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Among the many representatives of the mushroom kingdom, there is a separate category of mushrooms, the use of which poses an extreme danger to human health. There are not many such species, but anyone who is going to “quiet hunt” in the forest must definitely know them “by sight”. Among such especially dangerous mushrooms is the pale grebe, the photo and description of which are presented below.
What does a pale toadstool look like
Pale grebe is a typical representative of the genus Amanitovye (toadstools). They are characterized by a hat-leg umbrella shape with a long, even cylindrical stem and a rounded flat (egg-shaped at an early age) hat.
Pale grebe (green fly agaric, white fly agaric) is quite easily identified in the forest, however, cases of fatal poisoning by them are regular. Therefore, with the onset of the season, you need to be as careful and accurate as possible in picking mushrooms. The consequences of eating poisonous specimens can lead to the saddest results.
Cap Description
The little pale grebe is egg-shaped. As the mushroom grows, the cap begins to straighten out, its edges rise more and more, the shape becomes semi-circular or semi-oval, and then everything is flat. In this case, its diameter can reach 10-12 cm. The upper part of the cap is covered with a smooth light dirty greenish or olive skin, its color is more saturated in the center, light on the periphery, sometimes almost white. The edges are slightly bent down.
The photo below shows what a pale grebe looks like at various stages of development of the fruiting body.
The reverse side of the cap is white, the plates are pronounced, even, soft, do not grow together with the stem.
Description of the leg
The leg of the green fly agaric has a cylindrical or truncated-conical shape with a slight thickening downwards. Usually it is smooth, it can be slightly curved. Often reaches 15 cm in length and 2,5 cm in diameter. The color of the stem is white, a moire pattern may be present on the surface. The ring is located in the upper part of the stem, it is wide, membranous, falling, may disappear with age.
Volva (tuberous thickening at the base of the stem) is pronounced, white, lobed, usually up to half of it is in the ground.
To which group of fungi does the pale grebe belong?
Among all the fungi that are dangerous to human life and health, pale grebe occupies a special position. It belongs to the third, most dangerous group. Its representatives do not just cause food poisoning or a disorder of the central nervous system. In this group are deadly poisonous mushrooms, the use of which will lead to death.
What does a pale toadstool smell like?
Green fly agaric does not have a specific mushroom smell, characteristic of many other species. In some specimens, it may be weak, slightly sweet, vaguely reminiscent of raw potatoes. In many ways, the smell depends on the area in which the mushroom grew, as well as on its age.
How does the pale grebe reproduce
Green fly agaric reproduces by spores. They are white and round. Mature spores are dispersed by wind and water. They are poisonous, like all parts of the fruiting body of the green fly agaric.
Where and when does the pale grebe grow
Pale grebe grows not only in Our Country, but also in Europe, Asia, and also in North America. It occurs in mixed or deciduous forests of the temperate climate zone. Often forms mycorrhiza with oak, as well as linden, beech, walnut, and other deciduous and broad-leaved trees. It is not very common, it grows mainly in small groups, as well as single specimens.
The first mushrooms appear in mid-July, fruiting continues until October.
What is dangerous pale grebe for humans
Green fly agaric is recognized as one of the most dangerous mushrooms for humans. The lethal dose is approximately 1/3 of the adult fungus, which is approximately 30 g. According to statistics, 90% of poisoning with a pale toadstool ends in the death of the victim. Even if a person is lucky and the dose of toxins is not fatal, the treatment will be difficult and lengthy, and the body may never fully recover.
The action of the poison of the pale toadstool
The effect of pale grebe that affects the human body is due to the toxic substances contained in it. The pulp of its fruiting body contains the following toxins:
- Amatoxins (amanin, α, β, γ-amanitins, amanulin).
- Fallotoxins (phalloidin, phallizin, phallicidin, falloin).
All of them affect mainly the kidneys, as well as the liver, causing its toxic hepatitis and subsequent necrosis.
Is there an antidote for pale grebe
The following medicines are used as antidotes for poisoning with a pale toadstool:
- Benzylpenicillin.
- of Silibi (Legalon).
- Acetylcysteine.
Signs of pale toadstool poisoning
Symptoms indicating possible grebe poisoning appear with a noticeable delay. The first signs can appear only after 6-24, and in some cases even after 48 hours from the moment the fungus enters the body. This makes it difficult to make a timely diagnosis and leads to the fact that most of the toxins contained in the fruiting bodies have time to be completely absorbed into the blood. Due to this temporary delay, urgent measures taken to save the victim are no longer so effective.
Here are the most typical primary symptoms and signs of toadstool poisoning.
- Periodic pain and cramps in the abdomen.
- Nausea, uncontrollable vomiting.
- Frequent diarrhea with mucous secretions, sometimes with blood.
- Confusion of consciousness.
- Constant thirst.
Usually on the third day, the victim’s condition improves. However, this is a deceptive state, intoxication of the body at this time continues.
After 2-4 days, signs of liver destruction appear: jaundice, dark urine. The heartbeat becomes more frequent, the pulse becomes uneven, signs of hypertension appear. The structure of the blood changes, it becomes thick, quickly coagulates. As a rule, death occurs on the 10-12th day due to acute heart failure, kidney or liver failure.
What happens if you eat a pale toadstool
The severity of the consequences for the human body when eating green fly agaric directly depends on the amount of mushrooms eaten, as well as on the time that has elapsed since the toxins entered the body, the correctness and speed of taking measures to save a person.
However, practice shows that even qualified medical assistance in most cases does not help, and 9 out of 10 poisoned die. A lethal dose of toadstool poisons for an adult is contained in one medium-sized mushroom. Toxins have a stronger effect on children, the lethal outcome in this case occurs already for 1-2 days.
First aid for poisoning with a pale toadstool
It is impossible to provide qualified medical care at home. Therefore, if you suspect mushroom poisoning (any, not necessarily pale toadstool), you should not treat yourself. It is necessary to call an ambulance or take the victim to the nearest hospital.
Before the arrival of doctors, you need to do the following.
- Rinse the victim’s stomach by making him drink a large amount of lightly salted or potassium permanganate-colored water, and then induce vomiting. Food samples should be saved for mycological examination for a correct diagnosis.
- Restore the water-salt balance of the victim’s body by giving him to drink Regidron’s solution or lightly salted water in small doses.
- Give the victim any available enterosorbent: activated carbon (0,5-1 g per 1 kg of body weight of the victim), Polysorb-MP, Enterosgel, etc.
- Provide bed rest.
Are there known cases of poisoning with a pale grebe with a fatal outcome
Unfortunately, cases of death after eating pale grebes are recorded annually. The figure below shows the statistics of mushroom poisoning in general:
Approximately 10% of the total number of deaths are caused by eating green fly agaric. It is difficult to give exact figures, since detailed statistics are not kept. The largest number of poisonings is recorded in the Central Black Earth region of Our Country. For example, in the Voronezh region in 1992, 40 people died from mushroom poisoning, 23 of whom were children.
Cases of death after eating pale grebe are also recorded in other countries. The video below shows news stories from Belarusian TV channels dedicated to this topic.
Is pale grebe used in folk medicine
Information about the use of pale grebe in folk medicine is vague and vague. Some sources contain information about the use of microdoses of the fungus as antidotes for the treatment of poisoning, but this practice is highly questionable. Traditional medicine does not attribute any useful properties to the green fly agaric, however, there is information about the developments being carried out at the German Center for Cancer Research. The scientists of this medical institution conducted a series of successful tests on mice, in which a toxin isolated from the green fly agaric, α-amanitin, was used to suppress cancer cells. Research in this area is ongoing.
How to recognize a pale grebe
The pale grebe has great variability, but it is not difficult to visually identify it. To do this, you need to clearly know all its distinguishing features. The main ones are a wide ring in the upper part of the stem and a large tuberous Volvo.
What is the difference between pale grebe and other poisonous mushrooms
The pale grebe is similar in description to other fly agarics, especially the smelly and grebe. However, the white dotted growths on the hat, characteristic of many other types of Amanitovs, do not always appear in her. In addition to external differences, the composition of toxic substances contained in the fruiting bodies also differs. Toxins in the fruiting bodies of the green fly agaric do not decompose during heat treatment and are not removed from the pulp during soaking, so the mushroom remains poisonous after any type of processing.
What edible mushrooms does the pale grebe look like and how to distinguish them
At a young age, the pale grebe has a certain resemblance to some edible mushrooms. This is the reason for the errors of mushroom pickers when harvesting. Therefore, it is very important not to rush on a “quiet hunt”, carefully examine the cut mushrooms and throw them away at the slightest suspicion. It must be remembered that if a pale toadstool gets into the basket with mushrooms, neighboring specimens will become infected and the entire crop will have to be thrown away.
How to distinguish a pale grebe from a cap
The ringed cap, or boletus, is a fairly common mushroom of the spider family. It is often found in Central Our Country, as well as in the western regions. It has good taste and is a desirable prey for many mushroom pickers. Unlike the green fly agaric, its cap has a semicircular shape and does not become flat with age. It is slightly brown, with a pinkish tint, very reminiscent of an eggshell. The surface of the cap is covered with powdery coating.
There are a number of differences between the cap and the pale grebe. The reverse side of the bog cap becomes brown with age, while in the green fly agaric it always remains white. There are no white flakes or scales on the surface of the cap.
From champignon
The easiest way to distinguish champignons from pale grebe is by the color of the plates on the bottom of the cap. In the green fly agaric, they are always white and do not change color with the age of the fungus.
In young champignon, the color of the plates is pink, and as the fungus ages, it becomes more and more brown.
From greenfinch
Zelenushka, or green rowing, is a lamellar edible mushroom of the Ryadovkovy family. You can distinguish it from a pale grebe by the following features:
- The plates of the green row have a lemon or greenish-yellow color. In pale grebe they are always white.
- The shape of the greenfinch cap is flat-convex. The green fly agaric has a bell-shaped.
- The green row is completely missing a ring on the leg, and it itself is noticeably shorter.
The color of the green row leg is yellow or yellow-green. The pale grebe has a white leg.
From greenish and green russula
Young specimens of the pale grebe and green or greenish russula can be very similar. However, there are a number of differences between them:
- The russula completely lacks the ring on the leg, which is characteristic of the green fly agaric, and also the Volvo is completely absent.
- The russula plates are fragile and brittle, and the leg is thicker and denser.
How to recognize pale grebe when cooking
Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to determine the presence of toadstool toxins in a mushroom decoction.
Methods based on changing the color of the broth that remains after boiling the mushrooms, darkening the silver spoon placed in it, turning blue onions or garlic, etc. will not give a 100% guarantee, so they cannot be used. The most effective measure to avoid poisoning is to completely abandon the use of mushrooms at the slightest suspicion of the presence of green fly agarics among them.
How to get rid of pale toadstool in the area
Pale grebe can sometimes grow in the garden or in the garden. You need to get rid of it as soon as possible. All parts of the green fly agaric are poisonous, even spores and mycelium. The mushroom must be removed from the ground, and the ground in the area where it grew must be turned over so that the threads of the mycelium remain open. So they are quickly destroyed by the sun’s rays. After that, the site must be completely dug up. To prevent mushrooms from reappearing, the soil is treated with a 0,2% solution of copper sulfate.
Often, mushrooms develop in places with abundant litter of fallen leaves, branches and dry grass. To prevent this from happening, you need to remove plant debris, old rotten wood in time. The soil in shady places should be regularly loosened to prevent high humidity.
Conclusion
The pale grebe, the photo and description of which is given in the article, is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world. Perhaps in the future, scientists will find a way to use the substances contained in it for the benefit of humanity, but so far this has not happened. Therefore, you need to collect mushrooms as carefully as possible and in no case eat those that resemble green fly agaric.