One of the mushrooms that can be easily confused when collecting is the fly agaric. It is known by the common name of smelly amanita and is a species very similar to others in the same group but is deadly. It can be recognized with the naked eye by some unique characteristics but it can also lead to various confusions that can lead to the collection of said mushroom by mistake.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this complete article or tell you all the characteristics, properties and main confusions of the fly agaric.
Key features
We are talking about a mushroom that reminds us of a very similar one within its species called fly agaric. However, we should not confuse this mushroom because it grows in spring. It is quite important to be able to recognize the best known and collected amanitas so as not to get confused when collecting them. We are going to describe the Amanita virosa.
Has a hat that can reach 8 centimeters in diameter but it is usually somewhat smaller in size. Its shape is flared when it is young, but as it develops, it opens up a bit. This type of mushroom has a hat that never completely flattens. When it reaches its adult stage, we can recognize the hat with the naked eye since it has a shape that resembles the helmets of cyclists.
Throughout the development of the hat it retains an obtuse mamelon. It is a fairly pure white hat and, when you have reached the old age stage, you can change the tone a bit to a creamy color. One of the characteristics by which we can recognize the hat with the naked eye is that it has the edges with remains of the veil.
It has white and fairly dense free blades with respect to the foot. It also has lamellae regularly interspersed between the upper lamellae.
Pie and meat
As for the foot, it is quite long and can triple the length to the diameter of the hat. This can be another indicator that helps us to recognize the mushroom in question. The foot is also white like the hat and is woolly on some occasions. We can see that it is covered by a kind of concolorous fibrils. When it is young it has a full foot but becomes medulous as it reaches adulthood. It has a white membranous ring of texture and can be moved. Sometimes we can see that this ring remains due to the hat.
The foot also has a volva that is sheath and membranous, also white in color. Its meat is thin and quite scarce. It is also white in color but it can be recognized quite easily because it has a rafanoid color, that is, it has an unpleasant odor, although it has a slight mild flavor.
Habitat of the fly agaric
This mushroom is unusual compared to other species in the same group. Therefore, we can consider it as a rare species. The growth and development stage is during the summer and part of the fall. To be able to find this type of mushroom, we must go to the plains forests that have an acidic soil since it has never been seen in soils with a basic pH.
It needs enough humidity to grow. It can also be found in coniferous forests and can be recognized quite easily if we know its appearance.
Possible confusion and edibility of the fly agaric
Belonging to the trilogy of the mortal amanitas, we must know that the ingestion of a single specimen can cause irreversible liver damage. Since this mushroom can easily be confused with other species, we must know it thoroughly. One of the most frequent confusions is with the species fly agaric. In this case, we must know that the two species are deadly if they are consumed. One of the main differences is that the fly agaric it is more globose.
You have to be very careful when confusing it with a species that is edible and that is the Leucoagaricus leucothites. The main difference of this edible is that the base of the foot has a thickening not a volva as in the case of the fly agaric. And we are talking about a mushroom that is not only inedible, but is also extremely toxic and has effects on our body that can lead to death. These effects have put it into the category of deadly fungi. Therefore, it is interesting to know how to identify it so as not to confuse it with other mushrooms.
One of the species that also has a whitish shape that may remind us of this species is the It would become viscous. However, there is a main difference and it is that it lacks a ring and its rosy blades when mature. We must not forget that the lamellae and lamellae of the fly agaric they are entirely plants and do not turn pink when touched or cut.
Case of poisoning
An example of how dangerous this mushroom can be occurred in the last century. And it is that a young electrician wanted to have an extra income and sold white mushrooms to the owner of a family pension. This owner used them to make mixed dishes with other mushrooms that turned out to be deadly white amanitas. When serving the term, although the Amanita was already cooked, it took the lives of 11 people.
Although today it is easier to recognize mushrooms, we can always be quite inexperienced or novice in this regard and get confused. It is something most common to make mistakes when collecting this type of mushroom, since they look very similar between them.
As you can see, it is vitally important to know the type of mushrooms that are being collected. In this way, we manage to avoid many problems. I hope that with this information you can learn more about the fly agaric and know how to recognize it with the naked eye so as not to be confused in its collection.