Contents
Sulfur head is a mushroom from the genus Psilocybe, its Latin name is Hyphaloma cyanescens. Refers to hallucinogenic specimens, so it is not recommended to collect it. For the possession and distribution of hallucinogenic mushrooms in many countries severe punishment is provided. Regular use of sulfur head is dangerous for the psyche and physical health.
What does sulfur head mushroom look like?
The cap of the sulfur head is small, its diameter does not exceed 5 cm. In young specimens, it is cone-shaped, as it grows, it takes the form of a bell or pear. The edges can be flat or curved upwards.
The cap color of the sulfur head is yellow. When it rains, the color becomes chestnut. In places of damage, bluish spots can be seen.
The cap of the mushroom is smooth, elastic, becomes sticky in wet weather, in old specimens there is an increased brittleness.
The spore-bearing layer is colored cinnamon, becoming red-brown with age, purple-black spots may appear.
The height of the stem at the sulfur head ranges from 2,5 to 10 cm, the diameter is from 3 to 6 mm. The leg is slightly curved, in the lower part there is a noticeable thickening. The color of the stem is white above, honey-amber below. In dry weather, a bluish tint may be present.
The leg is fragile, its surface is covered with silky fibers.
Where does the sulfur head mushroom grow?
It grows singly or in small groups, chooses fallen trees, old stumps, damp depressions with grass. Sulfur head can be found in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests.
Appears in August, the last specimens can be seen before the onset of frost in December.
The territory of distribution of the sulfur head is the European part of Our Country, Belarus, Ukraine, North Africa.
Is it possible to eat sulfur head mushroom
The use of hallucinogenic species, which include the sulfur head, is fraught with a change in the psyche. The effect on the body is comparable to the effect of the narcotic substance LSD.
Symptoms of poisoning
The first symptoms appear very quickly. If the dish is eaten on an empty stomach, only a quarter of an hour passes before signs of poisoning appear. If you eat a sulfur head after a heavy meal, it may take about two hours before symptoms appear.
The main signs indicating the use of hallucinogenic species:
- Stupefaction, turning into a delusional state.
- It may seem to a person that time has stopped or accelerated.
- There is a feeling of variability of space.
- Color perception is impaired.
- Sharpens vision and hearing.
- There is a feeling that consciousness leaves the brain.
- The impact on the body can cause both positive emotions and negative ones. If you feel unwell, aggression, anger, irritability may appear.
Not only the human brain suffers, his consciousness changes, mood swings are possible, but the most dangerous thing is a violation of the internal organs (liver, kidneys and heart).
First aid for poisoning
A person under the influence of a sulfur head is dangerous to others. His clouded consciousness may react inadequately, so the patient must be isolated.
You can eliminate the dish from the stomach by washing. To do this, the victim is given to drink several glasses of warm water at once, after which vomiting occurs, and the remnants of food come out.
If a person is unconscious, vomiting should not be induced, otherwise he may choke.
Sulfur head poisoning does not require medical intervention, but detoxification is needed in some cases. Droppers reduce clinical symptoms, eliminate headaches.
If a person has a craving for repeated use of sulfur head, it is advisable to show it to a psychiatrist. Psychological addiction treatment should be carried out as early as possible.
Existing doppelgangers
The sulfur head has similar species. They are also hallucinogenic, but less dangerous, because their content of toxic substances is much lower.
Similar varieties:
- Psilocybe papillary at a young age, it looks very similar to a sulfur head, but with age, its hat remains in the shape of a bell, and flattens in a sulfur fungus. The species is inedible, has a hallucinogenic effect on the human body.
- Paneolus kamchataya It has a reddish-brown cap that turns black when wet. The leg is thin, velvety. The smell is powdery, unpleasant. It can be distinguished from the sulfur head by the place of growth. Paneolus most often lives in dung heaps, pastures. The low content of psilocybin allows the use of mushrooms in food after preliminary boiling.
Conclusion
Sulfur head is a hallucinogenic mushroom containing psilocybin. In many countries, its collection and distribution is punishable by law.
