Amanita


The genus Amanita contains about 600 described species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. The genus is responsible for 95% of fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for 90% of fatalities every year. The most potent toxin synthesized by this genus is.
The genus also contains many edible mushrooms, but mycologists discourage mushroom hunters from selecting any of these for human consumption due to the potentially lethal consequences of misidentification. 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" A. rubescens in Europe, and A. chepangiana in Southeast Asia. Other species are used for colouring sauces, such as the red A. jacksonii, with a range from eastern Canada to eastern Mexico.

Taxonomy

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 Pers. as the type species, has been officially conserved against the older Amanita Boehm, which is considered a synonym of Agaricus L.

Etymology

The name is possibly derived from Amanus, a mountain in Cilicia, or from Amantia, an ancient city in the transboundary region between Epirus or southern Illyria in antiquity.

Toxicity

Several members of the section Phalloideae 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, many fungi experts advise against eating a member of Amanita unless the species is known with absolute certainty. Many species within this genus are toxic, with some species being lethal, so misidentification may lead to sickness or death.

Edible

Edible species of Amanita include Amanita fulva, A. vaginata, A. calyptrata, A. crocea, A. rubescens, A. caesarea, and A. jacksonii.

Inedible

Inedible species of Amanita include Amanita albocreata, A. atkinsoniana, A. citrina, A. excelsa, A. flavorubescens, A. franchetii, A. longipes, A. onusta, A. rhopalopus, A. silvicola, A. sinicoflava, A. spreta, and A. volvata.

Poisonous

Poisonous species include Amanita brunnescens, A. cokeri, A. crenulata, A. farinosa, A. frostiana, A. muscaria, A. pantherina, and A. porphyria, but not A. ceciliae.

Deadly poisonous

Deadly poisonous species include Amanita abrupta, A. arocheae, A. bisporigera, A. exitialis, A. magnivelaris, A. ocreata, A. phalloides, A. proxima, A. smithiana, A. subjunquillea, A. verna, and A. virosa.

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 citrinaAmanita gemmataAmanita porphyriaAmanita persicinaAmanita regalis