Amanitas

The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own. The most potent toxin present in these mushrooms is α-Amanitin.

The genus also contains many edible mushrooms, but mycologists discourage mushroom hunters, other than experts, from selecting any of these for human consumption. Nonetheless, in some cultures, the larger local edible species of ''Amanita'' are mainstays of the markets in the local growing season. Samples of this are ''Amanita zambiana'' and other fleshy species in central Africa, '' A. basii'' and similar species in Mexico, '' A. caesarea'' and the "Blusher" ''Amanita rubescens'' in Europe, and '' A. chepangiana'' in South-East Asia. Other species are used for colouring sauces, such as the red '' A. jacksonii'', with a range from eastern Canada to eastern Mexico.

Many species are of unknown edibility.

Taxonomy

The name is possibly derived from Amanus ( grc, Ἁμανός), a mountain in Cilicia or from Amantia (Greek: Ἀμάντια, Ἀβάντια; Latin: Amantia), an ancient city in the transboundary region between Epirus or southern Illyria in antiquity.

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.

Toxicity

Several members of the section ''Phalloidieae'' 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. Because so many species within this genus are so deadly toxic, if a specimen is identified incorrectly, consumption may cause extreme sickness and possibly death.

Edible

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

Inedible

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

Poisonous species include '' Amanita brunnescens'', '' Amanita ceciliae'', ''Amanita cokeri'' (Coker's amanita), ''Amanita crenulata'', '' Amanita farinosa'' (eastern American floury amanita), '' Amanita frostiana'', ''Amanita muscaria'' (fly agaric), '' Amanita pantherina'' (panther cap), and '' Amanita porphyria''.

Deadly poisonous

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

Psychoactive species

''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''

'' 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''
** '' A. citrina''
** '' A. gemmata''
** '' A. pantherina var. abietum''
** '' A. porphyria''
** '' A. regalis''
** '' A. strobiliformis''
* ''Tricholoma''
** '' Tricholoma muscarium''

See also

* Death cap
* Destroying angel
* List of ''Amanita'' species

References

Sources

*

External links

Rodham E. Tulloss and Zhu-liang Yang's ''Amanita'' site
– Comprehensive listing of the nearly 600 named ''Amanita'' species with photos and/or technical details on over 510 species.


by Michael Kuo, ''MushroomExpert.Com'', March 2005.

{{Taxonbar, from=Q213938

Agaricales genera
Hepatotoxins
Taxa described in 1794
Taxa named by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon