Amanita muscaria, Vliegenzwam, Amanite tue-mouches (fausse oronge), Fliegenpilz, matamoscas (falsa oronja)
Intro
The fly agaric, the mushroom carrying the responsibility to be the face of fungi. The most commonly depicted mushroom when asked what a fungus looks like. Fortunately, fungi don’t care who’s the most popular or prettiest among them, because we all know this one would probably win. Why is it that we are so fascinated by these masterpieces of nature? Is it the bright red color or the distinguishable features? Is it because they are everywhere, so everyone knows them? Maybe it is because they are poisonous and it’s in our DNA to be aware of them. Or maybe they are just pretty and we like pretty things.
Notice me!
It’s not hard, probably very easy even. The model mushroom is bright red with white dots on its hood. This is what most people know to be a fly agaric, or a mushroom for that matter. However, nature is not that nice, these poisonous mushrooms are also available in white, yellow and orange. Although most different colors are described as variations of the same species, recently it has been found (through DNA-analysis) that some are actually different species (Peach-colored fly agaric for example, look it up, it’s a thing). To make sure you don’t make the mistake of licking, or even worse, eating, one of these possibly deadly toadstools, be aware of their other traits. The fly agaric has white gills (the little rows underneath the hood) and white spores (only visible after a spore print). Most conspicuous however, is the ring around the stem and the presence if white dots on the top.
Don’t you know that I’m toxic?
Well yes, we do. Everyone knows these beautiful little toadies are toxic. In what way though? Well, in a druggie kinda way. Fly agarics will rock your world before they kill you. These shrooms have 2 psychoactive molecules in them. One is called ibotenic acid, the other one already has a street name, muscimol (it is a scientific name, but let’s be honest, it would be a great street name). These two chemicals make you see the world in a different way. Pretty literally, as they are very much hallucinogens.
Now do you think that this might be cool, then hold onto your hats, there are ways to consume these and have a hallucinogenic trip. In Siberia they feed the shroomies to their reindeer and then slaughter it mid intoxication to eat its flesh. Sooooooo, see if you can find a reindeer for sale and have a go at it. Just kidding, fortunate for us, there are other ways, so no worries. I would however, strongly advice against any and all forms of consumption without people that have a vast amount of experience and who definitely know what they are doing. Such as the peoples in Siberia and Northern Asia that consume these mushrooms raw, dried, cooked, fried, rehydrated, extracted (like a mushroom coffee), mixed with food or other drinks. These peoples use the mushrooms for cultural and religious reasons like seeing the future or receiving message from gods or spirits. It’s also used for straining physical labor. They have specific rules and guidelines for the age of the mushrooms and the consumed dosages. They know what they are doing, through years of experience. Again, strongly recommend against consuming these mushrooms.
For all those possible negative effects (like death), there are also positive ones (like not death). Recent studies have shown that the biomolecules present in Amanita muscaria might help cure or prevent brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. These studies are still new, but might help out lots of people in the future. This is similar to the positive effects found when consuming psilocybine (active molecule in mushrooms referred to as shrooms, the drugs).
Throughout history
A possible answer for our common imprint of this mushroom as the representation of all fungi is found throughout history and all around the world.
The myth of the mushroom and the thunderbolt (lightning) exists all over the world. In ancient Mexico and Guatemala people already told stories about the God of thunder being the father of the mushroom. The mushroom they were referring to is the fly agaric. Hindus and Romans also believe that the fly agaric is born from ground struck by lightning. Tales spread all across the world and a mushroom depicted as the child of thunder and lightning, it is obvious to see why we have engraved the visage of this natural beauty so firmly in our collective minds. Not only is it beautiful, obvious, dangerous, culturally useful and vision-inducing, it is also said to be born from the most beautiful and frightening thing the sky produces, lightning (my personal opinion).
The more modern depiction people know might be things like Toad, from the Mario Bros franchise. Or just the mushrooms that make Mario and Luigi bigger and stronger, to which there is some form of truth (again according to tribes in Siberia). The toadstool houses of the smurfs, although not all red, are very much depictions of the fly agaric. And for all the Belgians and Dutchies, the song about kabouter Pinnemuts (Leprechaun Pinhat). All these forms of media and communication depict a very specific image of a mushroom. No wonder it is the first thing that comes to our minds when we talk about fungi.
Part of the hive
For those that read my post about symbiosis on Tuesday, this title might sound familiar. These toxic, yet pretty toadies are part of a greater whole. They are Ectomycorrhiza forming fungi. This means their white, creepy underground ropes (filaments or hyphae) make connections with trees. These connections are outside the tree root (hence the “ecto” in the name, myco is from mycological and rrhiza are a form of roots). The fly agaric form a very strong partnership with multiple trees within one forest and connect those trees with each other. They help the tree get water and nutrients in exchange for carbon. Also helping protect the tree roots against pathogens (the bad kind of bacteria and viruses) and in doing so making the forest stronger.
Not only do these mushrooms connect people from all over the world with a common vision of a mushroom, they also connect the forest life. Another reason to love these magnificent and flamboyant looking shroomies.