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Galerina marginata (Pholiota marginata) is a dangerous gift of the forest. Inexperienced mushroom pickers often confuse it with summer mushrooms. Moreover, it can grow among these edible mushrooms. When going to the forest, you need to know the external signs of the mushroom so as not to harm your health.
Galerina fringed grows in the same places as the summer honey fungus; it loves stumps and rotten wood.
What does a bordered gallery look like?
This representative of the Hymenogasteraceae family has its own external characteristics.
Galerina fringed has a brown or yellowish cap of small size (about 9 cm).When the mushroom just appears above the surface of the earth, this part of the fruiting body looks like a bell, the edge is bent inward. The plates are covered with a blanket. Surface with a clearly visible shine.
As the cap grows, it changes shape and becomes flat. The edges stretch so much that they begin to become translucent, and parallel grooves are visible on them.
The plates are narrow and located very close to each other. In young fringed galerina they are light, then a rusty tint appears. The spores also have the same color.
On a thin long leg (up to 5 cm) of a dirty brown color there is a ring left over from a torn bedspread. The upper part of the hollow stem is covered with a coating resembling flour.
The color of the flesh matches the color of the cap or is slightly darker. The mushroom gives off a persistent smell of flour.
On the legs of the galerina, unlike summer mushrooms, there is a whitish coating that is erased by contact
Where does Galerina fringe grow?
The species grows on almost all continents:
- Asia and Europe;
- North America and Australia;
- Russia.
In the Russian Federation, the fringed galerina can be found on the Crimean Peninsula, in the forests of the Caucasus, in the Far East, the Urals and Siberia.
Grows on the trunks of dead pines and spruces. If woody remains are located in damp moss, then fungi can settle there too. Fruiting begins in August and continues until October.
Is it possible to eat edged galerina?
Despite their attractive appearance, you should not fill the basket with these fruiting bodies that look like honey mushrooms. Galerina carinatum is a poisonous mushroom that should not be eaten. Cases of poisoning have been described for a long time.The first human death after consumption of this species was recorded in 1912 in the United States of America. During the period from 1978 to 1995, out of 11 people who were poisoned, five could not be saved.
The chemical composition of galerina fringed is similar to the pale grebe. It contains the same poison, it acts slowly. There are 78-279 mcg of amatoxins in 1 g. If an adult weighing 70 kg eats 30 medium-sized mushrooms, it will be impossible to save him.
A few mushrooms are enough to cause the death of a child weighing about 20 kg
Symptoms of poisoning
Poisoning with Galerina fringe is not always immediately recognizable. Symptoms appear only after 24 hours. This is another danger of eating unfamiliar mushrooms.
A day later, the poisoned person exhibits:
- severe vomiting that continues for a long time and does not stop even after the stomach is completely empty;
- diarrhea accompanied by acute abdominal pain;
- constant urge for little need, which leads to dehydration;
- convulsions;
- body temperature becomes below the accepted norm, limbs begin to freeze.
This condition lasts about three days, then the symptoms disappear, and the condition seems to have improved. You urgently need to sound the alarm and seek help from a doctor.
The fact is that the improvement is false, jaundice will soon begin, caused by liver dysfunction. This can cause death.
Only timely consultation with a doctor will save you from death from poisoning with poisonous mushrooms.
First aid for poisoning
It must be taken into account that the poison of the fringed galerina is not absorbed too quickly. After 6-10 hours it begins to act, which is why the first symptoms appear.As soon as the victim becomes ill, you need to urgently call an ambulance.
Before her arrival, first aid should be provided to the victim. This is very important, since it is precisely such actions that will partially rid the body of toxins and reduce the suffering of the patient.
First aid for poisoning consists of the following:
- Give the victim activated carbon, taking into account the patient’s weight (per 10 kg - 1 pc.).
- A pale pink solution of potassium permanganate is well suited for removing toxins from Galerina fringe. You can do it differently: dilute in 1 tbsp. warm water 1 tsp. salt and give it a drink.
- Don't wait until the vomiting becomes continuous. It is better to call it after taking a manganese or saline solution in order to get rid of poisoned food as quickly as possible.
- To avoid dehydration (which, as a consequence, appears from vomiting and diarrhea), you need to give a large amount of boiled water.
- Put the big one to bed and cover it well, as the body temperature begins to drop. To warm up, you will need plenty of hot drink (freshly brewed tea). You can also additionally cover the patient’s feet with water heating pads.
Conclusion
Galerina marginata is a poisonous, inedible mushroom. Accidental consumption of it can cost lives. When collecting, you need to separate poisonous mushrooms from edible ones, because, once in a pan with useful fruiting bodies, they poison the entire contents. So, you need to take only those fruits about which everything is known.
