Amanita grebe-shaped (yellow-green, lemon): photo and description, is it usable

Toadstool mushroom in some publications is called conditionally edible, that is, suitable for consumption subject to certain processing and preparation rules. This opinion is refuted by the results of practical experiments conducted by a number of scientists and testifying to the content of numerous toxic substances.

Many mushroom pickers fail to determine at first glance that they have a toadstool in front of them. This is due to the fact that its surface is not red, which is characteristic of poisonous mushrooms, but yellow-lemon. Because of this color feature, the grebe-shaped representative was called the lemon fly agaric.

Description of the fly agaric mushroom

Mushroom of the genus Amanita of the Amanitaceae family. The Latin name is Amanitacitrina. Other names – Yellow-green Amanita, Lemon Amanita, Yellow Pale Toadstool. It is inedible, belongs to the category of slightly poisonous.

From a distance, due to its white color and semicircular shape, the grebe-shaped mushroom looks like many edible counterparts. But upon closer examination, tubercles-warts, inherent in many types of fly agaric, become noticeable.

In appearance and description, the grebe-like representative is very similar to its closest relative, the pale grebe shown in the photo below.

In open spaces it is found in 2 color variations:

• white – the most common form;
• gray – is much rarer.

Amanita grebe has white flesh, with a yellow tinge under the skin. It has an unpleasant taste and smell, reminiscent of raw potatoes. A little hollow inside.

At first, a small, still unformed, grebe-shaped fruiting body resembles a dumbbell with 2 balls at the edges.

Gradually, the upper part of the toadstool takes the form of a hat more and more.

White plates located on the underside are first connected with a film to the stem. As it grows, it breaks, leaving a ring on the leg.

Cap Description

In the process of growth of the grebe-shaped fly agaric, the shape and size of the cap undergo significant changes. At first it has a spherical, hemispherical appearance.

Then the edges straighten, and the surface of the grebe-shaped fly agaric becomes convexly extended, gradually becoming almost flat. The diameter can reach 3-8 cm.

The cap has smooth edges and dense flesh. The surface is covered with light yellow-brown warts and large grayish flakes remaining from the film that previously connected the cap and leg of the toadstool mushroom. The presence of such residues and their characteristics are important in determining whether fungi belong to a species.

On the underside of the grebe-shaped fly agaric there are white plates with a yellow tint along the edges.

The hat can have a gray, lemon or green tint. Sometimes it is very light, and these colors are almost invisible.

Description of the leg

The lower part of the leg of the toadstool is strongly swollen. It is thicker and has a tuberous shape resembling a ball.

Over time, it stretches, becomes smoother and more even.

The color of the legs of the grebe-shaped fly agaric is white, the presence of a yellow tint is possible. The length reaches from 5 to 12 cm, the diameter is from 1 to 2 cm. A finely grooved ring runs along the entire circumference – a characteristic groove-groove.

Where and how to grow

The toadstool grows in all forests of the world. On the territory of Our Country, it is distributed everywhere, including the regions of the North, forest-steppe and tundra. It can be caught by avid mushroom pickers in the mountains, at an altitude of no more than 1000 m.

Unpretentious toadstools grow singly or in small groups, both in deciduous and coniferous forests. Most often found in acidic and sandy soils of pine groves, as they enter into symbiosis with these trees.

The fruiting period lasts only 3 months, from August to October and reaches its activity in September.

Twins and their differences

The fly agaric is similar in appearance to a number of edible and inedible mushrooms. In order not to confuse it with twins, you need to pay attention to some of the distinguishing features of this species:

1. The highest percentage of similarity is observed in the grebe-shaped fly agaric with poisonous pale toadstool. It is very dangerous and differs in that it has no smell. If you compare the caps, you can see that in the pale grebe it is more rough. In the grebe-shaped fly agaric, the shell that protects the fruiting body at a young age grows to the stem. The double does not have this feature.

   

   Important! The grebe-shaped fly agaric is easily confused with the deadly pale grebe, due to the similarity with which it got its name.
2. Found in some regions, the uncolored form of the toadstool is similar to the spring variety of the pale toadstool. It can be distinguished by a wide, smooth hat in the form of a curved saucer, the color of which ranges from white to light cream. The rough surface is covered with a sticky poisonous coating that quickly penetrates into the pulp of other mushrooms.

   

3. Stinky fly agaric is also a venomous relative of the pale grebe. It has a conical cap with a shiny sticky surface covered with mucus. A profusely secreted secret flows from the edges and attracts various insects. It differs from the grebe-shaped fly agaric in an unpleasant repulsive odor.

   

4. Porphyry fly agaric differs from grebe-shaped in a darker color of the cap. The surface is smooth, without scales. Raw, slightly toxic, may have a hallucinogenic effect.

   

5. During the period of growth and development, the grebe-shaped fly agaric can be confused with float. The cap of this edible mushroom is distinguished by its smaller size, the absence of scaly spots and small notches located along the edges. There is no ring on the twin’s leg.

   

6. Many mushroom pickers note the similarity of the young grebe-shaped fly agaric with yellow russula, the cap of which can be rough or smooth. At first, the edible mushroom also looks spherical, then it takes on an elongated shape. Distinctive features are located on the leg. Russula has a tuber, but no ring and Volvo.

   

7. Another edible twin of the toadstool is forest champignon. This similarity is especially evident at the early stage of fungal development. But it’s easy enough to tell them apart. The edible twin’s hat is darker in color. There is a small ring on the leg. The base is straight, there is no Volvo. The pulp of raw champignon has a woody smell, after processing it acquires a pleasant taste.

   

8. Umbrella white (field, meadow). An edible mushroom that looks like a toadstool mushroom has a pleasant smell and taste. The stem thickened at the base is white, below the ring it acquires a cream or brown hue. Darkens slightly when touched. The ovoid cap opens over time, becomes flat with a convex tubercle in the central part. The Volvo is absent, the remains of the veil look like a wide, movable ring.

   

Mushroom pickers should be extremely careful and, in case of even some doubt, refuse to collect suspicious mushrooms that resemble the yellow-green relative of the pale grebe. A photo and description of the twins of the toadstool will help you not to make a mistake in the forest.

Is fly agaric usable

A number of substances contained in the pulp, especially in the cap, can lead to poisoning, hallucinations and psychedelic perception disorder. Therefore, the grebe-shaped fly agaric is considered inedible. Severe intoxication of the body can even lead to death.

Folk healers in some regions prepare decoctions and tinctures from the toadstool, activating the body’s defenses and relieving various pains. It is believed that if mushrooms are subjected to prolonged heat treatment, harmful substances will decompose and cannot lead to intoxication.

Symptoms of poisoning and first aid

Toadstool poisoning can lead to both mild indigestion and severe disruption of the internal organs. The poison has a negative effect on some parts of the cerebral cortex, which causes the appearance of visual and auditory hallucinations.

Symptoms of toadstool poisoning:

• convulsions;
• increased motor activity;
• loss of consciousness;
• vomiting;
• nausea;
• diarrhea;
• salivation;
• cyanosis;
• intestinal pain.

The first clinical manifestations can be observed for a long time, from 30 minutes to 6 hours after the use of the toadstool. The intensity of individual signs may differ depending on the amount of poison that has entered the body.

In case of poisoning with a toadstool fly agaric, it is necessary to send the victim to the hospital as soon as possible, after providing first aid:

1. Put to bed, as the effect of poisons on the body is manifested in impaired blood circulation and heart function.
2. Apply a heating pad to your legs and stomach.
3. Rinse the stomach in order to reduce the degree of intoxication from the ingestion of toxic substances of the toadstool. To do this, you need to drink 1 liter of water, in which you first dissolve a small amount of baking soda or potassium permanganate. After that, induce vomiting by pressing your fingers on the base of the tongue. Repeat the procedure several times until the liquid coming out of the stomach becomes clear.
4. After cleansing the stomach, it is recommended to take sorbents, for example, ordinary activated charcoal, at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight.
5. Intestinal release. Boiled water should be introduced through an enema into the rectum. For an adult, 1-2 liters is enough. Taking 1-2 tablets of antispasmodics will help eliminate pain.
6. Eliminate the intake of alcoholic beverages that accelerate the absorption of toxins.
7. Milk, strong tea, coffee and cold salted water are allowed in small quantities.

Carrying out these activities before the arrival of doctors will help stabilize the condition of a patient who has been poisoned by a poisonous mushroom. Timely medical care can save a person’s life.

Interesting Facts

In the process of studying the lemon relative of the pale grebe, several interesting facts were established related to the history of its distribution and use:

1. Despite its inedibility, the mushroom finds non-traditional uses in some categories of the population. It has long been used by priests for ritual rites and religious ceremonies. The prepared tinctures helped the shamans enter a state of trance and communicate with the other world, evoking the souls of the dead. There is no scientific evidence for this.
2. It is a proven fact that some of the toxins of this species are similar to those produced by certain rare amphibian species.
3. The territory of growth of these inedible mushrooms is so wide that it even covers New Zealand and Australia.

Amanitas are often used to prepare compounds that flies flock to and then die. Hence the name of the genus.

Conclusion

Due to its inedibility, the fly agaric is not recommended to be collected, much less eaten. Inexperienced mushroom pickers should be especially careful when picking mushrooms, since the similarity of the lemon relative of the toadstool with champignons, umbrellas and russula can lead to poisoning and disruption of the whole organism.