Nowadays, there are numerous kinds of mushrooms, which can be an issue for foragers. While there are mushrooms that are safe to consume, there are poisonous species that are infamous for their toxins and lethal outcomes, along with other effects. Furthermore, some of such inedible mushrooms have similar appearances to their edible counterparties. Among the inedible poisonous mushrooms are amanita phalloides, amanita muscaria, and gyromitra esculenta.
Amanita phalloides, referred to as the death cap, is a representative of the fungus group Amanita and is the most common cause of accidental poisoning from freshly picked mushrooms globally. The most prevalent type of this mushroom has a cap with a light yellow or greenish hue (Vo et al., 2017). However, coloration can vary depending on the area and even from specimen to specimen. A. phalloides species coexist harmoniously in California alongside coastal live oak and other wood trees (Vo et al., 2017). Although the misty seaside weather and milder temperatures can sustain fungus proliferation throughout the year, their number can increase in the early rainy winter season.
As for Amanita muscaria, the principal impacts of this mushroom intoxication often affect the central nervous system. In rare instances, signs of acute cases may include coma and even death. A. muscaria’s cap may initially be orange or yellow (occasionally with overlapping red and yellowish hues) (Voynova et al., 2020). The gills are usually of white color, crowded, and unrestricted to tightly adnate. Lastly, the counterfeit morel mushroom, Gyromitra esculenta, has a distinctive poison. The caps produced by Gyromitra esculenta are uneven to somewhat lobed or saddle-shaped, along with a wrinkly appearance that resembles the exterior of a brain (Horowitz et al., 2021). They can vary in color from plain red to fiery red or warmer brown and can have yellow or orange undertones. Generally speaking, the majority of intoxications happen when gatherers go in search of real morels, like Morchella species, but instead, discover and eat Gyromitra.
Hence, there are wide varieties of mushrooms, which is typically a challenge for foragers. Amanita phalloides, amanita muscaria, and gyromitra esculenta are a few of the poisonous mushrooms that are unfit for human consumption. Amanita phalloides are the most frequent source of toxicity caused by freshly harvested mushrooms internationally. As for Amanita muscaria, the immediate effects of this mushroom intoxication often affect the nervous system. Lastly, the counterfeit morel mushroom, Gyromitra esculenta, is a poisonous mushroom that resembles the Morchella species.
References
Horowitz, K. M., Kong, E. L., & Horowitz, B. Z. (2021). Gyromitra mushroom toxicity. StatPearls Publishing.
Vo, K. T., Montgomery, M. E., Mitchell, S. T., Scheerlinck, P. H., Colby, D. K., Meier, K. H.,… & Smollin, C. G. (2017). Amanita phalloides mushroom poisonings—Northern California, December 2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(21), 549.
Voynova, M., Shkondrov, A., Kondeva-Burdina, M., & Krasteva, I. (2020). Toxicological and pharmacological profile of Amanita muscaria (L.) Lam.–a new rising opportunity for biomedicine. Pharmacia, 67(4), 317-323.