Lepiota subincarnata

Description

Lepiota subincarnata is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be potentially lethal. First described scientifically by the Danish mycologist Jakob Emanuel Lange in 1940, the species is found in Asia, Europe, and North America.

This is an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly mushroom that contains toxins that damage or destroy the liver and kidneys.

Common names: Fatal Dapperling.

Mushroom Identification

1. Cap

   1.5–6 cm in diameter, convex young, often with a broad low bump in the middle, flat when old. At first, completely covered with a pink-brown velvety layer. This layer breaks open when the cap expands, resulting in concentric rings of pink-brown scales or warts on a white background. The center remains covered by tufted-velvety material.

2. Gills

   White, free, not attached to the top of the stem.

3. Stems

   1.5–5.5 cm long x 0.15–0.7 cm wide, pale cream to pink on top and with bands or scattered warts of material in lower 3/4 of the stem. These bands have the same color as the cap.

4. Ring or Veil

   A faint band of velvety material on the stem.

5. Odor

   Indistinct to sweet and fruity.

6. Spores

   6–7.5 x 3–4 µm, smooth and ellipsoid, dextrinoid (turning reddish in Melzer's iodine solution).

7. Habitat

   In lawns and gardens in the city, but also under various trees in forests. Saprotrophic.

8. Geographical range

   Reported from Oregon, Washington and in BC, from the wider Vancouver area and southern parts of Vancouver Island. Widely distributed throughout temperate North America, Europe and Asia.

Synonyms

1. Lepiota josserandii Bon & Boiffard (1975)

2. Lepiota josserandii var. rosabrunnea Raithelh. (1988)

3. Leucoagaricus josserandii (Bon & Boiffard) Raithelh. (1989)

4. Leucoagaricus rosabrunneus (Raithelh.) Raithelh. (1989)

5. Lepiota subincarnata var. josserandii (Bon & Boiffard) Gminder (1999)

Toxicity

Toxins

Mushrooms in this group have amatoxins, cyclic peptides made up of 8 amino acids that stop protein synthesis by inhibiting an essential enzyme, RNA polymerase II5.

Symptoms

Time of onset 6–12 hours (–36 hours) after eating mushrooms. Abdominal pain, vomiting, and watery diarrhea. Symptoms subside after about one day; then about 72 hours post-ingestion, gastrointestinal symptoms recur along with signs of impending liver failure. In fatal cases, death occurs 7 to 10 days after the first symptoms.

Treatment

Immediately contact your regional Poison Control Centre if you realize you or someone you know has become ill after eating any Lepiota-like mushroom. Poison centers provide free, expert medical advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If possible, save the mushrooms or some of the leftover food containing the mushrooms to help confirm identification.

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Britney Ramsey (Riverdweller) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 2 - Author: Britney (Riverdweller) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 3 - Author: Strobilomyces (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Richard Daniel (RichardDaniel) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 5 - Author: Richard Daniel (RichardDaniel) (CC BY-SA 3.0)