Continuing my photo hunt of the UK's Mushrooms, here I have found the Amanita Muscaria, more commonly known as the Fly Agaric.
Extremely photogenic mushroom & often depicted in fairy tales. On fairies... they do grow in fairy rings too.
Cap: Hemispherical shape in immaturity, & can look spongey with a orange tint, however due to it's large size in maturity, this fungus lives life in early age relatively small until it it's volvic sack collapses. Once doing so, it leaves red & yellow scales. These are often washed off in rain.
Spores: are incredibly visible, large white like warts.
Gills: White to a creamy colour, quite clustered however not joined to stem unlike for example, Collybia. Please see my post on the Rhodocollybia Butyraceae.
Stipe (stem): The base has a bulbous volva, an egg like structure from which the stem grows from, it leaves brittle rings around it & a visible skirt it.
Skirt: Large hanging white/off white skirt with yellow tinge on the edges.
Flesh: White
Size/Height: Cap average: 25cm. Average height: 20cm
Inedible: Although edible mostly for there psychoactive & hallucinogenic properties especially raw, this mushroom can be poisonous or toxic. As properties fluctuate from mushroom to mushroom, it can cause liver damage. Many cook it but on the safe side it is not categorised as edible.
Confusion Species: Blusher - Appears pink/red blushing where damaged, ring is striated but margin of cap is not.
Grey Spotted Amanita - Relative to Blusher. However, as it's name suggests it is grey & does not blush.
Jewelled Amanita - Yellow looking Fly Agaric. Though yellow Fly Agarics do also exist. Avoid as is very poisonous.
Panther Cap - Very closely related; however cap is darker brown. Toxins are higher in concentration though contain same toxins.
Common UK native fungus, the Fly Agaric is often seen among woodland such as deciduous species such as birch & coniferous such as Pine & Spruce. The ones pictured were in a beech woodland.
Pictures taken: 19/11
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