First Field Guide to Mushrooms of Southern Africa. Margo Branch
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Название: First Field Guide to Mushrooms of Southern Africa
Автор: Margo Branch
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Биология
isbn: 9781775847427
isbn:
Poisonous or edible mushrooms
Most mushrooms are inedible. Extreme caution should be exercised before eating any mushroom. If a mushroom does not comply with all the features described it should not be eaten. Within this book, where appropriate, the edibility
Types of mushroom poisoning
1. Degeneration of internal organs, the liver and kidneys
The Death Cap is the cause of 90% of all mushroom fatalities and takes 6–30 hours to act.
2. Harm to the nervous system
a) Muscimol toxins found in the Fly Agaric, Panther Cap, Inocybe, Panaeolus and Clitocybe act within 5–30 minutes, cause blurred vision, convulsions, delirium and lowered heart rate and blood pressure. They can be fatal.
b) Hallucinogenic toxins, similar to LSD, are found in the genera Psilocybe, Conocybe and Gymnopilus, and can be fatal.
3. Gastrointestinal upsets
Seldom fatal, these are caused by the Yellow Staining Mushroom, Green-gilled Parasol, and Copper Trumpet. The Common Ink Cap causes gastrointestinal upsets if eaten with alcohol.
Begin by learning the following easy-to-identify mushrooms:
Common poisonous mushrooms
| Death Cap | p. 13 |
| Fly Agaric | p. 12 |
| Panther Cap | p. 14 |
| Copper Trumpet | p. 31 |
| Brown Roll-rim | p. 31 |
| Poison Pie | p. 34 |
| Umbo Toadstool | p. 35 |
Common edible mushrooms
| Field Mushroom | p. 20 |
| Shaggy Ink Cap | p. 24 |
| I’kowe | p. 26 |
| Oyster Mushroom | p. 28 |
| Pine Ring | p. 30 |
| Chanterelle | p. 39 |
| Cep (Boletus) | p. 40 |
| Chicken of the Woods | p. 44 |
Fly Agaric
Amanita muscaria
Other name: Vlieëgifswam (Afr)
Where found: This large red mushroom with white spots is common in pine and oak forests. Occurs throughout southern Africa and worldwide.
Description: Cap: Up to 20 cm diameter. Scarlet, occasionally orange or yellow, dotted with white warty scales, which may be washed off by rain. Dome-shaped when young but becomes flat with a smooth margin. Stem: 8–20 cm long, 10–25 mm wide. White to yellowish, covered with shaggy scales. Bulbous base, with several ridges of warts. Ring: White; persistent; membranous. Gills: White; free; crowded. Flesh: Thick and soft; white, tinged yellow below the red skin. Odourless. Spores: White.
Edibility: Poisonous. Although seldom fatal, it causes nausea, hallucinations, convulsions and even loss of consciousness within 1–4 hours of eating.
Notes: For centuries the Fly Agaric was used to attract and kill flies. The bait was prepared by adding crushed mushroom to a saucer of milk.
Death Cap
Amanita phalloides
Other names: Slangkos (Afr), Duiwelsbrood (Afr)
Learn to identify the deadly Death Cap by these combined features: a cup (volvaG) at the base of the stem, a ring and white gills.
Where found: The Death Cap appears early in the rainy season under pines, poplars and oaks. It is widespread throughout southern Africa and the rest of the world.
Description: Cap: 8–15 cm diameter. Smooth, shiny when wet. Colour ranges from smoky olive to yellowish-green, buff or almost white. Dome-shaped, becoming flat with a smooth margin. Stem: 5–15 cm long, 8–25 mm wide. White or flushed with yellowish-green. Bulbous base enclosed in a distinct cup (volvaG). Ring: Persistent; white; membranous. Gills: White; free; crowded; with smooth edges. Flesh: Thin; white, with faint yellow tinge. Sickly sweet to foetid smell. Spores: White.
Edibility: Deadly poisonous. This lethal mushroom accounts for 90% of all mushroom fatalities worldwide. Consumption of just 30 g is enough to kill an adult. It is estimated that over 50% of those who have eaten Amanita phalloides do not survive. The symptoms, which include stomach pains, vomiting, thirst and diarrhoea, only appear 6–24 hours after ingestion, by which time the amatoxins will have caused extensive kidney and liver failure. If poisoning is suspected it is essential to get treatment as soon as possible. Repeated doses of activated charcoal together with a saline cathartic, and detoxification by forced diuresis and blood transfusions is recommended.
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