Emma Wilson
There are many poisonous mushrooms, but the Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is considered the most poisonous. It is responsible for 90% of mushroom-related fatalities every year and is believed to have caused the deaths of historical figures such as Roman Emperor Claudius in 54 AD and Pope Clement VII in 1534. The death cap is found throughout Europe and resembles edible straw and Caesar's mushrooms. It causes severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea, leading to rapid fluid loss and intense thirst. Other toxic mushrooms include the Destroying Angel, Conocybe filaris, and the Jack O'Lantern mushroom.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Amanita phalloides |
| Common Name | Death Cap |
| Amatoxins | Amatoxins are thermostable, resisting changes due to heat and cold, hence, their toxic effects are not reduced by cooking or freezing |
| Toxin | α-Amanitin |
| Symptoms | Vomiting, delirium, convulsions, diarrhea, liver and kidney failure, and often lead to death |
| Treatment | Liver transplant, antidotes like rifampicin, penicillin, silibinin, antamanide, paclitaxel, ciclosporin, prednisolone, and N-acetylcysteine |
| Appearance | The cap colour is variable, including white forms, and is not a reliable identifier. The caps are generally greenish in colour with a white stipe and gills |
| Look-alikes | Caesar's mushroom, straw mushroom, Shaggy Mane |
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What You'll Learn
- Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is the most poisonous mushroom
- Destroying angels, including A. virosa, A. bisporigera, and A. ocreata, are toxic fungi
- Angel's wings mushrooms might look harmless but are quite poisonous
- The deadly dapperling is one of the most poisonous mushrooms found in the UK
- Webcaps, including deadly webcap and fool's webcap, feature a poison called orellanin
Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is the most poisonous mushroom
The death cap is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus and mushroom, one of many in the genus Amanita. It originates in Europe but has spread to other parts of the world since the late twentieth century. The death cap has been introduced to new regions through the cultivation of non-native species of oak, chestnut, and pine.
The large fruiting bodies of the death cap appear in summer and autumn. The caps are generally greenish with a white stipe and gills, but the cap colour is variable, including white forms, so it is not a reliable identifier. The death cap resembles several edible species, most notably Caesar's mushroom and the straw mushroom, which are commonly consumed by humans, increasing the risk of accidental poisoning.
The principal toxic constituent of the death cap is α-Amanitin, which causes liver and kidney failure. Amatoxins, the class of toxins found in these mushrooms, are thermostable, meaning they are not reduced by cooking or freezing. As little as half a mushroom contains enough toxin to kill an adult human.
Treatment for poisoning includes the administration of antidotes, activated charcoal to limit the absorption of toxins, and organ transplants in cases of irreversible damage.
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Destroying angels, including A. virosa, A. bisporigera, and A. ocreata, are toxic fungi
The destroying angel (Amanita virosa) is a deadly poisonous fungus. It is found in woodlands in late summer and autumn, especially in association with beech and chestnut, but also with pine, spruce, and fir. It was originally described in Sweden and is known throughout Europe, with additional records from northern Asia (China). The destroying angel is characterised by its gills and white stalks. The cap can be pure white, or white at the edge and yellowish, pinkish, or tan at the centre. It has a partial veil, or ring, circling the upper stalk, and the gills are free, not attached to the stalk.
The destroying angel is one of several similar, closely related species of deadly all-white mushrooms in the genus Amanita. They are Amanita virosa in Europe and Amanita bisporigera and Amanita ocreata in eastern and western North America, respectively. Amanita bisporigera is associated with oaks and conifers. Amanita verna, commonly known as Fool's Mushroom, is another species referred to as the destroying angel. It was first described in France in 1780 and is a frequent find there. These two pure white amanitas are almost impossible to distinguish from each other, but Amanita verna does not react to potassium hydroxide (KOH), whereas Amanita virosa turns yellow.
Destroying angels are among the most toxic known mushrooms and contain amatoxins, which are heat-stable and quickly damage cells throughout the body. They closely resemble edible mushrooms and have been collected by mistake on numerous occasions. Amanita bisporigera is considered the most toxic North American mushroom. Symptoms of ingestion take 5 to 24 hours to appear and include vomiting, delirium, convulsions, and diarrhea. As little as half a mushroom cap can be fatal if the victim is not treated quickly enough.
The death cap (Amanita phalloides) is another highly poisonous mushroom in the genus Amanita. It is perhaps the deadliest of all mushrooms and is found throughout Europe. It closely resembles edible straw mushrooms and Caesar's mushrooms. It has been responsible for the majority of human deaths from mushroom poisoning.
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Angel's wings mushrooms might look harmless but are quite poisonous
Angel's wings (Pleurocybella porrigens) might look harmless with their funnel-like, white caps and pleasant smell, but these mushrooms are quite poisonous and have been implicated in a number of fatalities in Japan. They grow in overlapping clusters in the coniferous woods of Scotland and northern England, and are also found in northern mainland Europe, some regions of North America, and cool parts of Asia.
Angel's wings were once considered edible, but today they are treated as deadly poisonous. They are medium-sized, whitish, and fan-shaped, with fruit bodies that are pure white when young and sometimes yellow with age. The cap is about 4–9 centimetres wide, shaped like a petal or a fan. The stipe is either very short or completely absent, and the flesh is thin and fragile compared to oyster mushrooms.
Angel's wings are a species of fungus in the family Phyllotopsidaceae. They are wood-decay fungi that grow on conifer wood and are widespread in the temperate forests of the Northern Hemisphere. They are distinguished by their fruit bodies, which are whitish and fan-shaped, with crowded gills that are decurrent if a stipe is present.
While angel's wings mushrooms are dangerous, they are not the only toxic fungi that can be mistaken for edible mushrooms. The death cap (Amanita phalloides) is perhaps the deadliest mushroom in the world, found throughout Europe and closely resembling edible straw mushrooms and Caesar's mushrooms. It is responsible for 90% of mushroom-related fatalities every year, and as little as half a mushroom contains enough toxin to kill an adult human. The principal toxic component is α-Amanitin, which causes liver and kidney failure.
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The deadly dapperling is one of the most poisonous mushrooms found in the UK
The deadly dapperling (Lepiota brunneoincarnata) is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is one of the most poisonous mushrooms found in the UK. It is widely distributed in Europe and temperate regions of Asia, as far east as China. This highly toxic fungus contains deadly amounts of alpha-amanitin and has been responsible for several deaths due to its resemblance to edible mushrooms like the fairy ring champignon (Marasmius oreades) and the grey knight (Tricholoma terreum).
The deadly dapperling typically grows in grassy areas such as fields, parks, gardens, and roadsides. It has a brown scaled cap up to 4 cm wide, with a pinkish-brown stem and white gills. Its cap is initially hemispherical, later becoming more convex, and its colour can vary from pale brown to greenish.
Symptoms of ingestion include nausea, vomiting, and liver damage, with acute gastric symptoms appearing around ten hours after consumption. Specific treatments include intravenous silibinin to reduce amanitin uptake, penicillin G, and N-acetylcysteine, along with general supportive measures like rehydration.
Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is another highly poisonous mushroom species found in Europe and introduced to other parts of the world. It is considered the deadliest mushroom worldwide, responsible for 90% of mushroom-related fatalities each year. Its toxins, amatoxins, are heat-stable and cause rapid cell damage throughout the body, leading to violent abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and liver and kidney failure.
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Webcaps, including deadly webcap and fool's webcap, feature a poison called orellanin
While there are several contenders for the title of the world's most poisonous mushroom, the Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is widely considered the deadliest. However, Webcaps, including deadly webcap and fools webcap, are also among the most poisonous mushrooms in the world. They feature a poison called orellanin, a highly toxic compound that causes kidney failure and death if left untreated.
The deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus) and the fool's webcap (Cortinarius orellanus) are very similar in appearance to each other and to several edible mushroom varieties. This similarity has resulted in numerous incidents of mushroom poisoning, particularly in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. For instance, in 2008, English author Nicholas Evans mistakenly collected and served webcap mushrooms to his relatives, resulting in hospitalization and kidney transplants for some of them.
The poison orellanin has an unusually long latency period, with symptoms often taking 2 to 3 days, and sometimes up to 3 weeks, to manifest. Initial symptoms are similar to the common flu, including nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weight loss, and trouble concentrating. As orellanin poisoning progresses, it leads to early signs of kidney failure, such as immense thirst, frequent urination, and pain in and around the kidneys. Eventually, urine output decreases or ceases, and other symptoms of kidney failure occur.
There is currently no known antidote for orellanin poisoning, and death will occur if left untreated. However, early hospitalization and prompt medical intervention, including dialysis and other supportive treatments, can often save lives. The long latency period of orellanin poisoning can lead to misdiagnosis, as individuals may forget what they ate or attribute their symptoms to something else consumed more recently.
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Frequently asked questions
Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is widely considered the most poisonous mushroom in the world.
The death cap mushroom is native to Europe but has spread to other parts of the world, including North America, in the late 20th century.
The death cap has a greenish cap, a white stipe, and gills. However, the cap colour can vary, including white forms, so it is not a reliable identifier.
The death cap contains amatoxins, a class of heat-stable toxins that resist changes due to heat and cold, causing rapid cell damage throughout the body.
Symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning include violent abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, liver and kidney failure, delirium, convulsions, and death. Symptoms typically appear 6 to 24 hours after ingestion.
