Autumn is approaching and with it, the season of collecting mushrooms. A wonderful hobby carried out by people from almost all over the world, from the Mediterranean basin to Japan, through Canada to the south of Chile.
But pay attention! The fact that it is a very widespread practice does not make it less risky. According to the newspaper Heraldo de Aragón, ” each year there are about 400 serious cases of poisoning due to the consumption of toxic mushrooms in Spain, which cause vomiting and diarrhea and even death.”
For this reason and in order to enjoy these fruits of the gods, it is convenient to review the most dangerous species in our forests:
3. Gyromitra esculenta
The bonnet or false morel mushroom is an edible mushroom and even highly valued in cooking . Yes, you read that right. However, it is a highly toxic food if eaten raw or undercooked, which is why experts advise against consuming it. Its toxins, called gyromitrins, are transformed into monomethylhydrazines, which if they manage to reach the stomach and accumulate, can cause liver cancer.
It is an easy to recognize mushroom due to the peculiar cerebriform appearance of the brown folds of its hat. It has a short, whitish foot.
2. Cortinarius orellanus
The group of curtains or batons is also highly toxic. There are more than 2000 species of fungi of the same genus that are found throughout the planet. Its toxins , known as orellanins, cause, a few days after consumption, severe kidney failure, sometimes irreversible.
Specifically, the mushroom in the photo corresponds to a mountain curtain. Fortunately, there are few in our territory and they can be easily recognized by the resemblance of their reddish hat to a human ear, on a yellowish foot.
1. Amanita phalloides
The prize for the highest number of fatal poisonings goes to the green oronja, also known as canaleja or fungus of death. As its name suggests, it is a mushroom as common in our forests as it is dangerous , because its toxins act on the kidneys and liver, causing liver failure.
To recognize it, we will look at its hymenal veil , a skirt-shaped ring that surrounds the mushroom under the hat; the presence of numerous well-separated blades and, above all, a volva that surrounds the foot at the base (attention: it may be hidden under the litter). It usually has an olive green color, although you can also find more yellowish or even white specimens. It is advisable to know how to recognize other amanitas, also toxic, such as Amanita verna, A. virosa, A. muscaria, A. pantherina and A. citrina.
Now that we have reviewed some of our most dangerous mushrooms, it should be noted that, no matter how toxic they are, we should never pluck or step on them. Fungi play a key role in ecosystems , either as decomposers, as a nutritional supplement for animals and plants, among many others.
Reference: Bolets tòxics més freqüents a Catalunya. (2021). gencat.cat. https://web.gencat.cat/ca/actualitat/reportatges/temporada-de-bolets/bolets/bolets-toxics/
