We came across a large patch of these toadstools while camping in eastern Oregon. They were growing under a stand of large pine trees and are associated with the tree’s root system. The mushroom is known as Amanita muscaria, It is a yellow-to-orange-to-red-capped mushroom with white spots and white gills that you can find in summer and fall. It’s the mushroom featured in Super Mario video games.
Amanita muscaria has a very broad geographic distribution including North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It’s an attractive mushroom that looks and is poisonous, If eaten raw symptoms of toxicity usually will appear within 30 minutes to two hours after ingestion. These include nausea and vomiting and often seizures, confusion, hallucinations and more. It can take up to a day to recover. Fatalities are exceedingly rare and only found in people who have consumed a lot of (more than a dozen) mushrooms.
It’s said that a small dose of A. muscaria can get you high, but you’re playing with fire so I don’t suggest trying it. People who have eaten a small amount of the toadstool report strong visions and religious insights —especially in their dreams. Some report euphoria, while others become quite ill with the symptoms previously described
Still, then are quite attractive. The mushrooms can get large, as you can see in the photo below. Touching them won’t make you ill — you’ll need to eat them to get sick.
