J. Acad. Indus. Res. Vol. 1(1) June 2012 19

ISSN: 2278-5213 RESEARCH ARTICLE

Few common poisonous of Kolli Hills, South India

M. Kumar1 and V. Kaviyarasan2 1Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai-600059 2Lab No. 404, CAS in Botany, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai-600025 [email protected]; [email protected]; + 91 9962840270; +91 044 22202765 ______

Abstract

Three common poisonous species namely olevascens, pura and Chlorophyllum molybdites were collected and identified from Kolli Hills, Eastern Ghats, South India. The macroscopic and microscopic features of the poisonous mushroom species were worked out and identified according to standard mushroom identification manuals. The photographs, macroscopic and microscopic descriptions were also included to aid in identification.

Keywords: Poisonous mushroom, Omphalotus olevascens, Mycena pura, Chlorophyllum molybdites, Kolli Hills.

Introduction Materials and methods The use of mushrooms is quite common from antiquity Study area and across many cultures. It has been an article of diet Eastern Ghats are one of the richest floristic areas in the and commerce for many centuries (Bresinsky and Besl, world. Kolli hills are the conglomerates of Eastern Ghats 1990). Many fungi were used as food without clear with Hills rising from 800–1350 ft MSL with a wide range knowledge on their edibility. of ecosystems and species diversity. The Kolli hills are inextricably linked to that of mushroom eating or situated at the tail end of the Eastern Ghats in the state mycophagy. Poisoning by fungi is called as Mycetism. of Tamil Nadu (Namakkal district). They are part of the True mycetism is caused by the consumption of Talaghat stretch. The hills have deep ravines and high unspoiled fungal fruit-bodies of toxic constituents that peaks. Omphalotus olivascens, Mycena pura and remain toxic even after fungi have been properly Chlorophyllum molybdites are very common poisonous prepared and cooked (Smith, 1973). mushrooms in Kolli Hills of India. They were collected and identified during our mushroom biodiversity studies On the basis of symptoms, there are seven kinds of in the Eastern Ghats (Fig. 1). mushroom poisoning syndromes like phalloides syndrome, orellanus syndrome, gyromitra syndrome, muscarine syndrome, pantherine syndrome, psilocybin syndrome, coprinus syndrome. Paxillus syndrome and gastrointestinal syndrome are false syndromes (Bresinsky and Besl, 1990) by which people are prone to poisonous effects of mushrooms. False poisoning occurs due to excessive consumption and may be due to intake of spoiled fungi.

The knowledge about the poisonous aspect of mushrooms are not clearly understood, this is because of the poor knowledge about their identity. The knowledge on the native poisonous fungi is essential in order to prevent from deadly affect. Very few reports are found on its poisonous aspect of these mushrooms, which are sometimes become fatal. However, there are no reports available on the poisonous mushrooms of Kolli Hills. This study was aimed to identify few common poisonous mushrooms of Kolli Hills, Eastern Ghats, South India.

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Macroscopic and microscopic identification mushrooms most often confused with edible species Collection of the specimen followed standard methods (Benjamin, 1995). This mushroom has the property of (Largent, 1977; Atri et al., 2003). Macroscopic details . One case of poisoning by O. olerius such as shape, colour, dimension and odour of fresh has been reported (Neubert, 1978). Omphalotus causes basidiocarps were recorded. Terminologies used by gastrointestinal or gasteroenteric irritant (Bresinsky and Largent (1977) and Vellinga (1998) were followed for Besl, 1990; Hall et al., 2003). recording the characters of specimens. The identification was based on both macroscopic and Poisoning by this mushroom can be recognized by microscopic characters (Bas, 1969) of fresh nausea and vomiting associated with abdominal pain, specimens. Colour terminologies defined is for fresh headache and sense of exhaustation, weakness and specimens alone by using Kornerup and Wanscher’s dizziness. Some patients have increased sweating and (1978) colour book. The specimens were dried by salivation. Other complains of bitter taste in the mouth is using mushroom drier, labeled and preserved in sealed common. Diarrhea is uncommon in the patients poisoned polythene covers along with naphthalene balls in order by this mushroom. to safeguard from insects pests.

The specimens were deposited in Herbarium of Madras University Botany Laboratories (MUBL) with accession numbers (3625, 3647 & 3674). The dried specimens were revived in 3% KOH. Stains such as 1% aqueous Phloxine, Acetocarmine and Melzer’s reagent were used to study several reactions such as carminophilous reaction, amyloidity reaction of the spores. All the measurements were taken using micrometric technique. Line diagrams were drawn with the aid of camera lucida attachment. Species were identified by using standard identification keys (Singer, 1975, 1986; Pegler, 1986 a,b,c).

Results and discussion

The collected fresh specimens were identified by their macroscopic and microscopic characters according to Bas (1969). Brief descriptions about the collected specimens are provided in the below paragraphs.

Omphalotus olivascens Bigelow, Miller & Thiers, Mycotaxon III (3): 363. 1976.

Basidiome in tufts (caespitose), on dead wood (lignicolous). Pileus 3–7.8 cm dia., membranous convex, depressed to sub infundibuliform, surface eye brown (7F7–7F8) with chrome yellow/Indian yellow (6A8–6B8) at margins; margin incurved, smooth, entire. Lamellae decurrent, cocoa brown to rust brown (6E7-6E8) crowded. 2–5 × 0.5–1.3 cm, mostly central, also excentric with tapering base, surface yellowish grey (smoke grey) (3C2), smooth, solid, cartilaginous (Fig. 2).

Spores 4.37–7.90 × 3.27–4.36 m subglobose to elliptic, hyaline, in amyloid, thin walled with refractive guttule. Basidia 26.18–28.36 × 4.90–6.0 m clavate to narrow clavate, four long sterigmata, up to 7.09 µm long. Cheilocystidia 18.54–24.0 × 3.26–3.81 µm fusoid to ventricose, hyaline, thin walled. Pleurocystidia 24.0– 32.73 × 5.43–6.54 µm with some encrustation, thin walled, pale yellowish. Common near Kariampatti of Kolli Hills (Fig. 3). This species contains significant amount of muscarine. Omphalotus species poison numerous naïve or careless pickers because they are the

©Youth Education and Research Trust (YERT) Kumar & Kaviyarasan, 2012

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Mycena pura (Pers. ex Fr.) Kummer, Fuhr. Pilzk.: 107 This collection has dry glabrous basidiocarp having grey (1871). orange shallowly depressed glutinous pileus with striate margin, the specimen is quite common around Basidiocarp in troops, among leaf litter (foliicolous). Dindupatti, Kolli Hills on Atrocarpus occidentalis leaf Pileus 1–3.5 cm dia., convex to plane, greyish orange litters. According to Orson (1977) this species is not (5B3) camel (6D4), smooth, glabrous, dry; margin strongly poisonous but it is not an advisable species for regular, striate, undulating, smooth. Lamellae sinuate, edible. It is considered suspect species (Frieden, 1969), white (6A1), crowded with interveination. Stipe central, known to cause gasterointestinal disorders (Ammirati et 2.6–6 × 0.2–0.6 cm, cylindric, appressed, hollow, surface al., 1985) and also known to cause muscarine syndrome greyish orange (5B3), smooth, glabrous (Fig. 4). (Lincoff and Mitchel, 1977) but less poisonous than M. rosea as it contains less muscarine than later (Bresinsky Spores 5.01–6.54 × 3.21–4.58, ellipsoid, elongate to sub and Besl, 1990). The symptoms were atypically delayed, globose, hyaline, thin walled, smooth, amyloid with single only commencing one and a half hour after the meal, and large guttulate contents. Basidia 18.54–25.09 × 5.94– comprised the expected features of weating, salivation, 7.09 m, clavate with some refractive guttule. bradycardia (to below 30 beats per minute), Cheilocystidia 50.72–61.99 × 8.45–14.09 m, narrow hypertension, diarrhea and colicky abdominal pain cylindric with fusoid apex, obtuse, hyaline, thin walled. (Goigoux, 1992; Benjamin, 1995). Pleurocystidia 61.99–73.26 × 8.45–11.27 µm, similar to cheilocystidia, hyaline, thin walled (Fig. 5). Chlorophyllum molybdites (Meyer ex Fr.) Massee in Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1898: 136 (1898).

Pileus 4–16 cm dia., soft and fleshy, at first globose- campanulate then expanding to plano-convex with a broad shallow umbo; surface dry, initially covered by a dark brown (7F6–7F8) cuticle paling to wood brown (6F5), which soon breaks to form fawn to vinaceous fawn, revolute squamules. The squamules are mostly concentrated around the umbo which remains entire. The rest of the surface is covered by minute, fibrillose- floccose, deciduous, vinaceous buff squamules on a pale ochraceous buff background. Lamellae free, pale green, reddish when bruised, crowded. Stipe 7–13.5 × 1–2.4 cm, separable from the pileus, straight or flexuous, expanding below into a more or less basal bulb which remains below soil level, cylindric, surface whitish then pale greyish brown, silky and glabrous above the annulus, covered with fine whitish fibrils below the annulus. Annulus superior, movable, thick, fleshy, double (Fig. 6).

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and other aspects are not well studied. Misidentification is the main cause of most cases of mushroom poisoning thus a proper reference giving the picture of poisonous mushrooms is very much needed. In discussing poisonous fungi, knowledge of fungal , chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and medicine all combines to give a picture which enables mankind to learn about and understand the great variety of nature and how it can be applied to his needs. This article gives knowledge of poisonous mushroom, its identification in order to create awareness and also its symptom based on earlier reports.

Acknowledgements The authors thank the Ministry of Environment and Forest for providing financial support, grateful to the Director, CAS in Botany and Head, Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, MCC.

Spore print pea green, later fading with a golden tint. References Spores 8–10.4 × 6.2–8 µm, obovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 1. Ammirati, J.F., Traquair, J.A. and Horgen, P.A. 1985. Poisonous smooth, 3-layered, hyaline or greenish, dextrinoid, mushrooms of North United States and Canada. University of contains a single large prominent guttule. Basidia 23– Minnesota press. 2. Atri, N.S., Kaur, A. and Kaur, H. 2003. Wild mushrooms-Collection 26.2 × 8–9.7 µm, inflated clavate. Cheilocystidia 22–39 × identification. Chambaghat, Solan, p16. 9.01–16 µm, carrying from piriform, cylindric to 3. Bas, C. 1969. Morphology and subdivision of Amanita and a ventricose, hyaline, very thin-walled, with little or no monograph of its section Lepidella. Persoonia, 5, 285-579. contents, often grouped in fasciculate tufts (Fig. 7). 4. Benjamin, D.R. (1995) Mushrooms: Poisons and panaceas. New York: WH Freeman and Company. p422. 5. Bresinsky, A. and Besl, H. 1990. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous This specimen is characterized by robust dark brown Mushroom, Wolfe Publishing Ltd., Germany, pp95-97. convex pileus with remote pale greenish lamellae, long 6. Goigoux, P. 1992. Un cas grave d’intoxication par Mycena rosea. stipe with mobile annulus and thick context. Moreover Bull fed Mycol. Dauphine-savoie.127: 10-11. 7. Hall, I.R., Stevenson, Buchanan, P.K. and Wang yun. 2003. Edible the spores are obovoid to broadly ellipsoid, smooth and poisonous mushrooms of the world. Timber Press inc., US. apically truncated germ-pore. Although, this specimen p158. has a close relatedness with Macrolepiota but it differs in 8. Kornerup, A. and Wanscher, J.H.1967. Metheun handbook of having pale greenish lamellae and spore print. This colour. Metheun and Co. Ltd., London, p243. 9. Largent, D.L. 1977. How to identify Mushrooms to genus I: species is often mistaken for other related edible Macroscopical Features. Mad Rivers Press, Eureka, USA, pp1–85. mushrooms which are similar to L. procera (Spoerke and 10. Lincoff, G. and Mitchel, D.H. 1977. Toxic and Hallucinogenic Runac, 1994). This is commonly solitary on ground, near mushroom poisoning- a hand book for physician and mushroom Aripalapatti and kovilur of Kolli Hills. hunters. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. 11. Lucius von Frieden. 1969. Mushrooms of the world. Bobbs-Merill companies. Italy. Considerable controversy surrounds the toxicity of C. 12. Orson K. Miller Jr. 1977. Mushrooms of North America., EP molybdites. There are regional differences in the amount Dutton& C., inc., New York. of toxins and differences in individual susceptibilities to 13. Natarajan, K and Kaviyarasan, V. 1991. Chlorophyllum molybdites poisoning in India - A case study. Mycologist. 5: 70. its effects. According to Smith (1973) this species is 14. Pegler, D.N. 1977. A preliminary Agaric flora of East Africa. Kew poisonous to some people while non poisonous for Bull. Addit. Ser., 12: 328. others. But it is clearly defined as poisonous by Hall et al. 15. Pegler, D.N. 1983. Agaric flora of Lesser Antelles. Kew Bull. Addit. (2003). The symptoms of this poisoning may occur one Ser., 12: 328. 16. Pegler, D.N. 1986. Agaric flora of Sri Lanka. Kew Bull. Addit. Ser., to three hour after meal which may be gastrointestinal 12: 328. syndrome (Lincoff and Mitchel, 1977) especially colicky 17. Singer, R. 1975. The in Modern Taxonomy. 3rd ed. abdominal pain sometimes persist for up to six hour and J.Cramer, Vaduz. p912. even longer. Further nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are 18. Singer, R. 1986. The Agaricales in Modern Taxonomy. Koeltz Sci. Books, Koenigstein, Germany. p981. common. The diarrhea may be explosive in nature and 19. Smith, A.H. 1973. The mushroom hunter’s field guide revised and become bloody, which was also reported earlier from enlarged. p185. Australia (Young, 1989) and India (Natarajan and 20. Spoerke, D.G. and Runac, B.H. 1994. Handbook of mushroom Kaviyarasan, 1992). poisoning diagnosis and treatment. CRC press inc. US. pp118-119. 21. Vellinga, E. C. 1998. Glossary. In: Flora Agaricina Neerlandica, 1.Bas C., Kuyper Th. W., Noordeloos M. E., and Vellinga E.C., Conclusion eds., Balkema, Rotterdam, pp54-64. A variety of mushroom with unique toxicity produce 22. Young, T. 1989. Poisoning by Chlorophyllum molybdites in Australia. Mycologist. 3: 11-12. several syndromes. However, this is the glimpse of some of the poisonous mushrooms of the country, their toxicity

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