POISONOUS AND HALLUCINOGENIC MUSHROOMS
by Michael W. Beug Email: beugm@evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
Slide 15.
Gyromitra infula, also known as Helvella infula,
and its look-alike Gyromitra ambigua can also cause gyromitrin-like
poisonings. While Gyromitra esculenta fruits in the spring, Gyromitra
infula is a fall species. Gyromitra ambigua and Gyromitra
infula are both reported to cause gyromitrin poisoning though the toxin
they contain has not been formally determined. Gyromitra infula and
ambigua like all Gyromitra, Helvella, and Morchella
species, are seriously poisonous if eaten raw. Some people detoxify
them by boiling in water for a few minutes, discarding the water, and then
sautéing the mushrooms. If you choose to eat these or any other
it Gyromitra, for example the snow-bank mushroom Gyromitra gigas/montana
never sample them raw, always throw away the water they were boiled
in, and do not breathe the vapors while cooking them. Finally given that
the toxin is cumulative over at least a short period of time, do not eat
repeated meals of these mushrooms. Since the flavor is not exceptionally
good in any of these species, is it worth the risk? The gyromitrin toxin
is unusual in that at low doses, it causes no apparent adverse effects,
but above a significant threshold serious poisoning occurs. Thus someone
can safely eat them for years and then suddenly be seriously poisoned from
eating too many, eating them for too many days in close succession, or
getting a more potent batch than previously.
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