious consequences. If you're curious, dive into the statistics. You will be surprised how many life-threatening situations this mushroom has provoked, simply by ingesting the food of an ordinary person.

Today people want to experiment, so in some restaurants there are dishes that use the toadstool-like fly agaric. The yellow toadstool is boiled in boiling water and then used as food. However, even the most eminent chefs cannot guarantee that the broth is 100% safe. Therefore, walking through the forest, just admire this mushroom, but in no case touch it, and even more so, do not pick it. And although this mushroom continues to remain dangerous for humans, it is eaten by animals that are sick or injured. Thus, they receive an anesthetic effect, making it easier to tolerate the healing period.

Amanita muscaria: description.

This representative of a kind is known to almost everyone. Already the mere sight of it, as a traffic light, indicates that it is not worth eating

However, it is important to remember that his hat does not have to be red, but may be yellow, orange, or even brown with a reddish tint. Therefore, you need to take a closer look at the second sign of fly agaric - wart growths similar to white flakes.

True, they are easily washed off by rain.

Amanita muscaria red

The leg of the red fly agaric has a height of 7 to 22 centimeters, is white or yellowish in color and is cylindrical in shape. On the surface it is covered with flaky remnants of the cap. The plates are creamy or light white in color, large and frequent. Sometimes alternate with smaller plates. The pulp is dense in consistency, has a white or pale yellow color, and does not emit any smell when broken.

It is worth noting that the wart growths of young fly agarics can be so frequent that they almost completely cover the color of the cap. Fortunately, the red fly agaric has no doubles, and the characteristic hat does not allow it to be confused with some other mushroom.

Amanita muscaria red

The easiest way to find a red fly agaric is in coniferous forests, less often in birch forests. Prefers acidic soil. Look for forest firs and you will find a red fly agaric. You can also search under the birches, where whole families grow.

The most suitable time is from July to October until the first frost. Most widespread in northern latitudes with a temperate climate. Dislikes high temperatures and therefore does not occur in hot southern regions.

Amanita muscaria in religion and folk medicine.

There is no official opinion on the medicinal properties of the red fly agaric. In folk medicine, it is used to treat a host of diseases, for example: neuralgia, sciatica, paralysis, sciatica, rheumatism, arthritis and even cancer.

Amanita muscaria red

There is an assumption that under the mysterious mystical drink "soma", which is mentioned in the Rig Veda, is meant a drink made from fly agaric, which contains muscimol, which has a hallucinogenic effect. There is a version that he had not only a psychoactive, but also a healing effect. In the hymns of this ancient book, the catfish is described as "a child of the earth of red color without fruits, flowers and leaves, with a head like an eye."

This mushroom was used in Siberian shamanism, as well as during entertainment. It is interesting that the peoples of Siberia used the red fly agaric for a variety of purposes (mystical, health-improving, intoxicating) with amazing stability. According to one Soviet ethnographer, when she saw in Siberia how an old man calmly ate dried amanita, she, knowing about the toxicity of this mushroom, asked him why he was doing it. To which the old man replied: "I will eat a little - I will be healthy, I will eat more - I will be cheerful, I will eat a lot - I will sleep well."

Amanita muscaria red

At the same time, all attempts by researchers to achieve the same hallucinogenic effect have failed. For example, in the United States, all that a group of researchers has achieved is more or less sustained vomiting. More often than not, there were no results at all. Only one of the participants experienced something similar to what the Siberian peoples experienced, but soon fell asleep, and after about a day he could not remember anything. Therefore, lovers of thrills and vulgarized urban shamanism should take into account this dubious experience before using fly agaric.

Amanita muscaria red

It should not be forgotten that the indigenous peoples of Siberia have been practicing the use of red amanita for many centuries under the guidance of shamans who know a lot about this matter. Modern city dwellers lack the culture of using psychoactive drugs, as well as often a sense of proportion. It should be remembered that in order to go to another world, an adult will need to eat 12-15 caps of a red mushroom, but this is very conditional: depending on the characteristics of the mushroom, age, weight and state of health of the person, the lethal dose may be much smaller. There is an assumption that the use of amanita in large quantities can lead to amnesia.

Poisonousness and hallucinogenicity

One can talk about the toxicity of this mushroom for a long time. However, officially this mushroom was listed as a poisonous one not so long ago. However, this does not stop some fans of experiments from eating the toadstool for food. For this, the mushroom is boiled for a very long time and thermally processed, after which it is already prepared in the usual way, for example, fried or baked. It is believed that in this form, this mushroom will not lead to poisoning.

But still, do not forget that the toadstool contains not only poisonous, but also psychotropic substances, among which there is bufotenin. Also, some dose of solomanidin and phalloidin content is noticed. Therefore, even a pre-treated mushroom is bound to cause a slight stomach upset, which may end well. However, the potential threat still remains, and not everyone carefully approaches the process of preparing the mushroom before eating it.

As for the hallucinogenic properties of the mushroom, they are clearly manifested due to the contained alkaloids. There are cases when after a person ate a similar mushroom, he had hallucinations. The fact is that the substances contained in toadstool very much relax the nervous system. The person plunges into a state of euphoria completely. However, nervous excitement still remains at a high level.

What happens as a result?

The fact is that a person falls asleep, but since nerve impulses still remain in serious tension, all sounds that a person hears from the outside, even while in a state of sleep, acquire double strength.

Therefore, as soon as a person hears steps, for him they are heard as serious blows. Unfortunately, forensic experts have recorded cases when people who ate a significant amount of toadstools, nevertheless, at some point were in a state of drug intoxication. As a result, they literally attacked their close relatives with knives, as a result of which a criminal case was opened against them. In order to prevent such a development of events, doctors advise, even for the sake of interest, not to eat the toadstool for food, as it can negatively affect the fragile psyche.

How to distinguish false mushroom counterparts?

The closest analogue, which is common in Russia and other European countries, is the gray float. To the category of twins of the black fly agaric also include the pale toadstool. All the differences between these mushrooms can be seen in the photo or carefully studied in the table:

Mushroom name	External distinctive features	Growing places	Edibility
Black float	The cap color ranges from dark brown to almost black.	Coniferous forests, less often deciduous, fruiting period - October - December.	Conditionally edible
Death cap	The color of the cap is from white to yellowish-brown-olive, there is a white, striped ring on the stem.	Occurs from late July to late autumn, rather rarely. Grows in coniferous and mixed forests.	Deadly poisonous
Gray float Amanita vaginata	Loose bag-shaped volva, there is no ring on the leg, the color of the cap is often light gray with a bias towards yellow.	Forms mycorrhiza with birch, grows in deciduous and mixed forests. Fruiting time is July - September.	Edible, but not popular with mushroom pickers because of the fragile pulp, unattractive appearance.

It's important to know! The main difference between the extremely poisonous pale toadstool and other mushrooms is the presence on the leg of a characteristic "skirt", a ring. The main differences between edible species include the presence of remnants of a blanket on the top of the cap, which protected the plant during the period of maturation.

The color of the pulp at the fracture site does not change. Well pronounced, i.e. having visible scars, the edges of the cap are another sign of the edibility of the fruiting body

The main differences between edible species include the presence of remnants of a blanket on the top of the cap, which protected the plant during adulthood. The color of the pulp at the fracture site does not change. Well pronounced, i.e. having visible scars, the edges of the cap are another sign of the edibility of the fruiting body.

False doubles

The kingdom of mushrooms has not yet been fully studied by mycologists. The real value and value of many copies have not yet been fully figured out, scientists have not been able to study them well enough. Among the twins, there are both edible and inedible mushrooms. The main ones are called:

• gray pink;
• thick;
• mushroom umbrella.

There are differences between these types, it is not difficult to recognize them, but if doubts arise, it is better to refuse collection and preparation. For example, a thick fly agaric, although similar in appearance, has a large, dense leg. The mushroom itself is less fleshy, the flakes on the cap are small, the ring is smooth, there is a collared volva. In addition, there is a darker color on the surface, and mucus appears in the rain. The mushroom is considered inedible, not poisonous, but it is not tasty, it has a strong unpleasant odor. There is no need to collect it.

Umbrella mushroom and panther fly agaric

It is easier to confuse a panther fly agaric with an umbrella mushroom, but there is one important difference: the fly agaric has a beige hat with white scales, and an umbrella, on the contrary, is white with beige ones. When broken, the pulp is colored, the ring is white with brown shades

In addition, the stem is thinner and much darker than the cap and hymenophore.

Name	Hat	Change in the color of the pulp	Leg and cap color
Panther fly agaric	Beige, white flakes	Does not change	White, hat is darker
Mushroom umbrella	Whitish, brown	Changes	Dark, lighter hat

Differences between gray-pink fly agaric and panther

The gray-pink type of amanita is considered a delicious mushroom, although it is difficult to call it useful. Refers to conditionally edible species, i.e. requires boiling before cooking. It is very similar to the panther fly agaric, it is easy to distinguish them - first of all, by the change in the color of the pulp in the section. The panther remains white, and the gray-pink rather slowly acquires a winey pinkish tint.

Fly agaric	Reaction of the color of the pulp to air	Ring	Volva
Gray pink	Changes color	Wide, grooved, located on top	Unobtrusive or absent
Panther	Remains white	Thin, remains at the bottom of the leg	Collar, clearly visible

Another difference is that the shape of the leg has a reverse conical appearance. The lack of special taste of the gray-pink variety means that, having the slightest doubt, you should not carry such mushrooms home and eat.

How poisonous?

Amanita is a poisonous mushroom. Especially royal.

They try not to even use this mushroom as a raw material for medicines, it can cause such serious harm to health. Unlike other representatives of the fly agaric species, such as the red and black mushroom, it contains muscimol and ibotenic acid.

After 2 hours after eating the mushrooms, people began to show symptoms of poisoning. People complained of severe stomach pain, followed by vomiting and upset stools.

After that, people began to complain of strong nervous excitement. Others began to see unseen animals and dead relatives.

A few days later, the mushroom pickers still came to their senses. However, until recently, they did not understand what happened to them. Such an experiment seriously affected the state of health. For example, there are consequences for the liver, kidneys and nervous system. It is believed that mushroom pickers simply did not cook the mushrooms, thereby not killing the poisonous properties. However, given what happened, you should still be on the lookout.

Hallucinogenic effect

Why are royal fly agarics dangerous? They tend to accumulate heavy metal salts in their composition. Most often these are sodium salts. In the study of royal fly agaric mushrooms, this feature was revealed in them in 1939. The research was carried out by Scandinavian scientists, using the Scandinavian royal fly agarics. They collected about a kilogram of dry fruit bodies. In accordance with the tests carried out, it was found that there is about 150 mg of vanadium per kilogram. This means that this is a very significant figure that can cause significant damage to the human body. It is vanadium that is responsible for indigestion. However, the combination of vanadium and ibotenic acid is responsible for the hallucinogenic effect that many people experience when they ate the fly agaric.

The effect of this fungus varies widely depending on how susceptible the body is to such substances. The place of growth of the forest dweller and the dosage also matter.

After consumption, after one to 2 hours, the first signs begin to appear. They are characterized by seizures, tremors, and intense anxiety. Some people, on the contrary, claim that they are very sleepy, overwork has appeared.

If a person nevertheless relaxes and falls asleep, he does not sleep fully, but is in a state of semi-sleep. At this time, he sees visions, and also, he has an increased sensitivity to sounds around.

As a result of the impact of sounds on the undermined nervous system, visual hallucinations appear that are poorly distinguishable from reality.

However, depending on the health of the person, as well as the state of his psyche, the hallucinogenic effect manifests itself in different ways. As a rule, the duration of this state lasts from 4 to 8 hours. After the hallucinogenic effect wears off, the person will experience hangover syndrome.

By the way, as many people who have gone through royal fly agaric poisoning say, a feeling of nausea persists during hallucinations. And also, there are characteristic pains in the stomach.

Where does the mole live?

The food moth lays eggs in the products, from which voracious larvae appear. These products include various cereals, flour, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, pasta, sweets and cookies. The caterpillar is very small and practically does not move, so its presence in food can only be detected by chance.

The furniture moth caterpillar is dangerous because its delicacy is outerwear made of natural wool and fur. This type of caterpillar lives in a portable case, which the caterpillar itself creates from the remnants of food and the silk-like substance secreted by its body. The caterpillar gnaws at hairs and lint, which causes irreparable damage to clothing. As a rule, this caterpillar lives in a closet and suitcases.

Although the larva of the furniture caterpillar is small in size, it has powerful gnawing jaws, with the help of which the caterpillar "shears" fur on fur coats, fur collars and hats, leaving ugly bald patches on products.

The clothes moth (room moth) lives in houses and apartments. Its caterpillars eat cotton products and gnaw at the silk upholstery of furniture. Only caterpillars cause damage, since butterflies do not have a gnawing type of mouth apparatus.

Similarity of Amanita muscaria with other species

Of course, the toadstool is not the only one of its kind. And it can be easily confused not only with inedible, but also, unfortunately, with edible mushrooms.

Very often it is confused with a white umbrella, as a result of which people end up with poisoning in a hospital. The white umbrella really repeats the toadstool very strongly. Like its predecessors, it has a shallow hat, with white flakes located on it. The diameter of the cap is similar, it is up to 12 cm thick and fleshy, it has an oval shape, which eventually becomes flat. The leg is not as high as that of a toadstool, but the difference of a few centimeters is not always striking even for experienced mushroom pickers. The white umbrella hat has a very pleasant smell and tart taste, so if you are probably not sure that there are no poisonous mushrooms in front of you, cut its pulp. The toadstool's pulp smells of rot and other unpleasant substances. The flesh of the umbrella is pleasant, has a mushroom smell.

The umbrella is absolutely safe, it is very often used in cooking. Therefore, if you do not have experience that would allow you to distinguish an umbrella from a toadstool, then in this case, we recommend that you refuse to collect this mushroom if you have doubts about this.

Also, toadstool is often confused with a thin umbrella mushroom. The main difference is that the thin mushroom has a much smaller cap and stem diameter. However, some toadstools that do not grow in fertile soils for themselves look very much like this mushroom.

And finally, the lemon fly agaric has a brother, such as the smelly fly agaric. It is often found in deciduous forests, has a loose volva that is located at the base of the stem. Its cap is white, has a glossy color, and is covered with flakes. It is deadly poisonous and has an unpleasant odor that can be felt even from a distance.

Interesting facts and myths about the fly agaric

1. It is considered a deadly poisonous mushroom, but this is not entirely true. Experts say that it contains less toxins than pale toadstool. The lethal dose is 3-4 kilograms. For a person weighing 75 kilograms, one mushroom is needed for mild poisoning to appear.
2. In the troops of the Viking Normans, there were berserkers - violently insane warriors with a fierce character, rushing into the fight, sparing neither others nor themselves, not paying attention to wounds. It is known that before the battle they ate amanita.
3. The relative insecticidal properties of this species have long been denied by scientists, proving that flies do not die from the use of the fruiting body, but because they drown in the water accumulated in its cap. After the "drunken flies" were removed from the liquid, they woke up and flew away.
4. The relative toxicity of the fly agaric after several jams was successfully proved by the mycologist Mikhail Vishnevsky, who proposes to cook these fruiting bodies fried.
5. The Altaians suggested that the red fly agaric be included in the Red Book, but this has not yet been done.
6. Lovers of quiet hunting have a sign: if you find a black fly agaric, don't expect good.

Amanita muscaria is an amazingly beautiful representative of the mushroom kingdom! If you are not going to eat it or prepare healing potions from the fruiting body, to be treated with a fly agaric, just leave it unharmed in the forest. Admire this beautiful creation of nature, it is worth decorating the world.

Fly agaric (Amanita echinocephala)

The main Russian synonyms for this type of mushroom are:

• Fat bristly
• Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria (Amanita echinocephala) is a mushroom belonging to the genus Amanita. In literary sources, the interpretation of the species is ambiguous. Thus, a scientist named K. Bas talks about the bristly fly agaric as a synonym for A. Solitaria. The same interpretation is followed by two more scientists: R. Talloss and S. Wasser. According to the studies carried out by Species Fungorum, the bristly fly agaric should be attributed to a separate species.

External description of the mushroom

The fruiting body of the bristly fly agaric consists of an initially almost round cap (which later transforms into an outstretched one) and a leg, which is slightly thickened in its middle, and at the top, near the cap, has a cylindrical shape.

The height of the mushroom leg is 10-15 (and in some cases even 20) cm, the diameter of the leg varies within 1-4 cm. The base buried in the soil has a pointed shape. The surface of the leg is yellowish or white, sometimes olive-green. On its surface there are whitish scales that result from cracking of the cuticle.

Mushroom pulp of high density, characterized by a white color, however, at the base (near the leg) and under the skin, the pulp of the mushrooms acquires a yellowish tint. Its smell is unpleasant, as well as the taste.

The diameter of the cap is 14-16 cm, and it itself is characterized by good meatiness. The edge of the cap can be jagged or even; the remnants of a flocculent bedspread are visible on it. The upper skin on the cap can have a white or grayish color, gradually it becomes light ocher, sometimes acquires a greenish tint. The cap is covered with pyramidal warts with bristles.

The hymenophore consists of plates characterized by a large width, frequent, but free arrangement. Initially, the plates are white, then they become light turquoise, and in mature mushrooms, the plates are characterized by a greenish-yellow tint.

Habitat and fruiting period

Amanita muscaria is common in deciduous and mixed forests, where oaks also grow. You can rarely meet this type of mushroom. It prefers to grow in coastal areas near lakes or rivers, thrive in calcareous soils. Bristly fly agarics are more widespread in Europe (mainly in its southern regions). There are known cases of detection of this type of mushroom in the British Isles, Scandinavia, Germany and Ukraine. On the territory of Asia, the described type of mushroom can grow in Israel, Western Siberia and Azerbaijan (Transcaucasia). Amanita muscaria actively bears fruit from June to October.

Similar species, distinctive features from them

There are several species similar to the bristly fly agaric. It:

• Amanita solitaria (lat.Amanita solitaria);
• Pineal fly agaric (Latin Amanita strobiliformis). Distinctive features of this type of mushroom are white plates, pleasant aroma. Interestingly, some mycologists consider this mushroom suitable for human consumption, although most still insist on its toxicity.

You should always be very careful with fly agarics!