POISONOUS AND HALLUCINOGENIC MUSHROOMS
by Michael W. Beug Email: beugm@evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
Slide 4.
Amanita bisporigera, shown here, is one of several highly
similar pure white deadly Amanitas common in many parts of the U.S. When
they first appear they are completely enclosed by a thick universal veil
so that they look much like an egg and can be mistaken for a puffball.
However slicing them vertically through the center will reveal the developing
stem and gills. The thick universal veil remnant leaves a characteristic
sac-like cup at the base of the stem of mature specimens. This death cup
may be buried and missed by careless collectors who cut the stem off near
ground level. Then the mushrooms can be easily mistaken for one of many
other pure white gilled mushrooms, especially Lepiota naucina.
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