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The fly agaric genus got its name just because these mushrooms were once used to fight insects, including flies. It is believed that there are only poisonous deadly mushrooms in the fly agaric genus, although in fact there are about 6 species that can be considered edible or conditionally edible.
The panther fly agaric has a cap that can grow to large sizes, up to 12 cm, at first it looks like a hemisphere, then it becomes less and less convex until it takes the form of a round platform. Sometimes small flakes remain on the hat, which are formed after the growth of the fungus – these are the remains of the bedspread.
The first fly agarics appear after the temperature rises to about 20 degrees Celsius, usually in fairly moist soil in the absence of frost. Mushrooms are able to form symbiosis with certain types of coniferous trees, but they also feel great in deciduous forests.
The cap has a brown color, a shiny smooth surface, and is covered with a large number of characteristic white flakes, which, nevertheless, are easy to separate from the cap. This fly agaric is considered deadly poisonous, although in fact, cases of fatal poisoning by it are quite rare.
What does a panther fly agaric look like
Panther fly agaric is considered a kind of younger brother of the entire variety of these mushrooms. However, it does not have as attractive characteristic appearance as other species. In this regard, it is sometimes confused with other types of mushrooms, which are quite edible. It is especially easy to confuse it with edible mushrooms at the very beginning of growth, so before you go to pick mushrooms, you need to study the characteristic features of this fly agaric well in order to distinguish it.
The main shade of this fly agaric’s cap is olive, which often leads to it being confused with edible mushrooms. In general, depending on the age of the mushroom, the color of the cap varies from light green to brown. In addition, completely inexperienced mushroom pickers sometimes confuse young panther fly agarics with boletus and mushrooms.
The flesh is white, it remains white when cut, but it is not noticeably watery. The flesh is very fragile and breaks easily, has an unpleasant odor, like most fly agarics, and a sweetish aftertaste. There are many petals, they are white, never adhere to the stem and sometimes have brown spots, especially in old mushrooms.
Ножка мухомора в зависимости от его возраста бывает от 4 до 12 см высотой, тонкая, обычно примерно сантиметр в диаметре. Ножка слегка сужается кверху, внизу образует характерный клубень, пустая внутри. На поверхности ножки можно заметить характерный белый ворс, кольцо расположено очень низко или иногда отсутствует вообще. Часто этот вид путают со съедобным мухомором, серо-розовым.
Мухомор размножается спорами, отлично чувствует себя рядом со многими деревьями и встречается почти во всех лесах: лиственных, хвойных и смешанных. Чаще всего его замечают растущим под дубом и сосной, для произрастания гриб предпочитает почву, в которой много щелочи. Наиболее широко этот вид распространен в Северном полушарии, предпочитает умеренный климат без жары или сильных морозов. Сезон роста приходится на середину лета и заканчивается примерно в середине сентября. В тех местах, где растёт пантерный мухомор, никогда не бывает никаких насекомых, так как они все погибают только от запаха этого гриба.
The danger of the panther fly agaric
This mushroom is extremely poisonous, like many other varieties of fly agaric, contains toxins hyoscyamine, muscarine, scopolamine. The same toxins characteristic of henbane are found in Datura and some other types of poisonous plants.
Panther fly agaric is much more poisonous than red fly agaric. In addition to the toxic substances already mentioned, it also contains some specific substances that quickly enough cause complete paralysis of smooth muscles in the human body. In addition, it contains hyocyamine, which is mainly responsible for the lethal outcome: it acts so quickly and strongly that no one survives after a serious poisoning.
This toxin paralyzes the respiratory center as well as the cardiovascular system, leading to cardiac arrest and complete inability to breathe. When this toxin enters the blood, it instantly coagulates, and all the muscles cramp.
It is believed that the panther fly agaric, when poisoned, primarily causes attacks of aggression in humans, along with an influx of strength and energy. There is a story that in the Russian army, soldiers were specially given panther fly agaric before the battle to stimulate their fighting qualities and relieve them of fear. After this effect, hallucinations follow, and in cases of severe poisoning, a person loses consciousness, falls into a lethargic sleep or coma, which can lead to death.
The benefits of fly agaric
Несмотря на то, что грибы этого вида содержат в себе большое количество токсических веществ, отдельные виды мухоморов используют для того, чтобы производить лекарства или в хозяйственных целях.
- These mushrooms are used to get rid of insects, which is how they got their name.
- В некоторых грибах содержится особое вещество, которое используют в качестве одного из ингредиентов для создания лекарства, обладающего противоопухолевой деятельностью.
- The ancient peoples used fly agaric in small quantities in order to achieve hallucinations, it was a necessary part of rituals and ceremonies.
- Fly agaric tinctures and extracts prepared according to special recipes are used as medicines for diseases of the joints and bones.
- In modern pharmaceuticals, the substances contained in fly agaric are used to relieve spasm of cerebral vessels, as well as to help those suffering from sclerosis.
Так что мухоморы приносят не только вред, но и пользу, в том числе и пантерный. Возможно, с развитием науки и фармацевтики будут созданы новые лекарства на их основе.
How to distinguish
Наиболее похожий вид, который встречается в наших краях – это серо-розовый мухомор, вполне съедобный. Самый простой способ различить эти два вида – это посмотреть на цвет мякоти, повредив ее.
У съедобного гриба мякоть становится розового оттенка при повреждении, у пантерного остается белоснежной. Если сравнить эти два вида грибов, станет заметно, что они на самом деле очень разные.
Edible mushrooms are much larger, have a thicker stem and differ in base. They also have different scales on the hat: they are snow-white in poisonous, and gray-pink have a gray-pink color corresponding to its name.
The first signs of poisoning
Fly agaric poisoning has characteristic first symptoms. First of all, the substances contained in them act on the cerebral cortex, which causes auditory and visual hallucinations, behavioral changes. If the dosage was large enough, the person has convulsions and loses consciousness. On average, it takes from half an hour to 5 or 6 hours for the first signs to appear, depending on the human body and the amount of mushroom eaten.
Panther fly agaric poisoning is much more severe and serious than common fly agaric poisoning.
The first symptoms of poisoning appear quite quickly, sometimes just 20 minutes after eating panther fly agaric is enough. The first physical signs of poisoning are the telltale signs of food poisoning, such as diarrhea and vomiting. In addition, there is difficulty breathing, the heart begins to beat faster, the temperature rises greatly and hallucinations appear.
First aid
Если человек отравился мухомором, в первую очередь нужно доставить его в ближайшую больницу, чтобы ему оказали помощь. Что касается срочной помощи до приезда скорой, человеку необходимо промыть желудок, используя для этого слабый раствор марганцовки или соды. Необходимо использовать примерно литр такого раствора и продолжать промывание до тех пор, пока вода не станет прозрачной.
After that, it is necessary to use effective sorbents; activated carbon is excellent for this. It must be drunk at the rate of one tablet for about 8-10 kg of weight. If possible, it is also necessary to perform bowel lavage.
To relieve severe pain that occurs during poisoning, you can use antispasmodics. Provided that the poisoning is not very serious, all this will be enough to make the patient feel better. While waiting for an ambulance, it is necessary to drink salted water, preferably in small quantities, but in large quantities, in order to restore the balance of salt and water in the body. In any case, medical assistance is needed in case of poisoning, this significantly increases the chances of recovery.