This Friday’s fungus is amanita phalloides, commonly known as deathcap mushroom. Amanita phalloides is a highly toxic basidiomycete characterised by an initially rounded or hemispheric cap that flattens with age. It closely resembles some species of mushrooms that are edible and popular in culinary use (notably, amanita caesarea (Caesar’s mushroom) and volvariella volvacea (straw mushroom)), which is incredibly dangerous. The cap can be pale yellow, greenish, olive-brown, or white, with a surface that is sticky when wet and can be peeled easily – a common characteristic of edible mushrooms, which makes it even more dangerous to foragers. Amanita phalloides contains three main groups of toxins; amatoxins, phallotoxins, and virotoxins. These toxins are heat-stable, so cannot be inactivated through cooking. Consuming amanita phalloides causes severe illness and has a 20% to 50% mortality rate. Symptoms of stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea commence 6 to 24 hours after ingestion and then can settle, giving a false sense of recovery. However, the toxins will have entered the body’s circulation and start causing serious harm. 2 to 4 days after ingestion, severely poisoned individuals will develop irreversible liver failure (and often kidney failure) that can result in death. Amanita phalloides is native to Europe but is now spread globally. It grows in leaf litter or on lawns, often under oak trees.
If you suspect you or anyone you know has ingested a poisonous mushroom, do not wait for symptoms to start before seeking medical help.
