Emma Wilson
The Global Fungal Red List Initiative, organized by the IUCN, aims to address the threat of habitat loss, loss of symbiotic hosts, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change to fungal species. While red mushrooms are fascinating due to their bright colours and unique shapes, only some varieties are edible, while others are among the most poisonous mushrooms. For instance, the Fly Agaric (Amanita Muscaria), with its bright red cap dotted with white spots, is toxic and can cause poisoning due to its psychoactive compounds. On the other hand, Fistulina hepatica, commonly known as ox tongue or beefsteak, is an edible red mushroom found in Europe, North America, Africa, and Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose of the Global Fungal Red List Initiative | To convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public and policymakers, as well as help the international community reduce species decline and extinction. |
| Species of fungi threats | Habitat loss, loss of symbiotic hosts, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change. |
| Number of poisonous mushroom species | 70-80 |
| Examples of poisonous red mushrooms | Fly agaric (Amanita Muscaria), The Sickener (Russula emetic), Bloody Brittlegill (SANCHARY RUSSULA), Rosy Brittlegill (Russula Rosea), Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), Web Cap, Destroying Angels, Deadly webcaps (Cortinarius rubellus) |
| Examples of edible red mushrooms | Fistulina hepatica (ox tongue, beefsteak), Bloody Milk Cap (Lastarius bloodstone), Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum, lingzhi) |
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What You'll Learn
The Global Fungal Red List Initiative
The Red List is a system for classifying species that are at high risk of global extinction. It is divided into nine categories: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, and Extinct. The list is intended to be easily and widely understood. The categories are based on five defined criteria that can be routinely applied.
The Red List helps authorities to delimit protected areas, guides funding allocation, and influences development decisions. It is also used as an indicator to measure and monitor the state of global biodiversity. The list is important as fungal species are prone to extinction and face threats such as habitat loss, loss of symbiotic hosts, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change.
The success of the project depends on the engagement of the mycological community, both professional and amateur, to nominate species, provide information, and check and comment on submitted data. Nominations are encouraged from anyone who can provide information on fungal species that are likely to be globally threatened. The information provided by nominators and participants is used as the basis for the final red list evaluations.
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Poisonous red mushrooms
The Global Fungal Red List Initiative aims to address the threats faced by various species of fungi, including habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change. While the red list primarily focuses on conservation, some mushrooms are well-known for their distinct red colour and toxicity.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a large white-gilled, white-spotted mushroom with a bright red cap. It is one of the most recognisable fungi in the world. Native to the forests of the Northern Hemisphere, it has now spread to the Southern Hemisphere. Although fatal poisonings are rare, it can cause poisoning, especially in children and those seeking its hallucinogenic effects. The major toxins involved in Amanita muscaria poisoning are muscimol and ibotenic acid, which is a neurotoxin and serves as a prodrug to muscimol. The amount of these toxins varies from region to region and season to season, with spring and summer mushrooms containing up to 10 times more ibotenic acid and muscimol than autumn fruitings.
Poison fire coral, or Podostroma cornu-damae, is one of the deadliest poisonous red mushrooms in the world. Its red colour, with orange hues, and coral-like branches are a warning signal to potential predators. This fungus, native to Asia and Australia, can cause multiple organ failure if consumed.
Other notable poisonous red mushrooms include the Deadly Webcap (Cortinarius rubellus), native to Northern Europe, and the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), found throughout Europe. It is important to note that only a few of the 70-80 species of poisonous mushrooms are fatal when ingested, but many bear a resemblance to edible species, making them dangerous.
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Edible red mushrooms
While red mushrooms are certainly eye-catching, only some varieties are edible. Many are toxic, and some are even among the most poisonous mushrooms in the world. The Global Fungal Red List Initiative, organized by the IUCN, aims to address the urgency of conservation issues surrounding fungal species, as they are threatened by habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change.
One edible red mushroom is the Fistulina hepatica, commonly known as the ox tongue or beefsteak mushroom. It is an excellent meat substitute due to its meaty texture and red juice that resembles blood. This variety is common in Europe, especially in forested areas, and can also be found in North America, Africa, and Australia. It is usually in season from late summer to fall. Fistulina hepatica has a sour and acidic taste, which becomes stronger as the mushroom grows, and it is one of the few mushroom species that can be consumed raw. As it matures, it changes color from red to brown and becomes softer and more gelatinous. It is also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, and potassium.
Another edible red mushroom is Jackson's Slender Amanita, which is known for its tall, slender yellow stem supporting a rounded, brilliant red cap. Underneath the cap, it has orange-yellow gills. This mushroom is often misidentified with highly toxic species from the same family, such as Amanita muscaria and Amanita phalloides, so foragers must be very confident in their identification.
While not all are red, several species of stinkhorn mushrooms, which are known for their peculiar shapes and strong, unpleasant odors, are also red-colored.
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Red mushrooms in folklore
Mushrooms have been a part of world folklore and mythology for millennia, often associated with magic and mystery. Their seemingly magical overnight growth and ambiguous nature, being neither plant nor animal, have made them a captivating subject of human imagination.
In Slavic cultures, one of the most revered mushrooms is the red-and-white Amanita Muscaria, or Fly Agaric. This mushroom is believed to possess magical properties and is often depicted in folk art. It is tied to the ancient Slavic deity named Veles, the god of the earth, waters, forests, and the underworld. In return for the gift of the mushroom, people would leave the first mushroom they found in the forest as an offering to Veles. Siberian peoples were also known to have used Fly Agaric, with accounts suggesting that the Viking Berserkers drank a potion made from it before going into battle, fighting like men possessed. By the mid-19th century, the Fly Agaric had become synonymous with fairyland in European folklore, believed to be a portal to the land of dreams.
In many European cultures, mushrooms are strongly associated with the magical realm and are often connected with fairies, elves, and other mythical creatures. Naturally occurring rings of mushrooms, known as fairy circles, are believed to be portals to the fairy realm, and humans are warned not to step into them lest they be transported or become invisible. In Wales, there are stories of fairies using Parasol Mushrooms as umbrellas, while in Scotland, they are believed to serve as dining tables for fairy feasts. In Austria, fairy rings are said to mark the places where dragons once breathed fire. In Celtic folklore, fairy circles are believed to be mini portals to the otherworld, where people would become trapped and lose their memory.
Mushrooms also appear in Japanese folklore. The red-capped and white-spotted Amanita Muscaria is associated with Tanuki, the raccoon dog, a popular figure often depicted with a big belly and a wide-brimmed hat. Psychoactive mushrooms, notably the psilocybin species, have been used in religious and shamanistic rituals by various cultures, including the indigenous peoples of Central and South America, the ancient Maya, and the Aztecs, who held these "flesh of the gods" in high regard.
The creation of fungi is also shrouded in legend, with stories varying across cultures. In ancient Egypt, it was believed that mushrooms were a gift from Set, the god of the desert, disorder, violence, and storms, and only the pharaohs were allowed to eat them. Similarly, in ancient Greece, there was a belief that mushrooms appeared after Zeus hurled lightning from the sky, a tale that might have some truth to it as research suggests lightning can increase mushroom crops. In Lithuania, mushrooms are connected to the god of the dead, Velnias, and it is believed that they are the fingers of Velnias reaching out of the underworld to feed the people.
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Red mushroom conservation
Red mushrooms, like all fungi, are essential for the health of the planet. They are neither plants nor animals, but belong to a different kingdom. They form symbiotic relationships with trees, increasing the surface area of the roots and their ability to absorb water and nutrients. In return, the tree shares nutrients with the fungus.
Despite their global prevalence, fungi have historically been left out of conservation initiatives. The Global Fungal Red List Initiative, organized by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), aims to address this issue. The IUCN Red List is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of animal, fungal, and plant species. It conveys the urgency of conservation issues to the public and policymakers and helps the international community reduce species decline and extinction.
The Red List relies on information provided by nominators and participants, who can be individuals, small groups of collaborators, mycological societies, or institutions. Species of fungi are threatened by habitat loss, loss of symbiotic hosts, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change. However, the vast majority of fungal species have not been assessed.
One example of a red mushroom that has been impacted by human activity is the white ferula (Pleurotus nebrodensis), which grows in the Madonie Mountains of Sicily. It was the first mushroom recognized as endangered and is now listed as critically endangered. Foraging of this mushroom is off-limits in protected areas inside the Madonie National Park region, but foragers can pluck mature mushrooms in surrounding regions.
Another notable red mushroom is the fly agaric or fly amanita (Amanita muscaria), which is native to the Northern Hemisphere and has been introduced to the Southern Hemisphere. It has a bright red cap with distinctive white warts and is one of the most recognizable fungi in the world. While it can cause poisoning, fatal poisonings are extremely rare.
To conserve red mushrooms and other fungi, various techniques can be employed, including traditional methods such as cooling, washing with antimicrobial and antibrowning agents, irradiation, and packaging, as well as more recent methods such as pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, plasma, and modified atmospheres.
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Frequently asked questions
The Global Fungal Red List Initiative is a project that aims to conserve fungal species that are likely to be globally threatened. The final red list evaluations are based on information provided by nominators and participants who comment on the proposals.
Some red mushrooms include the Fly Agaric (Amanita Muscaria), the Sickener (Russula Emetic), the Bloody Brittlegill (Sanchary Russula), and the Rosy Brittlegill (Russula Rosea).
No, not all red mushrooms are poisonous. While many red mushrooms are toxic, there are also several edible varieties, including Fistulina hepatica, the Bloody Milk Cap (Lastarius bloodstone), and the Reishi mushroom.
Some of the most poisonous mushrooms include the Death Cap, Web Cap, Destroying Angels, and the Deadly Webcaps (Cortinarius rubellus). These mushrooms can cause symptoms such as vomiting, delirium, convulsions, diarrhea, and liver and kidney failure, and can often lead to death. It is important to properly identify mushrooms before consuming them.
