Beware of Poisonous Mushroom with Three Features

[InKunming—Yunnan] The rainy season in Yunnan is the time when edible mushrooms destined for the dinner tables. Truffle, matsutake, Jizong, Qingtoujun (green-headed mushroom) and other mushrooms have come to Yunnan Mushuihua Wild Mushroom Trading Market. 

Among various species, there are some toxic or deadly mushrooms wearing colorful “coats” and leading some accidental ingestion every year. 7 Myanmar workers were killed by Trogia venenata, also known as “Little White”. A family of four in Dehong died because they had Amanita muscaria. It is important to identify the toxic ones from the edible mushrooms.

It is estimated that there are more than 1,000 species of toxic mushroom in the world, of which more than 400 are in China. They have similar shapes and colors, thus it is difficult to distinguish them completely by eyes and experiences, let alone by folk ways.

According to Yang Zhuliang, an expert of edible mushroom and the researcher of Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, toxic mushrooms can be differentiated by three features. The toxic ones usually wear “hats” on the top, “skirts” around the middle, and “boots” at the bottom. Most mushrooms with these three features are extremely poisonous. Yang said 50-70% of deaths from mushroom poisoning can be avoided if people don’t eat them.

Toxic mushrooms can cause gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and so on. Some hallucinations and mental symptoms may also be caused, for example, you may see “little people” dancing around you. 

In the 6 hours after eating toxic mushroom, you can take the emetic method to vomit poison out. However, if the poisoned people have not been conscious, don’t make them vomit and call the emergency as soon as possible, and remember to bring the mushrooms they had to help the doctor decide what to do.