POISONOUS AND HALLUCINOGENIC MUSHROOMS
by Michael W. Beug Email: beugm@evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
Slide 35.
All young Amanitas look like puffballs before the stipe begins
to expand and ruptures the universal veil. This slide shows a puffball,
Calvatia fumosa, cut from top to bottom alongside an Amanita
muscaria button sliced vertically from top to bottom. Note that in
the Amanita button you can make out the outline of the developing cap,
gills and stipe while the puffball is uniform like a marshmallow. I have
seen Amanita muscaria buttons for sale as puffballs in a farmers
market and have read of people poisoned by making this mistake. One couple
even knew of the importance of slicing the mushroom but sliced the Amanita
button from side to side and unfortunately for them missed the fact that
they did not have a puffball.
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