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We are now at the start of autumn, which means the time has come for the return of one of the world’s most iconic poisonous mushroom species, the flying agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria). They are native to the northern hemisphere, although they have been introduced to the southern hemisphere. In Washington, they are more likely to be west of the Cascades. In fact, they can be found in our backyard.
Fly swatters need shade and moist, acidic soil to grow. They are often found in wooded areas under evergreens and hardwoods.
Mushrooms have a round red cap which flattens over time.In North America, hats can also be orange or yellow in color. They can grow up to 12 inches in diameter. They usually have a handful of white warts. Young fly agaric are completely covered in white warts and as they mature the warts will disperse more widely as the color of the cap shows. Mature mushroom warts become brittle enough to wash off in the rain.
The stem is white and can reach 68 in length.It has a bulbous base and late to the top.Other animals, such as reindeer and red squirrels, are known to ingest fly agarics, the first showing symptoms of poisoning later.
Fungi can also be toxic to humans, although deaths are rare. Symptoms include hallucinations, drowsiness, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, muscle spasms, hypotension, and restlessness. Most symptoms go away within 1224 hours.
Bug mushrooms are known for their psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties. They have been used as an intoxicant in all cultures of the northern hemisphere since ancient times, especially among several indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Sami (Lapp) people.
In popular culture, the fly agaric is often depicted alongside fairies, gnomes, and other fantastic woodland creatures. They appear in Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland and Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow as hallucinogens.They also appear in several video games, the most famous of the Mario franchise.
They are even thought to have inspired Santa Claus. There are reports of shamans in Central Asia picking up flying agaric mushrooms in a leather bag while wearing red and white clothing. They are also believed to have entered and exited their yurts through the smoke hole. the influence of mushrooms on Santa Claus is debated, it is true that the fly agaric was commonly used in winter solstice celebrations.
While agaric mushrooms are safe to eat when properly boiled in multiple waters, symptoms can be unpredictable and can easily be mistaken for other Amanita species (which include some of the more deadly fungi on earth). Therefore, it is probably best to leave them admired, but you can still find amanitas muscaria for sale.
SimplyWell.ca was not involved in the creation of this content. Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. SimplyWell.ca makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
