With the arrival of the pandemic came a boost in the world’s interest in foraging for mushrooms to eat. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a bona fide mycologist to forage for mushrooms – but you do need to know the difference between species. More specifically, knowing which mushrooms are not edible proves to be the most helpful skill. In South Carolina, two of the world’s most dangerous mushrooms grow practically side by side. Yet the two are very different in their make up.
Meet what is possibly the world’s most poisonous mushroom: the Amanita virosa, which grows in South Carolina and many other parts of the world.
dabjola / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images What begins as a little white eggshell-shaped cap, eventually unfolds into a full flat top on the Amanita virosa.
The gills, the cap, and the stipes (stems) are all white.
Flickr/Dennis Murphy During its stages through maturity, the Amanita virosa resembles several other mushrooms, including a Portabello.
This feature alone makes it double dangerous, as the most poisonous mushroom in the state of South Carolina has enough toxicity to kill a human with just one cap.
Flickr/Jason Hollinger The toxicity takes place usually in the liver, where, within hours, cells begin to die, eventually killing the host. The Amanita virosa’s nickname is Destroying Angel. And destroy it does!
This leads us to another dangerous mushroom found in South Carolina: the Amanita citrina, a.k.a. false death cap.
Andyworks / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images It is most notable in appearance by its white color and the oddball geometric shapes found on top of the cap.
Amanita citrina has a slight toxicity to it, but it certainly isn’t classified as deadly.
rest / iStock / Getty Images Plus So what makes it so dangerous, then?
It’s often confused for another highly poisonous mushroom called the Death Cap.
Heiko119 / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images Although Amanita citrina is not commonly eaten (it smells like mustard oil or potatoes), it can be toxic if eaten in large quantities.
Did you know the world’s most poisonous mushroom grows in South Carolina? Do you forage for mushrooms to eat? We’d love to hear about your experiences and see your photos! Share them in our South Carolina Nature Lovers Group on Facebook, or in the Facebook comments on this post!
dabjola / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images
What begins as a little white eggshell-shaped cap, eventually unfolds into a full flat top on the Amanita virosa.
Flickr/Dennis Murphy
During its stages through maturity, the Amanita virosa resembles several other mushrooms, including a Portabello.
Flickr/Jason Hollinger
The toxicity takes place usually in the liver, where, within hours, cells begin to die, eventually killing the host. The Amanita virosa’s nickname is Destroying Angel. And destroy it does!
Andyworks / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images
It is most notable in appearance by its white color and the oddball geometric shapes found on top of the cap.
rest / iStock / Getty Images Plus
So what makes it so dangerous, then?
Heiko119 / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images
Although Amanita citrina is not commonly eaten (it smells like mustard oil or potatoes), it can be toxic if eaten in large quantities.
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