AMANITA MUSHROOMS
Don't touch any of these. They could be deadly.
* As with all mushrooms on this website, identification has been made from an inexperienced background. For firmer identication, refer to the experts.
Also note that mushrooms look different through the different stages of their growth and this can confuse identification.
Wiki tells us that this genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own. The most potent toxin present in these mushrooms is α-Amanitin.
The genus also contains many edible mushrooms, but mycologists discourage mushroom hunters, other than experts, from selecting any of these for human consumption. Nonetheless, in some cultures, the larger local edible species of Amanita are mainstays of the markets in the local growing season.
DEATHCAP : Amanita phalloides
The Woodland Trust notes with dramatic warning : Silent assassin and killer of kings. The deathcap has been used as a murder weapon for millennia. It grows in mixed woodland; make sure to stay away when foraging!
Strange how the most attractive mushrooms are also potentially the most dangerous. This one is generally a creamy colour with elegant gills (the folds on the underside of the cap).
This example was found in August alongside the woods above the Carman Reservoir.
A closer look reveals how the gills below the cap can be seen through it and also along the edge.
WIKIPEDIA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita
WILDFOOD website : https://www.wildfooduk.com/mushroom-guide/
WOODLAND TRUST : https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/deathcap/
