this is my contribution to #FungiFriday by @ewkaw
the fly amanita ( Amanita muscaria) is perhaps the most iconic of all the fungi and this year there are lots of them in the lawn by the fountains on the outskirts of the park. this is surprising because i am more used to finding them in the forest.
and they are still coming. luckily this lawn had not been cut for a while so they have been able to grow undisturbed.
there is something magical about these bright and cheery fungi with the white spots that are the remains of the membrane in which they developed.
the spots tend to disappear over time especially after some rain
and as they grow older they turn more orange
and like most amanitas they have the typical ring on the stem.
that should be enough to tell one not to eat them.
there are stories here in norway of how the vikings used to eat them before going into battle. supposedly it helped them go berserk and lose all fear.
but modern research has revealed that fly amanitas contain among other things,muscimol which is hallucinogenic but also also is likely to make one nauseous and somewhat paralyzed- not exactly something to take before going into battle. nonetheless there may be ways of preparing the mushrooms to make them non toxic but i for one have no inclination to try them.
better to let them be, take a few photos and get blown away by their presence and numbers.
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