Introduction | The Good | The Bad and the Ugly | Recipes | Glossary

The Bad and the Ugly

warning at the bottom of the introductory page.

Vra"zji goban (Boletus satanas)

This poisonous mushroom looks quite attractive: large, with a light grey to greyish-yellow pileus up to 25 cm in diameter and a firm stipe, yellow at the top and carmine red at the bottom. The flesh is yellowish-white and will slowly turn blue where cut or bruised; young mushrooms have no characteristic smell, flesh of old ones stinks of carrion.

Vrazji goban grows on chalky ground, loves sunny sites -- meadows and mountain pastures. Overeager pickers sometimes mistake it for Jesenski goban, Poletni goban or Zametasti goban. Fortunately, its poison is not deadly, but merely causes metabolic disorders that may last for several days.

Leponogi goban (Boletus calopus)

Very similar to Vrazji goban, but more dangerous since it grows both in conifer and mixed forests -- which is where one expects to find Jesenski goban, Zametasti goban and Kostanjevka.

Pobeljena livka (Clitocybe dealbata)

This creamy-white mushroom is very poisonous: it contains the deadly muscarine, which can cause death even in small quantities. It grows outside of forests, between grass, sometimes even in gardens; young mushrooms have a rounded cap -- this makes them easy to mistake for young Travniski kukmak and Mestni kukmak which favour similar sites. Pobeljena livka has a number of similar, also very poisonous relatives.

Velika rde"celistka (Entoloma sinuatum)

Grows in deciduous forests, frequently in lines or fairy rings. The pileum is silver-white, but may turn ivory white in dry weather. Gills are creamy white on young mushrooms, but turn salmon red on mature fungi. The stem is greyish white, with s slight shine.

The flesh of this mushroom is white, with an intense flour fragrance, and a pleasant taste -- all characteristics of Majniska kolobarnica, which is similar in shape and colour. It is frequently mistaken for a number of other white mushrooms.

Velika rdecelistka will cause intense vomiting soon after consumption, and severe metabolic irregularities, including pain, for several days after; may cause death in delicate individuals.

Pegasta kolobarnica (Tricholoma pardidum)

Young mushrooms have a smooth, greyish-white cap which becomes flaky in mature individuals. Stipe is white and firm. Pegasta kolobarnica grows both in deciduous and conifer forests.

Flesh is white, firms, with a pronounced flour fragrance and very tasty. All of these characteristics make it very similar to the edible Sivka. If consumed, it will cause severe metabolic disorders.

Zelena mu"snica (Amanita phalloides)

This beautiful, but deadly mushroom grows in both deciduous and conifer forests. The cap can vary from a dark olive-green colour, through lemon yellow to completely white -- the last is the most dangerous variety, since it is similar to a number of white coloured edible mushrooms. Stem is light olive-green to white, long, with the remnants of velum forming and irregular, ragged ring.

Zelena musnica contains alpha-amanitine which causes irreparable liver damage, even in minute quantities -- only 50 grams of fresh mushroom can kill a mature human. The poison is very stable, does not decompose during cooking, even dried mushrooms retain their deadliness for several years.

Zelena musnica (with its cousin Pomladanska musnica) are infamous for being the most frequent cause of mushroom poisoning, sometimes with the worst consequences: amateurs mistake it for the popular, white-capped Travniski kukmak.

Pomladanska mu"snica (Amanita verna)

As deadly as its cousin Zelena musnica, this mushroom grows mostly in conifer forests, on higher sites; always in groups. Pomladanska musnica is always white and has a thinner stem; in all other aspects -- including active poison -- it is equivalent to Zelena musnica.

Rde"ca mu"snica (Amanita muscaria)

This is probably the most famous mushroom, frequently featured in fairy-tale illustrations and cartoons. It grows primarily in conifer forests, under firs and is very common. The flesh is white, with no characteristic fragrance and mild in taste. The characteristic white spots on the cap -- which are torn remains of the velum -- may be partly or completely washed off in heavy rain.

Rdeca musnica contains several poisonous substances, some of them have yet to be studied in detail; muscarine is dangerous enough, but the mushroom also contains muscimole which is hallucinogenic -- supposedly, dried mushrooms were used by Siberian shamans in religious rites and even today, some adventurous individuals will try it "for the kick", sometimes with disastrous consequences.

A mushroom this famous should not be mistaken for any other -- yet sometimes it is picked instead of Karzelj.

Panterjeva mu"snica (Amanita pantherina)

This brown-capped cousin of Rdeca musnica contains the same poisons, only in higher concentrations. It grows in both deciduous and conifer forests, favours higher sites.

It is sometimes mistaken for Bisernica, with disastrous consequences.

Karbolni kukmak (Agaricus xanthoderma)

It grows on forest edges, meadows, lawns and parks. The pileum of a young mushroom is snow-white, but turns greyish with maturity; becomes yellow where bruised or pressed. Gills are first pink, and chocolate brown in mature mushrooms. The stem is white, rather long, with a characteristic ring.

Flesh is white in the cap and upper stem, but chrome yellow in the bulbous lower part of the stem. Young and fresh mushrooms have no characteristic fragrance, but during cooking, a smell of carbolic acid develops. Karbolni kukmak will cause violent vomiting and cramps immediately after consumption, but in most cases, no other serious symptoms will develop.

This mushroom is sometimes mistaken for its cousins, Travniski kukmak and Mestni kukmak.

Obrobljena ku"cmica (Galerina marginata)

Grows mostly on dead wood of conifers, frequently in bunches; unfortunately, it is quite common. Pileus is of a light yellowish-brown colour, with a greasy shine. Stem is hollow, long and thin.

Flesh is brownish, with a mild taste and a distinct flour fragrance. It contains the dangerous alpha-amanitine, in high concentration. Can cause death.

Obrobljena kucmica is sometimes mistaken for Prava storovka.

Prava tintnica (Coprinus atramentarius)

Prava tintnica will frequently grow in gardens and along roads -- in forests, only along roads. The cap is of a light greyish brown colour, up to 7 cm wide. Gills on a young mushroom are greyish-white, later black. Stem is white and of uniform thickness.

Flesh is white, mild in taste, with no intense fragrance. It contains a dangerous poison, coprine, which is relatively harmless by itself, but will turn deadly in presence of alcohol.

Prava tintnica is sometimes mistaken for Orjaski deznik or Velika tintnica.

Navadna podvihanka (Paxillus involutus)

Grows in conifer forests and on marshes, even on tree stumps; very common. Pileus is of a dirty ocher to reddish-brown colour; when wet, it looks greasy -- when dry, shiny. Stipe has the same colour as the cap, turns brownish spotty where pressed.

Flesh is of a wood yellow colour, with a pleasant smell. It contains a dangerous, not yet quite well researched poison which seems to have a cumulative effect. Young, well cooked mushrooms will not cause any obvious disorders when consumed for the first time (though old or under-cooked mushrooms will); repeated consumption will eventually cause serious poisoning -- even if years pass between meals. The symptoms of poisoning are similar to those of leukemia, death is a frequent outcome.

Pomladanski smr"cek (Gyromitra esculenta)

This mushroom grows from April to May in conifer forests, on sandy soils. It has an irregularly-shaped, dark ocher to reddish-brown pileum and a white, irregular stem; both are hollow. Flesh is white, brittle, with a pleasant taste and smell.

It contains a dangerous poison, giromytrine, which has a similar effect as the alpha-amanitine in Zelena musnica. The poison tends to evaporate, so dried Pomladanski smrcek is supposed to be safe -- but it is not worth the risk.

Pomladanski smrcek is sometimes mistaken for the morel, Uzitni smrcek, which grows at the same time on similar sites.

Vlagomerni zvezde"z (Astraeus hygrometricus)

To keep the promise of the title, here is a really ugly one. This "thing that came from outer space" even moves (though quite slowly): in dry weather, the "tentacles" curve upward to cover the spores.

It is not edible, not even poisonous; just yeechh !

Introduction | The Good | The Bad and the Ugly | Recipes | Glossary

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