Laura Smith
Red mushrooms are easily identifiable due to their brilliant colouration and can be found in forests, woodlands, and even your backyard. While some red mushrooms are edible, like the Fistulina hepatica, others are toxic, such as the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria). The Fly Agaric, with its bright red cap and white spots, is one of the most recognisable fungi in the world and has been featured in popular media like Super Mario and classic fairy stories. It is also known for its psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common name | Fly agaric, Fly amanita |
| Scientific name | Amanita muscaria |
| Cap colour | Bright red, scarlet, orange, reddish-brown |
| Cap size | 8-20 cm in diameter |
| Cap shape | Rounded or oval |
| Cap texture | Covered in white warts or spots |
| Gills | White, closely packed, not joined to the stem |
| Stem | White, brittle, fibrous, 5-20 cm high, 1-2 cm wide |
| Smell | Mildly earthy, savoury |
| Habitat | Deciduous and coniferous forests, woodlands, heathland, yards |
| Edibility | Poisonous, hallucinogenic, insecticide |
| Similar species | Armillaria cf. mellea, A. basii, A. caesarea, Blusher (Amanita rubescens) |
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What You'll Learn
- Amanita muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric, is a toxic red mushroom with hallucinogenic properties
- Fistulina hepatica, also known as ox tongue, is an edible red mushroom that's an excellent meat substitute
- Poison fire coral (Podostroma cornu-damae) is a deadly red mushroom whose toxins can be absorbed through the skin
- Basket stinkhorn (Clathrus ruber), red starfish stinkhorn (Aseroe rubra), and Octopus stinkhorn (Clathrus archeri) are common red mushrooms found in lawns
- Russula emetica, also called the Emetic Russula or The Sickener, is a red mushroom found in forests worldwide
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric, is a toxic red mushroom with hallucinogenic properties
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric, is a distinctive-looking, toxic red mushroom with hallucinogenic properties. It is a large, white-gilled, white-spotted mushroom with a bright red cap. The red colour may fade after rain, and the cap can also be orange or scarlet. The mushroom has a savoury or mild earthy smell. It is generally common and numerous where it grows and often appears in groups.
Fly agaric is native to the temperate and boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere and has now spread to the Southern Hemisphere. It is often found in woodlands and heathlands, typically near birch, pine, spruce, or fir trees. It is a parasitic and saprophytic fungus that grows on decaying tree stumps or trunks covered in foliage, particularly chestnut and oak.
The mushroom's bright red colour is due to the presence of pigments that may act as a deterrent to predators. The white spots on the cap are remnants of the universal veil, a membrane that encloses the mushroom when it is young. As the fungus matures, the red colour appears through the broken veil, and the spots become less prominent. The cap changes shape from globose to hemispherical and finally becomes plate-like and flat.
Fly agaric is toxic to humans, and ingestion can cause poisoning, especially in those seeking its hallucinogenic effects. It contains psychoactive compounds like muscimol and ibotenic acid, which can lead to hallucinations and other neurological symptoms, including vomiting, delirium, and coma. However, fatal poisonings are extremely rare.
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Fistulina hepatica, also known as ox tongue, is an edible red mushroom that's an excellent meat substitute
Fistulina hepatica, commonly known as the beefsteak fungus, beefsteak polypore, or poor man's steak, is a bracket fungus classified in the Agaricales. It is also known as ox tongue or tongue mushroom due to its size and shape, which sometimes resemble a big tongue. It is edible when cooked, although older specimens may need to be soaked overnight and prepared in specific ways to avoid gastric upset.
Ox Tongue mushrooms have an irregular, flattened appearance, averaging 7 to 20 centimetres in diameter, and grow in a semicircular, shelf-like shape with wavy to curved edges. They are a somewhat rare fungus, found on both living and decaying chestnut and oak trees, primarily at the base of the tree. They are commonly seen in Britain and the rest of Europe from July to October, but can also be found in North America, Australia, North Africa, and Southern Africa.
The cut flesh of Fistulina hepatica visually resembles meat, and it has a red fluid that resembles blood. It has a sour and acidic taste, which becomes stronger as the mushroom grows. This is why they are often prepared in cream-based recipes. They are also one of the few mushroom species that can be consumed raw. As Fistulina hepatica grows, it changes colour from red to brown and becomes softer and more gelatinous. They are rich in vitamin C, fibre, folate, and potassium.
Fistulina hepatica is an excellent meat substitute due to its texture and appearance. It is not commercially cultivated and is only found through foraging in select regions around the world, making it a rare treat for those who come across it.
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Poison fire coral (Podostroma cornu-damae) is a deadly red mushroom whose toxins can be absorbed through the skin
Poison fire coral, scientifically known as Podostroma cornu-damae, is a deadly red mushroom. It is one of the most toxic mushrooms in the world, with toxins that can be absorbed through the skin. Formerly known as Podostroma cornu-damae, this species of fungus in the family Hypocreaceae is commonly referred to as poison fire coral. It is also known as kaentake in Japanese and 火炎茸 ("fire mushroom"). Some common names in Taiwanese are "flame antler" and "flame meat stick fungus."
The fruit bodies of the fungus are highly toxic if ingested and have been responsible for several human fatalities. They contain a lethal dose of the mycotoxin satratoxin-H, a potent poison. Poisoning symptoms include stomach pains, changes in perception, a decrease in leukocytes and thrombocytes, peeling skin, hair loss, and shrinking of the cerebellum, resulting in speech impediment and problems with voluntary movement. In one case, an autopsy revealed multiple organ failure, including acute kidney failure, liver necrosis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Poison fire coral is often mistaken for edible mushrooms, leading to fatal consequences. In Japan and Korea, people have brewed it into tea, mistaking it for Ganoderma lucidum (reishi), Cordyceps sobolifera, or C. militaris. Drinking sake infused with poison fire coral can be deadly, as seen in a case in Japan where one person died within two days after consuming just one or two grams of the mushroom.
The species was first described as Hypocrea cornu-damae by Narcisse Theophile Patouillard in 1895. It was once believed to be exclusive to South Korea and Japan, but it has recently been discovered in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. The conidiophores of this fungus are up to 400 μm high and 2-4 μm wide in the main axial hyphae.
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Basket stinkhorn (Clathrus ruber), red starfish stinkhorn (Aseroe rubra), and Octopus stinkhorn (Clathrus archeri) are common red mushrooms found in lawns
Red mushrooms can be poisonous, edible, or harmless but foul-smelling and inedible. If you find red mushrooms in your lawn, it is important to identify the species before deciding what to do with them.
The Basket stinkhorn and Octopus stinkhorn mushrooms are also found in lawns and are characterised by their reddish arms, resembling an octopus emerging from a white egg. These mushrooms emit a foul smell, attracting flies and other insects to help spread their spores. The arms are covered in a brownish slime that contains spores, and the mushrooms are not known to be poisonous to humans or pets. However, they are considered inedible due to their strong odour.
Other types of red mushrooms include the poisonous Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, which is a large, white-gilled, white-spotted mushroom with a bright red cap. It is one of the most recognisable fungi in the world and is native to the temperate and boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Another variety is the Fistulina hepatica, an edible mushroom that is an excellent meat substitute due to its size, shape, and texture. It is also known as "ox tongue" or "beefsteak" and is common in Europe, especially in forested areas.
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Russula emetica, also called the Emetic Russula or The Sickener, is a red mushroom found in forests worldwide
The cap of Russula emetica is sticky and ranges from 2.5 to 10 cm (1-4 inches) wide. Its shape can be convex in young specimens, eventually flattening out with maturity. The margins of the cap have fine radial grooves extending towards the centre. The cap is a bright scarlet or cherry red, and the gills are yellowish, containing granular contents. The spores are white to yellowish-white, elliptical to egg-shaped, and will stain blue to blackish in Melzer's reagent.
This mushroom is one of over 100 red-capped Russula species found globally. Several related species are also inedible, such as the beechwood sickener (R. nobilis) and the bloody brittlegill (R. sanguinaria). However, there are edible lookalikes, including R. paludosa, commonly found in Europe and North America, and R. aurea, which has a yellow stem, gills, and flesh under its red cap.
Russula emetica is very common and widespread in coniferous woodlands throughout Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe, northern Africa, and some Asian countries. It is also found in many parts of North America. This mushroom typically grows in spruce and pine woodlands.
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Frequently asked questions
The Fly Agaric, or Amanita muscaria, is a red mushroom with a distinctive appearance. It has a bright red cap with white spots, and a white stem.
Yes, the Fly Agaric is toxic, though not usually deadly. It has been used for its psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties, but ingestion often leads to unpleasant gastrointestinal distress.
This mushroom is native to the UK and is usually found in woodlands and heathlands, near birch, pine, spruce, or fir trees. It typically grows in groups, emerging from the soil like a white egg before turning red.
The Fly Agaric has a glossy, red cap, which is covered in small, white, wart-like spots. The cap can be round or oval-shaped and measures 7-21cm across. The white stem is long and cylinder-shaped, with a brittle texture.
Yes, there are several other varieties of red mushrooms, including the poisonous Russula Emetica, and the edible Fistulina hepatica, Chanterelles, and Red Reishi mushrooms.
