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The cone-shaped fly agaric is a rare representative of conditionally edible mushrooms of the fly agaric family (another name is Amanitaceae). Like all its fellows, it has a characteristic cap covered with small white warts - remnants of the shell. The mushroom mainly grows in alkaline soils of mixed forests of the European continent. This is a fairly large and noticeable representative of the family. The pineal fly agaric is a rare species.
Description of the pineal fly agaric
Externally, the cone-shaped fly agaric resembles an ordinary red one. The main differences are only in the color of the cap. In the species in question, it has a gray or white color. The height and other dimensions of the fruiting bodies are approximately the same.
The cone-shaped fly agaric has a plate-shaped hymenophore, characteristic of Amanitaceae. It grows mainly in mixed forests, forming mycorrhizae with spruce, oak or beech. Prefers sunny areas with rich soils. A photo of the pineal fly agaric is presented below:
Description of the cap
The cap has a diameter of 5 to 16 cm. Like all Amanitaceae, at the beginning of the life cycle of the fruiting body it has the shape of a hemisphere. Next, it straightens, and it gradually becomes first convex and then almost flat. Over time, the cap of the pineal fly agaric becomes even more bent, and a notch appears in it.
Description of the leg
The leg of the pineal fly agaric has a cylindrical shape, sometimes tapering towards the top. In some cases, there is a significant thickening of the leg at the base. Its length can reach 16 cm, and its diameter can reach 3.5 cm.
Along its entire length, the leg is covered with “flakes”, consisting of many scales that have lagged behind the pulp. One gets the impression that they form a kind of tile. The stem is equipped with the same flake-like ring, which falls off after the edges of the cap are bent upward. When the stem is cut, the color of the pulp does not change in air.
Doubles and their differences
All representatives of the Amanitov family are very similar to each other. Therefore, we can safely say that the cone-shaped fly agaric can easily be confused with any other mushroom from this group.Almost all members of the family are poisonous mushrooms, so you should be very careful to keep them out of the basket when collecting.
Saffron float
Another name is saffron fly agaric. Most often, this twin is found in mixed forests on soils with high humidity. Forms mycorrhiza with birch, oak and spruce.
The size is slightly smaller than the pineal one, the cap is from 3 to 12 cm in diameter. Its color can vary from bright orange, making it look like a classic red fly agaric, to light cream.
The entire surface of the cap is shiny, covered with small warts. The leg is up to 15 cm long, with a diameter of no more than 2 cm. It has a cylindrical shape, slightly narrowed at the top. The mushroom has virtually no odor.
It is considered a conditionally edible mushroom of good quality. In its raw form it is poisonous and requires boiling for at least 30 minutes. They cannot be stored; mushrooms must be processed immediately after collection.
Panther fly agaric
A poisonous mushroom that is more dangerous than the classic red one, since it has a 2-4 times higher concentration of toxins. Outwardly it resembles all members of the family, but is smaller and has a characteristic coloring feature. The cap of this species is colored light brown.
The diameter of the cap rarely exceeds 10 cm. The height of the stem can reach up to 13 cm and the width up to 1.5 cm. The stem always has a conical shape - at the bottom it has a tuberous swollen base. The ring on the stem exists throughout the life of the fruiting body.
Fly agaric tall
Another pleasant exception from the Amanitaceae: this species is also edible.It grows in almost all forests of the Central zone. The diameter of the cap reaches a record 25 cm, the weight of one specimen sometimes exceeds 200 g.
The difference from many similar species is the rather large flakes on the cap, which are not characteristic of either panthers or red fly agarics. On the other hand, since the mushroom is very similar in appearance to many other poisonous varieties, it is not recommended to collect it to avoid accidents.
Where and how does the pineal fly agaric grow?
The mushroom is found in only a few places on the planet, quite distant from each other. It can only be found in certain regions of Eurasia:
- on the west coast of France;
- on the border of Latvia and Estonia;
- in the eastern part of Georgia;
- on the south of Ukraine;
- in Novooskolsky and Valuysky districts of the Belgorod region;
- in the center and east of Kazakhstan.
The pineal fly agaric is not found on other continents. The mushroom never grows in acidic soils, and also does not tolerate too harsh climates. It is considered a very rare species, listed in the Red Book.
In mixed forests it mainly grows on the edges and near paths. In more often it occurs much less frequently. In deciduous forests it can be found almost anywhere. Usually grows in small groups; single mushrooms are almost never observed.
Edible pineal fly agaric or poisonous
The debate about whether this mushroom can be eaten continues to this day. Formally, it is not poisonous and is classified as conditionally edible. But it cannot be consumed raw, since without heat treatment its effect on the body is similar to the red fly agaric. The pineal fly agaric can be eaten only after heat treatment (boiling) for at least half an hour.
Symptoms of poisoning and first aid
The symptoms of intoxication are similar to the red fly agaric. This is the so-called 2nd type of poisoning. It appears 0.5-6 hours after eating mushrooms and has the following manifestations:
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain;
- excessive salivation;
- sweating;
- constriction of the pupils.
If the poisoning has become severe, the following symptoms are added:
- shortness of breath, separation of bronchial secretions;
- drop in heart rate and blood pressure;
- dizziness, confusion, hallucinations.
If such symptoms appear, it is necessary to call an ambulance as quickly as possible and try to remove the toxic substances contained in the mushrooms from the body.
In order to induce vomiting, it is necessary to provide the victim with plenty of fluids (warm salt water in an amount of up to 2 liters) and press the root of the tongue with your finger. It is advisable to repeat the procedure several times, and then give activated carbon in the amount of 1-2 tablets per 1 kg of weight.
Interesting facts about the pineal fly agaric
Several interesting facts about the mushroom in question can be noted. First of all, this is the disjunctive area of its distribution, which has already been mentioned. Despite the sufficient remoteness of local distribution areas, mushrooms in each habitat zone retain the same size and appearance.
Another interesting feature of the cone-shaped fly agaric is its love for alkaline soils.This is not typical for the “indigenous” inhabitants of the European continent, which has predominantly acidic soils. Perhaps the fungus is of North American origin; somehow its spores accidentally reached Europe, although its population is not currently recorded in North America.
Another possibility that explains both the disjunctive range and calciphilicity may be that the pineal fly agaric is endemic to the Bay of Biscay coast, accidentally spreading throughout Europe.
In addition, due to the low content of muscimol and ibotenic acid (concentrations are approximately 5-10 times lower than those for the red fly agaric), the mushroom is difficult to classify as hallucinogenic. This opens up its use in folk medicine without serious consequences for patients. Dried fly agarics are used to treat open wounds. In addition, a decoction of dried mushrooms is used in the treatment of joint pain, migraines, and cancer.
Well, of course, like all fly agarics, the pineal one has insecticidal properties. In the areas where the fungus grows, flying insects are practically not found. Fungal alkaloids dissolved in water induce long-term sleep in them, lasting up to 12 hours. During this time, unlucky arthropods who decide to drink water from fly agarics become prey to ants, hedgehogs or birds.
Conclusion
The pineal fly agaric is a rare mushroom of the Amonitaceae family, which, due to its low concentration of toxins, is classified as conditionally edible. It has a discontinuous distribution and grows only in places where the necessary conditions exist for it: alkaline soil and relatively mild winters. Thanks to the substances it contains, the mushroom is used in folk medicine.
