Mushroom pale toadstool: what does it look like and where does it grow? Pale toadstool and champignon: similarities and differences

Mushrooms are a nutritious and delicious treat. But many of them are poisonous. You should always remember this when setting off on a "silent hunt." In this article we will talk in detail about one of the most insidious and dangerous mushrooms. Where does pale grebe grow? How does she look? And how not to confuse it with other edible mushrooms? About everything - in the review.

Pale grebe: description and photo of the mushroom

This is one of the most dangerous mushrooms on the planet. Just one piece eaten may be enough to cause death. According to historians, it was the pale toadstool that the Roman emperor Claudius and Pope Clement VII were poisoned with. What is worst, poisoning can occur even at the slightest contact of the poison of this fungus with the mucous membranes of a person.

The mushroom is a pale toadstool (in Latin: Amanita phalloides) - the closest relative of the fly agaric. People often call him that: "white fly agaric". The poison of the fungus is incredibly strong in its effect. And if the red mushroom known to everyone can be eaten after a certain heat treatment, then it is simply impossible to extract all toxins from the grebe.

Pale toadstool is a classic hat-shaped mushroom that has an ovoid shape at a young age. The diameter of the hat is from 5 to 15 centimeters in diameter, the height of the legs is 8-16 cm. The mushroom got its name from the pale shade of the fruiting body. His closest “relatives”: Amanita spring and grebe white.

What does a mushroom look like?

Mushroom pickers have no right to make a mistake. Therefore, they must learn to completely distinguish pale toadstool from any other species. Let's learn in more detail what this mushroom looks like.

The fruit body of the toadstool is entirely covered with a thin film. The pulp of the mushroom is white, fleshy, it practically does not change its color when damaged. The color of the hat varies from light gray to olive or slightly greenish. However, with age, it always acquires a grayish tint. The leg has a standard cylindrical shape with a slight thickening at the base. In its upper part is a characteristic leathery ring.

In adulthood, a pale grebe can exude a sweetish and not very pleasant smell. The fruit body of the fungus contains various poisons. They are divided into two groups: aggressive, but slowly acting amatoxins and fast-acting, but less toxic phallotoxins.

Mushroom spread in nature

Where do pale grebe grow? Where should we expect to meet this insidious mushroom?

Toadstools are found in nature quite often. The main area of ​​their distribution is the temperate zone of Eurasia (in particular, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine) and North America. They grow both singly and in groups. The growth season begins around the end of August and lasts until the beginning of November (until the first serious frost).

Pale grebe prefers mixed or light deciduous forests, ideally broad-leaved. He likes to “settle” under beeches, hornbeams, oaks, lindens, hazel bushes. Often found in city parks and squares. Sometimes lives in birch groves. But meeting her in a pine forest is very difficult. Toadstool does not tolerate sandy substrate, preferring fertile humus soils.

Edible grebe doubles

Almost any edible mushroom in nature has its own poisonous double. It is important for both experienced and beginner mushroom pickers to clarify this truth well. The list of mushrooms, similar to a pale grebe, is quite large. So, in the middle zone of Russia it is most often confused with forest mushroom, russula, floats and greenfinch.

Extremely important! You can not cut the mushroom right under the hat. Indeed, in this way you can not notice the membranous ring, which is characteristic of pale grebe. By the way, this is how most often pieces of a poisonous mushroom fall into a basket of mushroom pickers.

Another useful tip: returning from a quiet hunt, sort the harvested crop. Separate certain types of mushrooms should be arranged in even rows: chanterelles, boletus, russula, etc. Thanks to this, you can easily calculate the poisonous double - it will immediately catch your eye. And if you find a toadstool, you have to get rid of the entire basket, as the poison can remain on other edible mushrooms.

Another extremely important rule: if at least a little doubt in a particular mushroom - do not cut it at all.

Toadstool and champignon: how to distinguish?

How to distinguish forest champignon from pale toadstool? This task is not an easy one. Therefore, many mushroom pickers do not at all risk collecting mushrooms in the forest. The table below will help you sort this out.

Young individuals of these two fungi are incredibly difficult to distinguish from each other. This is only for mushroom pickers with extensive experience of quiet hunting. For comparison: the photo below shows young toadstool mushrooms (left) and forest champignon (right).

Russula and grebe: how to distinguish?

Experienced mushroom pickers are strongly advised to collect only pink, orange or red Russula. So you are definitely not mistaken. The following table will help you distinguish Russula green from poisonous grebe.

For comparison: the toadstool (left) and the Russula green (right) are shown in the photo below.

Pale Toad Poisoning: Major Symptoms

This mushroom, perhaps, can be safely called the most poisonous on the planet. To put a healthy and strong man on a hospital bed, just thirty grams of pale grebe is enough. Signs of poisoning with this fungus (basic):

• Intense profuse vomiting.
• Intestinal colic.
• Muscle pain and cramping.
• Great thirst.
• Weak threadlike pulse.
• Low blood pressure.
• Bloody diarrhea.

Pale grebe poisoning is almost always accompanied by an increase in the liver, as well as a sharp decrease in blood glucose. The latent period lasts an average of about 12 hours.

The main danger of grebe poisoning lies in the so-called period of imaginary recovery, which occurs on the third day. At this time, the patient becomes much better, but in fact the process of destruction of the internal organs (liver and kidneys) continues. A fatal outcome usually occurs within ten days from the moment of poisoning. At the same time, the probability of death increases significantly in people with a weak cardiovascular system.

What to do with poisonous grebe?

If treatment was started no later than 36 hours after the poisoning, then the chances of a successful recovery are quite high. At the slightest suspicion of poisoning with a toadstool, only three actions should be taken immediately:

• Call an ambulance.
• Empty the stomach by inducing vomiting.
• Take activated charcoal (dose: 1 gram per kilogram of weight).

What can absolutely not be done in case of poisoning:

• Take anything that enhances blood circulation.
• Drink alcoholic beverages.
• Perform even minimal physical exertion.

The treatment process is quite difficult, since there is no suitable antidote as such. For poisoning with toadstool, doctors use benzyl penicillin, as well as lipoic acid. At the same time, forced diuresis, hemosorption are performed, a dropper with glucose is placed and cardiac drugs are prescribed. The overall result of treatment will depend on the dose of poison that has entered the bloodstream and the general condition of the body.

5 common myths about the "white fly agaric"

There are a lot of myths and false information about the pale grebe in society. Knowing the true information will help you protect yourself. So let's list them:

• Myth 1: pale grebe is unpleasant in taste. In fact, this is not so! It is quite tender, tasty and absolutely not bitter. To distinguish a poisonous mushroom in taste is almost impossible.
• Myth 2: "white fly agaric" smells bad. In reality, smell is one of the similarities between pale grebe and champignon. Both mushrooms exude an innocent, rather pleasant aroma.
• Myth 3: small insects and worms do not eat this mushroom. In fact, some of them are not averse to refreshing themselves with this unsafe treat.
• Myth 4: Pale toadstool can be removed from toxins by boiling it in salt water with vinegar. An absolute lie!
• Myth 5: garlic cloves will turn brown if you throw them into a pot in which grebes are cooked. Again untruth. Garlic changes color under the influence of tyrosinase, an enzyme that can be found in any fungi, both edible and poisonous.

The benefits of "white mushroom"

Oddly enough this sounds, but a pale toadstool can bring some benefit to a person. So, in very small (homeopathic) doses, it serves as an antidote in case of poisoning with other poisonous mushrooms. Toadstools are also used to control some pests and insects. In folk medicine, tinctures from this fungus are used as a medicine for cancer. Subcutaneous injections with microdoses of toxin are used to combat wrinkles.

Nevertheless, the danger of pale toadstool is many times greater than the potential benefit that it can bring to a person. Therefore, it is better to remember what this mushroom looks like and to stay as far from it in the forest as possible.