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Amanita muscaria


Amanita muscaria
Photo Information
Copyright: john vantighem (john1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 122 W: 0 N: 439] (3410)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2013-10-06
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Fujifilm 30exr, Sandisk Ultra II 4Gb
Exposure: f/4, 1/34 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2013-10-09 13:38
Viewed: 1443
Points: 8
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Amanita muscaria has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees.

The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. Several subspecies with differing cap colour have been recognised, including the brown regalis (considered a separate species), the yellow-orange flavivolvata, guessowii, formosa, and the pinkish persicina. Genetic studies published in 2006 and 2008 show several sharply delineated clades that may represent separate species.

Although it is generally considered poisonous, there are few documented human deaths from its consumption, and after having been parboiled it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in places other than Siberia, but such traditions are far less well documented. The American banker and amateur ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson proposed that the fly agaric was the soma of the ancient Rig Veda texts of India; since its introduction in 1968, this theory has gained both followers and detractors in anthropological literature
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Critiques [Translate]

Ciao John, great macro of fantastic fungus, excellent clarity, wonderful bright colors and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

Hi John,
interesting photo of this beautiful amanita muscaria. Nice point of view. Very good composition.
Thanks for sharing,
Maciek

Hello John,
After a gap watching your picture.Nice colour Fungi.Like its colour.
Thanks for sharing,
Regards and have a nice time,
Srikumar

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6522 W: 89 N: 15623] (65351)
  • [2013-10-10 8:55]

Salut John,une excellente capture des couleurs de cette espece magnifique a regarder mais tres dangereuse,les details ne sont pas parfaicts mais tres difficile etait travailler sans tripod dans cette lumiere.Belle soiree' et merci,Luciano

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