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Amanita muscaria is a hallucinogenic poisonous mushroom, distributed in the north and in the center of the temperate zone of the European continent. A bright representative of the Amanitaceae family in the scientific world is known as Amanita regalis. It is perceived by nature lovers as an intensely colored aesthetic element of a green forest carpet.
Description of the royal fly agaric
You need to know an inedible mushroom so as not to mistakenly put it in a basket along with other gifts of the forest. The use of this species carries a mortal danger.
Cap Description
The royal fly agaric has a large hat, from 5 to 25 cm. Features of the appearance of the hat of a young mushroom:
- spherical;
- the edges are attached to the leg;
- yellowish-white flakes are densely located on the surface of the skin.
These shapeless formations are the remains of a veil that wrapped the young fruiting body of the royal mushroom. Scraps of it are easily washed off the top of the cap, on young mushrooms they turn white in the sun, on old ones they become gray-yellow.
As it grows, the cap opens to slightly convex or completely flat, sometimes with a slightly depressed center. It happens that the ribbed edge rises up. The peel of the royal fly agaric is aged in yellow-brown shades – from light on old ones to intensely terracotta color on young mushrooms. The middle of a more saturated tone.
The bottom of the cap is lamellar, white. Old fly agarics have numerous wide plates – yellowish or with a creamy tint. Initially, the plates adhere to the stem, then break away from it. Spore powder is white.
On the break of the fruiting body of the royal fly agaric, fleshy, white, pulp is visible, the smell is not pronounced. If the thin skin is slightly removed, the flesh is golden yellow or ocher directly underneath. Under the influence of air, the pulp does not change its color.
Description of the leg
The stem is as large as the cap, height is from 6 to 25 cm, 1-3 cm thick. In young mushrooms, it is ovoid or spherical. Then it stretches, grows up, the base remains thickened. The surface is fibrous, covered with a velvety white coating, under which the color of the leg is yellowish or yellow-brown. In old royal fly agarics, the cylindrical leg becomes hollow. Like all members of the genus, the stem has a thin white ring, often torn, with a brownish-yellow border. Volvo, part of the bedspread from below, grows to the leg. Warty in appearance, formed by two or three rings at the base of the fruiting body.
Where and how to grow
Royal fly agaric is found in deciduous and coniferous forests, spruce and pine forests, mixed forests growing on mosses and grass. Mycorrhiza is most often formed in symbiosis with the roots of birches, pines and spruces, but there are inedible mushrooms under other species. In Europe, the species is distributed mainly in the north and in the center of the continent. It is the same in Our Country – the royal fly agaric is not found in the southern regions. Representatives of the species have been noted in Alaska and Korea. Royal fly agarics appear from mid-July and grow until the first frost. Mushrooms can be seen singly and in groups. The species is considered quite rare.
Twins and their differences
When going to the forest with a basket, they carefully study inedible mushrooms, including a description and photo of the royal fly agaric.
Comment! The species is so different from edible mushrooms that its representatives seem to be unmistakable. But errors often occur in inexperienced mushroom pickers who encounter young or even adult specimens that have undergone such transformations as the loss of a ring or the remains of a coverlet.
The royal fly agaric is sometimes confused with other species of the genus Amanita:
- red;
- panther;
- grey-pink.
Especially easy to confuse with red. From a distance, both species are similar to each other, and some microbiologists consider the royal subspecies of red. The royal fly agaric differs from the red fly agaric in the following ways:
- various tones of yellow-brown color of the cap do not approach an intense red tint;
- on the leg there are yellowish flakes that the red one does not have.
Depending on where it appears, the royal species can come out with a pale reddish cap, making it look like the conditionally edible grey-pink, harvested quite often and popular for its pleasant taste. They are distinguished by the following parameters:
- in the pink species, the flesh turns red on the cut;
- whitish plates turn red after being touched;
- pale pink ring.
Panther fly agaric with a skin of brownish or gray-olive color, especially toxic, can be a double of the royal fly agaric also due to a change in the color of the cap. But there are other differences:
- the flesh under the skin is white;
- it is brittle and watery, has an unpleasant smell, similar to rare;
- the volva is clearly cup-shaped;
- there is no yellow or brown-yellow border at the bottom of the ring.
Edible king fly agaric or poisonous
Due to the presence of a number of toxic substances, mushrooms cannot be eaten in any form. Accidental consumption of the species can be fatal.
Can the royal fly agaric cause hallucinations
The ingress of toxic substances into the human body causes not only a general toxic effect, but also affects the nervous system, making it difficult to perceive the outside world. Contact with the victim due to the inhibition of thought processes is almost impossible.
Symptoms of poisoning, first aid
Unpleasant sensations in the gastrointestinal tract appear after 30-90 minutes or several hours. Severe colic, salivation and vomiting are accompanied by dizziness and pain in the head. Later, there is a disorder of the nervous system, hallucinations, convulsions.
First aid consists in washing the gastrointestinal tract and delivering the victim to the hospital. The patient needs warming with a warm blanket and heating pads.
The use of the royal fly agaric
It is believed that forest dwellers eat poisonous mushrooms, getting rid of parasites. The antibacterial and antiparasitic effects of toxins are adopted by healers. Only specialists can use fly agaric treatment.
Conclusion
Amanita muscaria is rare. A poisonous mushroom can be admired and bypassed. Any self-treatment threatens with serious disruption of the body.
