Fungi 🍄
🍄
Amanita muscaria
| Size | 8–20 cm cap diameter Cap can be as wide as a side plate |
|---|---|
| Weight | Up to 200 g About the same as a large apple |
| Lifespan | A few days to 2 weeks |
| Rarity | Common |
| M vs F | Fungi do not have biological sexes — they can have thousands of different mating types |
| Habitat | Birch and pine woodland, heathland |
| Best time | August–November |
| Conservation | UK: Green LC |
Did you know?
The Fly Agaric is the iconic red-and-white spotted mushroom of fairy tales — and it really does have psychoactive properties! Vikings may have eaten it before battle to induce a berserk state.
The Fly Agaric is the iconic red-and-white spotted mushroom of fairy tales — and it really does have psychoactive properties! Vikings may have eaten it before battle to induce a berserk state.
More for experts
Despite its fame, Fly Agaric is rarely fatal to humans — it contains ibotenic acid and muscimol rather than the deadly amatoxins of its relative the Death Cap. It forms a symbiotic mycorrhizal relationship with birch trees, exchanging minerals for sugars.
Often confused with
Caesar's Mushroom (not in UK), Blusher
Caesar's Mushroom (not in UK), Blusher