Death Cap Amanita phalloides By NC

FamilyGenusSpecies AmanitaceaeAmanitaAmanita Phalloides Amanitaceae are a family of fungi or mushrooms. The family, also commonly called the amanita family, is in order Agaricales, gilled mushrooms. The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita.

 Death Caps can grow up to six inches wide with a stalk up to five inches tall.  Death Caps can be yellowish, brownish, whitish or green in color. Frequently they have dark stripes heading to the outside of the cap.  They are very sticky to the touch but let’s hope you are not touching them!  They have white feathery gills under their cap and a white cup at the base.  They emit a very foul sweet odor to attract insects.  The base of the stem bulges into a 'bulb', which is covered by a white sheath known as a volva

 Death Caps grow in deciduous woodlands, particularly under beech and oak trees.  They are sometimes found on the edge of pastures.  They prefer acidic soil found at the tree bases.  As many as 100 death caps have been found beneath trees.  Death caps wrap it’s mycelia around tree roots and provides special nutrients from the soil that it couldn't get by itself.  In return the fungus can pull nutrients from the tree that it could not get otherwise.  This balance between fungus and tree helps the tree grow strong and healthy and the fungus to remain strong.

 Death Caps have a ongoing relationship with the following trees:  Oaks  Beech Trees  Chestnut Trees  Horse-Chestnut Trees  Birch Trees  Filbert Trees  Hornbeams  Pines  Spruce  The death caps wrap their myclia around the root providing nutrients to the trees. The tree roots provide additional nutrients to the death caps they could not get alone.  Some insects use the death cap for both food and shelter. They are:  Fungus Gnat tiny flies which look a lot like mosquitos, only much smaller.  Horned Fungus Beetle the male beetle has two pronounced horns.  Both insects carry the spores of the mushroom so it can grow in many areas.

 As previously mentioned, the mycelia wraps around the roots of the host trees. It then pulls nutrients from the tree that it could not find elsewhere.  The tree roots then pull additional nutrients from the death cap to help it stay healthy. The death cap pulls these nutrients from the soil and then it’s passed on.  Fungus gnats and Horned Fungus Beetles use the death cap as a food source

 Death Cap’s have spores that are found under their cap in the gills. Spores are like tiny seeds found on plants. The spores spread and grow new fungi. The death cap produces a sweet yet foul smell to attract insects. Once the insects land on the cap, the spores attach to them and are carried away to other locations. While the mycelia is there year round, the caps only bloom between September and November.

 The Death Cap’s method of reproduction is very beneficial to their survival.  By using it’s sickeningly sweet smell it can attract many insects to it’s gills. Since the gills are sticky, the spores can easily attach to the insects. Using this method they can spread over a much larger area allowing their species to grow in far-reaching areas.

 There are very few threats to the Death Cap Mushroom. I have searched many sources and found only one. That threat was the overharvesting of trees that the Death Cap survives on. Other than that, I could not find any others.

 Death Caps are one of the most poisonous mushrooms around! Never ever eat a wild mushroom.  If eaten within hours the vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps will begin. It may feel like a bad flu at first. Within three to four days kidney or liver failure will most likely occur. Many people have died within 5 days of eating this deadly fungus.  The Death Caps are most deadly to humans that mistake it for a non toxic wild mushroom.

 Death Caps do serve a purpose in nature. They live off of trees but they also provide vital nutrient to their host trees. They are able to pull nutrients from the soil and pass it on to the tree. The tree’s then grow stronger and are healthier because of this relationship. Tree’s then help the environment by providing oxygen and food for other living creatures.

 Several historical figures have died from death cap poisoning either by accident or by assassination attempts. Alleged victims of this kind of poisoning include Roman Emperor Claudius, Pope Clement VII, Tsaritsa Natalia Naryshkina, and Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI.

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