Death Cap

Edibility

Deadly — can kill Source: Wikipedia: Amanita phalloides

Classification from Wikipedia: Amanita phalloides. Sources can be wrong or incomplete, and people react differently.

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Photos

Lookalikes

No lookalikes are recorded for this species yet. That does not mean there are none. Many mushrooms look alike, so never rely on appearance alone.

Season

When this species has been recorded, by month, from open-licensed US and Canada observations. It shows when people report it, not a guarantee it is fruiting.

The highlighted bar is the current month.

Where it is found

States and provinces with the most records. Check the foraging rules for the place you plan to visit.

• California 873 records · Foraging rules
• New York 160 records · Foraging rules
• British Columbia 131 records · Foraging rules
• New Jersey 105 records · Foraging rules
• Pennsylvania 87 records · Foraging rules
• Washington 36 records · Foraging rules
• North Carolina 30 records · Foraging rules
• Virginia 18 records · Foraging rules
• Alabama 17 records · Foraging rules
• Connecticut 17 records · Foraging rules
• Florida 17 records · Foraging rules
• Massachusetts 17 records · Foraging rules
• Maryland 13 records · Foraging rules
• Maine 10 records · Foraging rules
• Illinois 7 records · Foraging rules

All state and province foraging laws

Identification traits

Traits vary. Use them to ask better questions of an expert, not to make a final call.

About

Amanita phalloides ( AM-ə-NY-tə fə-LOY-deez), commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus and mushroom, one of many in the genus Amanita. Originating in Europe but later introduced to other parts of the world since the late twentieth century, A. phalloides forms ectomycorrhizae with various broadleaved trees. In some cases, the death cap has been introduced to new regions with the cultivation of non-native species of oak, chestnut, and pine. The large fruiting bodies appear in summer and autumn; the caps are generally greenish in colour with a white stipe and gills. The cap colour is variable, including white forms, and is thus not a reliable identifier. The death cap resembles several edible species (most notably Caesar's mushroom and the straw mushroom) commonly consumed by humans, increasing the risk of accidental poisoning. Amatoxins, a class of toxins found in mushrooms like A. phalloides, are thermostable: they resist changes due to heat and cold, so their toxic effects are not reduced by cooking or freezing. Amanita phalloides is the most poisonous of all known mushrooms. It is estimated that as little as half a mushroom contains enough toxin to kill an adult human. It is also the deadliest mushroom worldwide, responsible for 90% of mushroom-related fatalities every year. It has been involved in the majority of human deaths from mushroom poisoning, possibly including Roman Emperor Claudius in AD 54 and Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in 1740. It has also been the subject of much research and many of its biologically active agents have been isolated. The principal toxic constituent is α-Amanitin, which causes liver and kidney failure.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the original article.

More in the genus Amanita

• 

  Fly Agaric

  Amanita muscaria

  Poisonous
• 

  Grisette

  Amanita vaginata

  Caution
• 

  Blusher

  Amanita rubescens

  Edibility unknown — do not eat
• 

  Yellow Patches

  Amanita flavoconia

  Edibility unknown — do not eat