Mushroom - Amanita by Kaye Menner is a photograph by Kaye Menner which was uploaded on July 4th, 2015.
Title
Mushroom - Amanita by Kaye Menner
Artist
Kaye Menner
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
[from Wikipedia]
The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own. The most potent toxin present in these mushrooms is α-amanitin.
The genus also contains many edible mushrooms, but mycologists discourage mushroom hunters, other than knowledgeable experts, from selecting any of these for human consumption. Nonetheless, in some cultures, the larger local edible species of Amanita are mainstays of the markets in the local growing season. Samples of this are Amanita zambiana and other fleshy species in central Africa, A. basii and similar species in Mexico, A. caesarea in Europe, and A. chepangiana in South-East Asia. Other species are used for colouring sauces, such as the red A. jacksonii with a range from eastern Canada to eastern Mexico.
Many species are of unknown edibility, especially in countries such as Australia, where many fungi are little-known. Understandably, this is not a genus that lends itself to safe experimentation.
A lamella, or gill, is a papery hymenophore rib under the cap of some mushroom species, most often but not always agarics. The gills are used by the mushrooms as a means of spore dispersal, and are important for species identification.
Uploaded
July 4th, 2015
More from Kaye Menner
Comments
There are no comments for Mushroom - Amanita by Kaye Menner. Click here to post the first comment.