Fly agaric panther (gray): photo and description, medicinal properties

The mushroom kingdom is amazing and diverse. Not all of its representatives are harmless to humans. Eating some mushrooms can cause severe poisoning or even death. But even such species can be of considerable benefit, since they have a pronounced medicinal effect. Among these mushrooms is the panther fly agaric, which combines both a mortal danger to humans and significant healing power.

Description of fly agaric panther

Amanitas are one of the most recognizable mushrooms, as a rule, even children can easily identify them. Representatives of this family have a number of distinctive external features that allow them to be unmistakably recognized among many others.

All of them are also characteristic of the panther fly agaric. It belongs to the Amonite family, in Latin its name sounds like Amanita pantherina. The main distinguishing features of this fungus are shown in the table:

Below is a more detailed description of the main parts of the panther fly agaric.

Cap Description

The cap of a young panther fly agaric has an almost spherical shape. As the fungus grows, it becomes more and more flat, while the edge remains slightly bent inward. The hat of an adult specimen can reach 12 cm in diameter, while it has the shape of a regular circle.

The upper skin is thin, painted in gray-brown or brown-brown colors of varying intensity. On top of it there are numerous white flaky growths that are easy to pinch off. The hymenophore (reverse side of the cap) is lamellar, does not fuse with the stem. The plates are white, even, fragile, as the fungus ages, dark spots may appear on them.

Description of the leg

The leg of the panther fly agaric is even, usually in the form of a cylinder or a regular truncated cone, slightly tapering upwards. In the lower part there is a characteristic hemispherical thickening – a tuber. The leg is hollow inside, can grow up to 12-15 cm, while its thickness reaches 1,5 cm. It is painted white.

Quite often, the stem has a ring-shaped outgrowth, although there are specimens without it. On the surface there are numerous white flaky outgrowths-hairs resembling wood shavings.

Twins and their differences

Panther fly agaric can be confused with other representatives of the same family. Its twins include the following mushrooms:

1. Gray-pink toadstool.
2. Mushroom umbrella.

What is the difference between panther fly agaric and gray-pink

According to the classification, the gray-pink fly agaric belongs to conditionally edible, and it is quite possible to eat it after preliminary heat treatment. Its main difference from the panther one is the change in the color of the pulp in case of mechanical damage. The gray-pink fly agaric on the cut begins to slowly turn pink. Another difference is the shape of the ring. In the panther fly agaric, it is weak, often located in the lower part of the leg. In a gray-pink ring, it is strongly pronounced, it hangs down, is located in the upper part of the leg.

Another difference is the shape of the legs. In a gray-pink fly agaric, it often has the shape of an inverse cone, tapering downwards. At the same time, the volva in the lower part of the stem in this species is weakly expressed or completely absent.

How to distinguish a panther fly agaric from an “umbrella”

The parasol mushroom is another twin of the panther fly agaric. This species is also edible; moreover, it is highly valued for its excellent taste and the ability to be eaten without prior heat treatment. The umbrella mushroom belongs to the Champignon family, outwardly it looks like a panther fly agaric, but it has a number of distinctive features:

1. It can reach a considerable size, often the umbrella mushroom cap grows up to 25-30 cm in diameter, and the stem grows up to 40 cm, while its thickness can reach up to 4 cm.
2. In the center of the umbrella mushroom cap, after opening, a characteristic influx always remains.
3. The leg is covered with small brown scales.
4. The ring is wide, membranous, torn.
5. Volvo is missing.
6. Mushroom smell, rather weak.

Umbrella mushrooms, in turn, have their poisonous counterparts, such as lead-slag chlorophyllum and dark brown chlorophyllum. They are much smaller in size, and they grow in North America, so mushroom pickers in Our Country have quite a few chances to encounter them. A distinctive feature of false umbrella mushrooms is the reddening of the color of the pulp during mechanical damage.

Where and how to grow

The area of ​​​​growth of the panther fly agaric is very wide. It can be found in deciduous and mixed forests of the temperate zone of the European part of Our Country, as well as in Siberia and the Far East. The mushroom picker forms mycorrhiza with many trees, both coniferous and deciduous, but most often with oak or pine. The mass growth of the fungus begins in July and continues until mid-September. The fungus is undemanding to the composition of the soil, but it is more common on calcareous, and sometimes even on very poor, highly alkalized soils.

As a rule, panther fly agaric grows in single specimens, groups are quite rare. An interesting video about him can be viewed at the link:

Edible panther fly agaric or poisonous

Panther fly agaric is a highly poisonous mushroom, so it is strictly forbidden to eat it. The pulp of the fruiting bodies contains strong toxins such as hyoscyamine and scopalamin, which cause general poisoning. In addition to these substances, it contains the alkaloids muscarine, muscimol, serotonin and buphotonin, which cause a change in consciousness by affecting the central nervous system. Therefore, the mushroom is not only highly poisonous, but also hallucinogenic.

 Symptoms of poisoning, first aid

Panther fly agaric poisonings are rare, primarily due to the good recognition of the fungus. Fatal outcomes after its use are not documented, although some toxicologists consider this species even more poisonous than the pale grebe. The symptoms of panther fly agaric poisoning are similar to the picture of the usual toxic effects on the digestive organs, characteristic of all poisonous mushrooms, however, it is supplemented by symptoms of altered consciousness.

Here are the main signs of panther fly agaric poisoning:

1. Cramps, spasms and pains in the stomach.
2. Diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes with blood.
3. Change in pupil size.
4. Rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia.
5. Irregular breathing.
6. Spasms, muscle cramps.
7. Increased body temperature, chills, fever.
8. Euphoria, incoherent actions, causeless activity and aggression.
9. Visual and auditory hallucinations, seizures, fainting.

Symptoms usually appear within the first 20-30 minutes after eating the mushroom and progress over the next 6-8 hours. If you suspect poisoning with panther fly agaric, you must definitely call a doctor or take the victim to the nearest first-aid post.

Before the ambulance arrives, you can reduce the toxic effect on the body by the following manipulations:

1. Gastric lavage. If a little time has passed since the meal, you need to get rid of the remnants of the fungus in the stomach. For this, it is necessary to force the victim to drink a large amount of water, slightly colored with potassium permanganate, and then induce him to vomit. It is better to do this several times for a more thorough cleansing of the stomach.
2. Give the poisoned absorbent. This measure will significantly reduce the absorption of toxins into the blood. Activated carbon is suitable as an absorbent (at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of the victim’s weight), as well as Eneterosgel, Polysorb or similar preparations.
3. Reduce spasmodic pain and pain in the stomach to the victim. This can be done by giving him 1 or 2 tablets of No-shpa (Drotaverine).
4. Plentiful drink. The victim needs to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration caused by diarrhea. You can restore the salt balance with the help of the drug Regidron, but if it is not available, then you need to add a little ordinary table salt to the water. You can use carbonate mineral water for drinking.

What is useful panther fly agaric

Despite the extreme toxicity, the panther fly agaric is not without useful properties. Preparations from this fungus have strong biological activity and are successfully used to treat the following pathologies:

1. Joint diseases.
2. Tumors of various nature.
3. Vascular sclerosis.
4. Herpes.

The powder of the dried fruiting body of this mushroom is a strong wound healing agent, therefore it is part of the appropriate ointments and creams.

It relieves muscle inflammation, including traumatic ones. Amanita tincture is used as a remedy for impotence, as well as a medicine that stops the growth of malignant tumors and inhibits cancer cells.

The use of panther fly agaric in folk medicine

Even before science studied the panther fly agaric, the ancestors successfully used it as a medicine. Here are some ways to use it in folk medicine:

1. Powdered dry powder of fly agaric mixed with oil can be used as a remedy for rheumatism.
2. If the dried mushroom cap is applied to an open wound, it will heal very quickly.
3. Panther fly agaric ointment can relieve pain and swelling at the site of injury.
4. A tincture of the fruiting bodies of this fungus is used as a remedy for warts.

Some interesting facts about panther fly agarics

Many interesting stories are connected with the panther fly agaric. According to ancient Germanic and Scandinavian legends, the tincture of these mushrooms in the past was taken by berserk warriors to bring themselves into a state of increased aggression and reduce the pain threshold. There is an opinion that the ancient knights also used a similar mixture before the battle, but there is no documentary evidence for this.

Here are some more interesting facts about this representative of the Amonite family:

1. Fly agaric has long been used as a repellant, that is, as a means to combat flying insects. Hence they got their name. Flies never sit on these mushrooms, even the fumes from them are fatal to them.
2. Panther fly agaric tincture is used by shamans when performing various religious rituals to escape from reality and plunge into a state of altered consciousness.
3. The psychoactivity of the panther fly agaric is about 4 times higher than that of its red counterpart.
4. Due to the special clinical picture caused by eating this mushroom, the symptoms of panther fly agaric poisoning received a separate name in medicine, known as “panther syndrome”.
5. The composition of the fruiting body of the panther fly agaric includes tropane alkaloids – substances more characteristic of poisonous plants such as dope and henbane.

Conclusion

Panther fly agaric is a clear example of the fact that even the most poisonous mushrooms can bring significant benefits. However, this does not mean that it is harmless. Such mushrooms must be handled with great care. Only in skillful and experienced hands can it be useful, therefore, before doing something with the panther fly agaric, you should definitely consult with a knowledgeable person.