Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata)

Description

Galerina marginata, commonly known as the Deadly Galerina, is a highly toxic mushroom that shares its lethal qualities with the infamous death cap. Often mistaken for edible varieties like honey mushrooms or hallucinogenic species, Galerina marginata harbors amatoxins that can cause severe liver and kidney damage, often leading to fatal outcomes. Just a small amount can be deadly—ingesting as few as 10 fruit bodies could poison a child.

🌳 Habitat and Appearance: Galerina marginata is a small, brown-capped mushroom that typically grows on decaying wood in forests but can also appear in urban areas with dead wood or organic matter. The cap is brown to tawny, sticky when fresh, and fades with age. The gills start yellowish and become rusty brown, matching its spore print. A thin, fragile ring on the stalk often disappears with age, making identification tricky. This mushroom can be found from summer to fall across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

☠️ Toxicity and Symptoms: Galerina marginata contains potent toxins, including α-amanitin and γ-amanitin, which disrupt RNA polymerase II, halting cell function and leading to organ failure. Symptoms of poisoning may take up to 10 hours to appear, starting with severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. A deceptive remission period can occur, followed by a rapid decline into liver and kidney failure. Without immediate and aggressive medical intervention, such as a liver transplant, death can occur within days.

⚠️ Identification is Key: Mistaking Galerina marginata for edible mushrooms is a common and deadly error. This mushroom is often confused with small brown mushrooms like Armillaria or Flammulina species. Remember: Galerina marginata has a distinctive rusty brown spore print, unlike the white spore prints of its edible look-alikes. Always carefully identify every mushroom in your basket—your life depends on it.

🌿 Ecological Role: While deadly to humans, Galerina marginata plays a vital role in the ecosystem. As a saprotrophic fungus, it helps decompose wood, recycling nutrients back into the environment. Its presence indicates advanced decay, as it often fruits on logs already colonized by other fungi.

Common names: Funeral Bell, Deadly Skullcap, Autumn Skullcap, Deadly Galerina, German (Gifthäubling), Netherlands (Bundelmosklokje).

Mushroom Identification

🍄 Cap: Galerina marginata has a cap that ranges from 0.59 to 1.97 inches (1.5 to 5 cm) in diameter, but occasionally can grow up to 3.15 inches (8 cm). The cap starts off convex and becomes broadly convex or nearly flat, sometimes with a slight bell shape. It's sticky when fresh or wet, but can become tacky to dry. The color varies from honey yellow with an orangish hue to cinnamon or brownish orange and may fade as it dries, giving a two-toned appearance. The cap is smooth, but the margin may have whitish veil remnants when young, becoming lined as it matures.

🌸 Gills: The gills are broadly attached to the stem and may start to run down slightly. They are closely spaced, with shorter gills interspersed. Initially, the gills are yellowish but turn rusty brown or brownish as they mature, thanks to the spore coloration. The gills are covered by a whitish partial veil when young and do not bruise but may show spotting in old age.

🦵 Stem: The stem measures 0.79 to 2.76 inches (2 to 7 cm) long and 0.12 to 0.31 inches (3 to 8 mm) thick. It's generally even, dry, and smooth or slightly flecked with whitish fibrils when fresh and young. It usually has a thin, whitish to rusty brown collapsed ring or ring zone, but this may be absent in some specimens. The stem's color ranges from whitish to brownish, darkening to reddish brown from the base upward, with a white basal mycelium.

🥩 Flesh: The flesh of Galerina marginata is thin and insubstantial, with a yellowish to watery brownish color that does not change when sliced. Its odor is mild or slightly mealy when crushed.

🧪 Chemical Reactions: Galerina marginata exhibits specific chemical reactions: KOH turns red to dull red on the cap surface, ammonia shows no reaction, and iron salts are negative. The spore print is a telltale rusty brown.

🌲 Habitat: This mushroom is saprobic, thriving on rotting wood from both hardwoods and conifers, contributing to a stringy white rot. It typically grows in clusters but can also appear gregariously or alone. Though most common in spring and fall, it can be found year-round in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

🔬 Microscopic Features: Spores are broadly amygdaliform to subellipsoid, measuring 7-11 x 4-6 µm, and are verrucose with a reddish-brown color in KOH. They often have a loosening perispore. Basidia are mostly 4-sterigmate but can occasionally be 2-sterigmate. Both pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia are lageniform with a long neck, rounded or subclavate apex, and are smooth, thin-walled, and hyaline in KOH. The pileipellis is an ixocutis, and clamp connections are present.

Look-Alikes

1. Kuehneromyces mutabilis

   Distinguished by a non-hemispherical, non-hygrophanous, zonally colored cap, and the absence of light bands on the stem - remnants of a spider web.

2. Flammulina velutipes

   Has a black, velvety stem with no skirt although the stem is light tan on younger mushrooms.

Poisoning Symptoms

Initial Phase (6 to 24 hours after ingestion):

• ⏳ Symptom Delay: Unlike many other toxic substances, Galerina poisoning symptoms may not appear immediately, which can create a false sense of security.

• 🤢 Mild Discomfort: Early signs may include slight abdominal discomfort, but these are often mild and easy to overlook.

Gastrointestinal Phase (6 to 24 hours after ingestion):

• 🤮 Severe Vomiting: Persistent vomiting can begin suddenly, leading to dehydration.

• 💩 Profuse Diarrhea: Watery diarrhea is common and can cause significant fluid loss.

• 🩹 Abdominal Pain and Cramping: Intense pain and cramps in the abdomen are key symptoms during this phase.

Latent Phase (1 to 2 days after initial symptoms):

• 😌 Temporary Improvement: After the initial gastrointestinal distress, symptoms may subside, leading to a deceptive period of apparent recovery.

• 🔎 Ongoing Damage: Despite the absence of symptoms, the amatoxins continue to damage the liver and kidneys during this phase.

Hepatic and Renal Failure Phase (3 to 7 days after ingestion):

• 🟡 Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and eyes, indicating severe liver damage.

• 💥 Multi-Organ Failure: As the liver fails, toxins build up in the body, leading to widespread organ damage.

• 💀 Serious Complications: Symptoms escalate to include confusion, seizures, and potentially coma. Without immediate and aggressive medical intervention, such as a liver transplant, this stage can be fatal.

Critical Symptoms to Watch For:

• 🩸 Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Internal bleeding due to severe liver dysfunction.

• 😵‍💫 Mental Confusion or Agitation: Neurological symptoms may emerge as toxins affect the brain.

• 🚨 Severe Organ Failure: Complete shutdown of liver and kidney function can lead to death within a week of ingestion if untreated.

Emergency Actions:

• 🚑 Immediate Medical Attention: If Galerina ingestion is suspected, seek emergency medical care immediately. There is no antidote, so early intervention with supportive care, such as activated charcoal and IV fluids, is essential.

• ⚕️ Monitoring and Treatment: Hospitalization is critical, with potential treatments including liver transplant and aggressive supportive care to manage symptoms and prevent organ failure.

Pet Safety

Did you know that certain mushrooms, like the Galerina marginata, are extremely toxic to your furry friends? 🐶🐱 This little brown mushroom might look harmless, but it's packed with deadly toxins called amatoxins, which can cause severe poisoning in dogs and cats. Here's what you need to know to keep your pets safe!

🍄 Galerina marginata contains potent toxins that can lead to serious health issues, including liver and kidney failure. Even a small bite can be fatal! It’s important to be aware of the mushrooms in your yard, parks, and other places your pets may roam.

⚠️ Symptoms of Mushroom Poisoning: If your pet has ingested a toxic mushroom, symptoms might take several hours to appear but can include:

• 🚨 Vomiting & Diarrhea: One of the first signs of poisoning.

• 😴 Lethargy: Your pet may seem unusually tired or weak.

• 🤢 Abdominal Pain: They might show signs of discomfort or pain.

• 🟡 Jaundice: Yellowing of the eyes or gums, indicating liver damage.

• ⚡ Seizures: In severe cases, seizures or tremors can occur.

• 😵 Coma: In the worst cases, coma or even death can result.

🛑 What to Do if Your Pet Eats a Mushroom:

• Stay Calm: Panic won’t help—quick action will!

• Remove Any Remaining Mushrooms: Keep your pet away from the area.

• Contact Your Vet Immediately: Time is of the essence. Provide as much information as possible, including a photo of the mushroom if you can safely take one.

• Do Not Induce Vomiting: Only do this if instructed by a professional.

🌲 Prevention is Key!

• 🍂 Regular Yard Checks: Especially after rain when mushrooms are most likely to appear.

• 🦮 Leashed Walks: Keep pets on a leash and away from areas with wild mushrooms.

• 👀 Supervision: Keep an eye on your pets when they're outside, especially in unfamiliar areas.

Versus Table

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Synonyms

• Agaricus autumnalis Peck 1872

• Agaricus caudicinus var. denudatus Pers. 1801

• Agaricus marginatus Batsch 1789

• Agaricus unicolor Vahl 1792

• Galera marginata (Batsch) P. Kumm. 1871

• Galerina autumnalis (Peck) A.H. Sm. & Singer 1964

• Galerina oregonensis A.H.Sm. 1964

• Galerina unicolor (Vahl) Singer 1936

• Galerina venenata (Vahl) Singer 1953

• Galerula marginata (Batsch) Kühner 1934

• Galerula unicolor (Vahl) Kühner 1934

• Gymnopilus autumnalis (Peck) Murrill 1917

• Naematoloma marginatum (Pers.) Courtec. 1986

• Naucoria autumnalis (Peck) Sacc. 1887

• Pholiota discolor Peck 1873

• Pholiota marginata (Batsch) Quél. 1872

• Pholiota unicolor (Vahl) Gillet 1874

• Psilocybe marginata (Pers.) Noordel. 1995

Photo copyright:

All photos were taken by the Ultimate Mushroom team and can be used for your own purposes under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.