Genus Cortinarius contains actually contains over 2,000 widespread species, hundreds of them growing in Finland. Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, has a red-and-white coat that may also be a reference to the Fly Agaric. Reindeers are known to eat Amanita muscaria mushrooms – and indeed, how else is a reindeer going to be able to fly?

Pre-existing Medical Conditions And Drug Interactions

Overall, they can give phenomenal results if used with precaution and proper dosing. Start low, go slow, and know your limits to get the best experience safely. Just like cooking or preparing food changes its properties, this simple step turns a potentially dangerous mushroom into something used in certain wellness practices. Some even fed it to reindeer, then drank the reindeer’s urine (yes, really) to experience Amanita muscaria effects in a “filtered” way.

Chemistry Of Amanita Muscaria

If you want to be very, very belt and braces with the initial detoxification process, Fergus also suggests baking in the oven for 1hr at 220º – which will remove all possibility of even traces of muscimol/ibutenic acid. This mushroom also has the most written about it of any mushroom I have researched. Mushroom identification books list it as anything from edible to poisonous. There are stories of siberians using it for rituals, to likening the colors of santa clause and christmas to the famous mushroom. I surely would not eat this mushroom, and do not recomend it to anyone.

The shamans wouldn’t return to their homes through the front door—instead, they would enter through the smoke hole on the roof of the main tents. fliegenpilze kaufen of the leading theories regarding berserkers is that they consumed A. Muscaria before going to war, taking advantage of its hallucinogenic and fear-inhibiting properties. This theory is supported by several records documenting Viking berserkers foaming at the mouth and having no control during their fighting frenzies (5).

The Blusher (Amanita rubescens), pictured,  – where damaged shows pink red blushing,  has a striated ring and no striations on the margin of cap. The Grey Spotted Amanita (Amanita excelsa) – close relative of the Blusher, and fairly similar to it, without blushing and usually greyer colours. The Panthercap (Amanita pantherina) – very closely related to the Fly Agaric with a darker brown cap. It contains exactly the same toxins as the Fly Agaric, but in more variable and usually higher concentrations.

Long discussions about how much of this toxin needs to be removed from the caps before they become edible have been underway for years. Most people agree that 20 minutes is long enough to remove enough acid. In small doses, though, it can have various effects and is thus often used in alchemy. Under an Amanita’s cap are white gills and a white stem that’s typically wider toward the bottom. Some species – including Fly Agaric – have a skirt-like ring near the top (Photo 4). That skirt is the remnant of a partial veil that covered the gills, protecting those all-important, spore-bearing surfaces until they matured.

But again, exercise caution and don’t expect mushrooms to grow from these. For those set on spore cultivation, seeds can be harvested from mature mushrooms or purchased. But viable tissue cultures provide a vastly higher chance of fruiting down the road. But despite the mushroom’s fame and intrigue, attempts to intentionally cultivate A muscaria remain largely uncharted territory Many claim it cannot be successfully grown like other mushrooms.

Intoxication from Amanita muscaria can cause severe symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mental confusion, and even loss of consciousness in some cases. High doses can be dangerous, so its intake should be avoided unless under the supervision of experts and with a deep understanding of proper preparation. Therefore, although it has been traditionally consumed on some occasions, it is not considered a common or safe edible mushroom. The safe dose can vary widely depending on factors such as preparation, individual sensitivity, and the concentration of active compounds in the mushrooms, which can fluctuate significantly. Generally, small doses (less than 5 grams of dry mushroom) are considered safer, but it is important to start with very small doses if one is inexperienced. In my own explorations, I have found that Amanita muscaria often grows near the base of conifer trees, nestled among the layers of fallen needles and decaying organic matter.