Fly Agaric (Fungi of Northern Maine)

Fly Agaric

Amanita muscaria

Summary ⁷

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.

Taxon biology ⁸

Amanita muscaria is a mycorrhizal basidiomycete fungus. Amanita muscaria is the classic European fairytale mushroom, bearing white gills and white warts on a typically bright red cap. It is known to contains several toxic, psychoactive compounds. This species was originally described from Europe and recent genetic and mophological evidence suggests that there are a number of distinct species worldwide that have been lumped under this name.