Amanita muscaria

Amanita muscaria is a mushroom. A. muscaria var. muscaria and var. formosa are commonly called Fly agaric. Variety muscaria is a classic mushroom, fully grow the cap is usually around 12 cm in diameter (up to 30 cm) with a distinctive yellow, orange or red colour and white scales, the stem is white, 5-20 cm, usually swollen with a volva at its base. It grows on the ground in a number of different woodlands, although pine, spruce and fir are common. It is considered highly poisonous, the name fly agaric comes from its use as an insecticide crushed in milk, but it is sometimes consumed for its psychopharmalogical effects.

It contains a number of entheogenic constituents - ibotenic Acid, muscimol, muscazone and muscarine, of which muscimol (3hydroxy-5-aminomethy-1 isoxazole) is the most significant. Consuming the mushrooms in doses of over 1 g causes nausea but also has a number of other effects, depending on dosage, ranging from twitching to drowsiness, visual distortions, mood changes, euphoria, hallucinations and in near fatal doses swollen features, high rage and madness, characterised by the individual acting in a manic manner followed by periods of quiet hallucination then another bout of activity. Effects appear after 60 minutes or so, peak within three hours, but certain effects can last for up to ten hours. The effect per volume consumed is highly variable and individuals can react quite differently to the same dose. The Amanita genus are responsible for most fungal poisoning deaths, consuming over ten caps is considered fatal, but the fatalities related to A. muscaria poisoning have all been either very young or old.

The mushrooms have been used in rituals throughout history, wherever they occur in the northern hemisphere - from Europe through Siberia to Japan to north America. It has been suggested that the Berserkers took fly agaric.

See also: Amanita virosa (Destroying Angel), Amanita phalloides (Death Cap)