Amanita

Taxonomy

The genus Amanita was first published with its current meaning by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1797. Under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, Persoon's concept of Amanita, with Amanita muscaria (L.) Pers. as the type species, has been officially conserved against the older Amanita Boehm (1760), which is considered a synonym of Agaricus L.

|Fly agaric.png|The very-recognizable fly agaric

Etymology

The name is possibly derived from Amanus (), a mountain in Cilicia, or from Amantia, an ancient city in the transboundary region between Epirus or southern Illyria in antiquity.

Toxicity

Several members of the section Phalloideae are notable for their toxicity, containing toxins known as amatoxins, which can cause liver failure and death. These include the death cap A. phalloides; species known as destroying angels, including A. virosa, A. bisporigera and A. ocreata; and the fool's mushroom, A. verna.

More recently, a series in the subgenus Lepidella has been found to cause acute kidney failure, including A. smithiana of northwestern North America, A. pseudoporphyria of Japan, and A. proxima of southern Europe.

Edibility

Although many species of Amanita are edible, including all of sect. Caesareae and sect. Vaginatae (together comprising hundreds of species), many fungi experts advise against eating a member of Amanita unless the species is known with absolute certainty. Many species within this genus are toxic, with some species being lethal, so misidentification may lead to sickness or death.

Edible

Edible species of Amanita include Amanita fulva, A. vaginata (grisette), A. calyptrata (coccoli), A. crocea, A. rubescens (blusher), A. caesarea (Caesar's mushroom), and A. jacksonii (American Caesar's mushroom).

Inedible

Inedible species of Amanita include Amanita albocreata (ringless panther), A. atkinsoniana, A. citrina (false death cap), A. excelsa, A. flavorubescens, A. franchetii, A. longipes, A. onusta, A. rhopalopus, A. silvicola, A. sinicoflava, A. spreta, and A. volvata.

Poisonous

Poisonous species include Amanita brunnescens, A. cokeri (Coker's amanita), A. crenulata, A. farinosa (eastern American floury amanita), A. frostiana, A. muscaria (fly agaric), A. pantherina (panther cap), and A. porphyria, but not A. ceciliae.

Deadly poisonous

Deadly poisonous species include Amanita abrupta, A. arocheae, A. bisporigera (eastern NA destroying angel), A. exitialis (Guangzhou destroying angel), A. magnivelaris, A. ocreata (western NA destroying angel), A. phalloides (death cap), A. proxima, A. smithiana, A. subjunquillea (East Asian death cap), A. verna (fool's mushroom), and A. virosa (European destroying angel).

Psychoactive species

''Amanita muscaria''

Main article: Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria was widely used as an entheogen by many of the indigenous peoples of Siberia. Its use was known among almost all of the Uralic-speaking peoples of western Siberia and the Paleosiberian-speaking peoples of the Russian Far East. There are only isolated reports of A. muscaria use among the Tungusic and Turkic peoples of central Siberia and it is believed that on the whole entheogenic use of A. muscaria was not practiced by these peoples.

''Amanita pantherina''

Main article: Amanita pantherina

Amanita pantherina contains the psychoactive compound muscimol, but is used as an entheogen much less often than its much more distinguishable relative A. muscaria.

Others

Other species identified as containing psychoactive substances include:

• Amanita citrina
• Amanita gemmata
• Amanita porphyria
• Amanita persicina
• Amanita regalis
• Amanita strobiliformis

References

Sources

References

1. (2019). ["The world's most poisonous mushroom, Amanita phalloides, is growing in BC"](https://bcmj.org/articles/ worlds-most-poisonous-mushroom-amanita-phalloides-growing-bc). British Columbia Medical Journal.
2. Persoon, C.H. (1797) ''Tent. disp. meth. fung.'': 65
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6. Lincoff, Gary. (1981). "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Muschrooms". Knopf; A Chanticleer Press ed edition.
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11. "Erowid Psychoactive Amanitas Vault : Amanita gemmata (Gemmed Amanita)".
12. "Erowid Psychoactive Amanitas Vault : Amanita muscaria var. regalis (Fly Agaric variety)".
13. "Erowid Psychoactive Amanitas Vault : Info on Ibotenic Acid & Muscimol".