This poisonous mushroom grows in Texas and it can kill you. Here’s how to ID the fungus
A deadly mushroom that Australian police think may have killed three earlier this summer grows in the Lone Star State.
The mysterious deaths of three people near Melbourne, Australia, in late July may have been caused by eating poisonous mushrooms: the death cap, or Amanita phalloides, the Washington Post reported.
Death caps, among the deadliest fungi on earth, can be found in Texas. In Texas, it grows in areas like the Hill Country and the Piney Woods, according to Only In Your State. They typically start appearing in the spring and remain visible through the fall.
As little as half a mushroom is enough to kill an adult, according to onlyinyourstate.com. It contains α-amanitin, a toxin that can cause liver and kidney failure if left untreated. And its fatal effects aren’t reduced by cooking.
“The best way to prevent accidental poisoning is to avoid foraging wild mushrooms altogether,” Only In Your State says. “Make sure to keep an eye on your pooch while hiking, too, as the mushrooms have a pleasant taste and are directly in a dog’s field of vision.”
Death caps can be even more dangerous because they look similar to edible species like the Caesar’s mushroom and straw mushroom. But you can identify the deadly mushroom by its pale and yellowish color with a large cap and skirting underneath it, according to Island Health, as well as its faint honeylike sweet smell.
