Fly Agaric
Amanita muscaria (L.) Lam.
Synonyms (14)
- Agaricus aureolus GBIF
- Agaricus imperialis GBIF
- Agaricus muscarius GBIF
- Agaricus muscarius formosus GBIF
- Agaricus muscarius puella GBIF
- Agaricus muscarius sanguineus GBIF
- Agaricus nobilis GBIF
- Agaricus pseudoaurantiacus GBIF
- Agaricus puellus GBIF
- Amanita aureola GBIF
- Amanita circinnata GBIF
- Amanita formosa GBIF
- Amanita muscaria aureola GBIF
- Amanita muscaria beglyanovae GBIF
Consuming Amanita muscaria directly as food is not recommended due to its psychoactive and toxic compounds. Some traditional methods involve parboiling or other extensive preparation to reduce toxins, but safety is not guaranteed.
Historically, Amanita muscaria has been used in some traditional medicines for its psychoactive properties, often in spiritual or shamanic contexts. It is not recognized for modern medicinal use.
Amanita muscaria contains ibotenic acid and muscimol, which are neurotoxins. Ingestion can cause symptoms ranging from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, and muscle spasms.
This species holds significant cultural and spiritual importance in various indigenous traditions, particularly in Siberia, where it has been used in shamanic rituals. It has also appeared in folklore and art.
- GBIFhttps://www.gbif.org/species/8168319
- EOLhttps://eol.org/pages/2866150
- iNaturalisthttps://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48715
⚠ Some sections were filled by AI where no authoritative source was available. AI-tagged sections are marked above.