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Deadly poisonous mushrooms that are frequently confused with edible mushrooms include several species of the genus Amanita, particularly A. phalloides, the death cap. Some mushrooms that are edible for most people can cause allergic reactions in others; old or improperly stored specimens can go rancid and cause food poisoning. [1]
The spore print is the powdery deposit obtained by allowing spores of a fungal fruit body to fall onto a surface underneath. It is an important diagnostic character in most handbooks for identifying mushrooms. It shows the colour of the mushroom spores if viewed en masse. [1]
Mushroom poisoning is usually the result of ingestion of wild mushrooms after misidentification of a toxic mushroom as an edible species. The most common reason for this misidentification is a close resemblance in terms of color and general morphology of the toxic mushrooms species with edible species. To prevent mushroom poisoning, mushroom ...
A 3–10% solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) gives a color change in some species of mushrooms: In Agaricus, some species such as A. xanthodermus turn yellow with KOH, many have no reaction, and A. subrutilescens turns green. Distinctive change occurs for some species of Cortinarius and Boletes
People who collect mushrooms for consumption are known as mycophagists, [37] and the act of collecting them for such is known as mushroom hunting, or simply "mushrooming". Even edible mushrooms may produce allergic reactions in susceptible individuals, from a mild asthmatic response to severe anaphylactic shock.
Numerous field guides on mushrooms are available and recommended to help distinguish between safe and edible mushrooms, and the many poisonous or inedible species. A common mushroom identification technique is the spore print , in which a mushroom is placed on a surface and spores are allowed to fall underneath.
Morchella esculenta, like all morels, are among the most highly prized of all edible mushrooms. [30] Raw morels have a gastrointestinal irritant, hydrazine (this has never been found in morel samples however it is assumed), but parboiling or blanching before consumption will remove it. Old fruit bodies that show signs of decay may be poisonous. [4]
A. muscaria poisoning has occurred in young children and in people who ingested the mushrooms for a hallucinogenic experience, [21] [54] [55] or who confused it with an edible species. A. muscaria contains several biologically active agents, at least one of which, muscimol , is known to be psychoactive .