Britt A. Bunyard especially true for recent immigrants he Amanitas are likely the most to North America. There is no doubt infamous group of mushrooms. Author’s Note: No one should ever that many North American mushrooms To even the most mycologically collect any wild mushrooms and eat resemble different mushrooms from Tundereducated, all Amanitas are them without being absolutely sure other parts of the world. In some cases assumed toxic. “Better safe than of the mushroom’s identity. Death the lookalikes can be toxic. Since the sorry” is a good policy when it comes from eating poisonous mushrooms 1970s, Hmong immigrants to North to Amanitas, as something on the is a very real possibility. There is no America seem to be victims of Amanita order of 90% of mushroom-related “rule of thumb” or easy way to know mushroom poisoning at a much higher deaths in Europe (where records have if a mushroom is a safe edible based rate than other ethnic groups. been kept for a long time) have been simply on color, smell, taste, where it Key Words: Amanita, Amanita attributed to Amanita species from occurs (soil, wood, etc.), other animals hemibapha, Amanita phalloides, Section Phalloideae. These mushrooms seen to consume it, the mushroom Amanita princeps, amatoxin, Caesar produce substances that are highly toxic did/did not turn a silver spoon/coin Amanita, destroying angel, hêdt khai to mammals and collectively called black, etc. The only way to be certain han, hêdt khai lauŋ, hêdt loŋoc, hêdt amatoxins (or amanitins). In describing is from precise identification. This is khai kaew, Hmong, Laos. the incredible toxicity of amatoxins, 6 FUNGI Volume 8:3 Fall 2015 mycologist Nicholas P. Money wrote East Coasts) and “destroying angels” (A. during mushroom season and you would in his book Mushroom (2011)—I’m ocreata and A. bisporigera and probably expect to find Caesar’s Amanitas among paraphrasing here—“The toxicity of other as-yet unnamed species that look other wild-foraged mushrooms. one of the amatoxins called alpha- very similar). Destroying angels are And here is where two worlds amanitin is extraordinary. Although a white (but may yellow a bit with age), collide… sometimes with catastrophic single mushroom cap contains a few with white gills, ring, and saccate volva results. There have been innumerable thousandths of a gram, it is enough to (the membranous cup at the base of the cases of immigrants coming to North kill the fittest of musicians. One gram stem); death caps have similar features America and made ill (or worse) as a of the [purified] toxin, the weight of but color is typically yellowish-green and result of consuming wild mushrooms a sweetener packet, would silence an even brownish, but may be very pale to that were collected because they looked entire symphony orchestra.” cream color (see images). like the ones routinely picked back in For mushroom poisoning statistics in Of course, not all Amanitas are toxic— “the old country.” Southeast Asians seem North America (where records have not not by a long shot. Many species (mostly to be reported at a disproportionately been kept for nearly so long as Europe), from the nontoxic Section Caesareae) high rate in poisoning cases, with one the story is much the same. A 30-year are highly prized as safe and choice group in particular affected: Hmong study compiled by the North American edibles in many parts of the world. To people. The Hmong are immigrants from Mycological Association (NAMA) found some North American mycophiles this Laos who came to the USA (mostly to 16 of 17 mushroom-related deaths were information would come as a surprise. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northern due to amatoxins (Beug et al., 2006). The But to mushroom hunters in Europe and California) following the long and brutal usual suspects of amatoxin poisoning Asia, this is common knowledge. Enter war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. are “death caps” (Amanita phalloides, any decent fresh market or roadside That so many Southeast Asian (and a species not native to North America produce stands in Europe or Asia (and to especially Laotian) people have fallen but now widespread along the West and some extent Central America and Africa) victim to Amanitas in North America is Beautiful but deadly: death caps (Amanita phalloides - page 6) and western destroying angels (Amanita ocreata - below) should never be confused with safe, edible mushrooms. Photos courtesy M. G. Wood. Amanita hemibapha. Photo courtesy B. Bunyard. due to that mushroom’s resemblance to look at the morning market first thing some other edible species back home in the morning; if there were edible (Hudler, 1998). Many internet websites mushrooms to be found in the forest, and book authors have concluded that they were certain to be for sale in the the lookalike must be the popular paddy market. At dawn the next morning, I straw mushroom, Volvariella volvacea hit the sprawling market in the center (Money, 2011; Marley, 2010; Hudler, of town and began asking around for 1998; Benjamin, 1995). The paddy mushrooms. And oh yes, everyone straw mushroom is indeed popular in knew about edible “white egg” and Thailand and China and resembles an “yellow egg” mushrooms (Caesar Amanita with its pronounced volva, Amanitas). The yellow Caesar of but the pink gills of mature specimens Southeast Asia—(Lao name: hêdt khai tell you it’s no Amanita (not that an han; Thai name: hêdt khai lauŋ)—is inexperienced or hasty forager would known to mycologists as Amanita notice). But the paddy straw mushroom hemibapha and the white Caesar—(Lao is cultivated and unlikely to be found in name: hêdt loŋoc; Thai name: hêdt markets in Laos where all mushrooms khai kaew)—is Amanita princeps. I and many herbs, fruits, and much of was completely thrilled as I could see the meat is collected from the wild. I with my own eyes a mushroom that had heard a report a few years back that no doubt Southeast Asian immigrants the lookalike mushroom of Laos was were seeking in North America, actually an edible species of Amanita, but confusing with our own toxic and that although safe, was a “dead Phalloideae Amanitas. And you can ringer” (no pun intended) for the see the resemblance in the images: a dangerous destroying angels and death big white to cream colored mushroom, caps of North America. with white gills, arising from an In the summer of 2014 I attended an underground “egg,” a robust saccate international mycological conference volva, and white ring on the stem. An in Thailand and made a trip to Laos angelic mushroom, and thankfully not once the conference finished. I arrived destroying angels. Yes I did eat them in the ancient jungle city of Luang and they were heavenly! Prabang, perched on the steamy banks References Cited of the mighty Mekong River, eager Benjamin, D.R. 1995. Mushrooms: for what might lie in wait amid the Poisons and Panaceas. W.H. Freeman dripping jungle trees on the other and Company, New York. 422 pp. side of the river, just a short ferry boat Beug, M.W., M. Shaw, and K.W. ride away. The clerk at the check-in Cochran. 2006. Thirty plus years of desk of my hotel suggested I take a Amanita princeps. Photos courtesy B. Bunyard. mushroom poisoning: summary of the approximately 2,000 reports in the NAMA Case Registry. McIlvainea 16(2): 47-68. Hudler, G.W. 1998. Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds Princeton University Press, New Jersey. 248 pp. Marley, G.A. 2010. Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares. Chelsea Green Publishing, Vermont. 255 pp. Money, N.P. 2011. Mushroom. Oxford University Press, New York. 201 pp. FUNGI Volume 8:3 Fall 2015 9.