Beware in the mushroom forest
Photos: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Destroying angel
Destroying angel Valge kärbseseen Amanita virosa
Death cap Roheline kärbseseen Amanita phalloides
The weekend weather invites to forest tours. The pretty-looking destroying angle fungus grows abundantly in Estonian forests. This fatally toxic mushroom is often confused with the edible gypsy mushroom (Rozites caperata) and the champignons.
The destroying angel and the death cap have caused the large majority (estimated up to 90%) cases of fatal mushroom poisonings.
The latent period of the poisoning is long – 12 hours, sometimes 24 hours, and by then it is very difficult for medical staff to save the patient.
Our other Amanitas are toxic as well although not so severely; better let them all stay in the forest growing in their places.
Death cap
What is the death cap confused with? – mostly with green Russulas.
In recent years a great number of mushroom books have been published by foreign as well as native authors.
I would warmly recommend the pocket book „100 söögiseent – 100 edible fungi ”, authors Kuulo Kalamees and Vello Liiv, published in 2007. In the end part of the book our poisonous fungi are presented. A reprint was still available last week in larger bookstores as was the more exhaustive „400 Eesti seent – 400 Estonian fungi“ by the same authors.
