How to distinguish false champignons from real ones

Kira Stoletova

Mushrooms are a popular type of mushroom that are easy to grow at home. There is not only an edible species, but also false champignons. They pose a danger to humans - they can not be eaten.

Description of the appearance of the mushroom

Fake champignons differ, depending on the age and place where they grow. Most often there are mushrooms of a reddish hue, which are called yellow-skinned. Also well known is the type of false champignons called "flat cap". It has a sharp unpleasant odor, reminiscent of iodine.

The color of the false champignon cap may vary. If the mushroom grows in a clearing well lit by the sun, it will have a grayish tint. Organisms growing in forests are beige with an orange tint. The young false champignon has white plates under the cap, which darken and turn black with age. They are easy to distinguish because real mushrooms have a rough cap, sometimes covered with scales, while the double has a smooth skin.

False champignon has a stem 10 cm high and 2.5 cm in diameter. It is cylindrical in shape, slightly thickened at the bottom. There is a white double ring in the middle. Under the cap are thin frequent white plates with a pinkish tint. In older mushrooms, they acquire a dark brown color.

Differences between false and edible champignon

Mushrooms false (poisonous) and real are often confused, and this is deadly. The poisonous double of the champignon has a dark circle in the center of the cap, yellowish spots appear when pressed. This verification method does not give an exact guarantee, so it should be combined with other methods.

Finding a false champignon among the real ones will turn out according to the following signs:

• its cut quickly acquires a bright yellow tint;
• the double has a strong smell of disinfectant;
• when boiled, the water also turns yellow.

These are insidious mushrooms, even after long cooking, toxic substances in them do not decay.

Inedible champignon is similar to pale grebe, white fly agaric, smelly fly agaric and meadow mushrooms. They have a similar color and shape of the cap, which sometimes resembles a chanterelle mushroom. False champignons most often appear in July in mixed and deciduous forests; it is also possible to meet them in glades in city parks.

Real champignons look different. The place of the cut they have a pinkish tint. Also, the edible mushroom begins to grow in May, while the false one only begins to grow in the middle of summer.

Virulence

Inedible champignon actively absorbs toxic substances from the soil. The use of such mushrooms leads to severe intoxication.

Toxoids block the production of deoxyribonucleic acid, as a result, healthy cells die. This affects the kidneys, intestines and liver most of all. A large portion of the eaten mushrooms can be fatal.

There are also substances in poisonous champignons that negatively affect proteins. This causes a violation of the contraction of the heart muscles.

Symptoms of poisoning

The first sign of poisoning is vomiting and indigestion. These symptoms appear after 2-3 hours. Later, stomach cramps appear. Similar symptoms are caused by pale grebe and poisonous meadow mushrooms.

There are several stages of champignon poisoning. Their description:

• There is spastic pain in the abdomen, the body temperature rises. Diarrhea starts later.
• A person feels a slight improvement in well-being, but toxic substances continue to affect the liver and kidneys. This is confirmed by the analyses. Remission lasts 1-2 days.
• At this stage, the damage to the internal organs reaches its peak. Begins liver and kidney failure.

In case of poisoning with false champignons, it is necessary to call an ambulance at the first stage of poisoning. Before her arrival, it is important to remove toxins from the body.

Description of first aid:

• drink 1 liter of a weak solution of potassium permanganate and induce vomiting to flush the stomach;
• take sorbents at the rate of 1 g per 1 kg of the patient's weight;
• a warm heating pad is placed on the stomach and legs: this helps to avoid circulatory disorders;
• drink strong tea or warm water.

Treatment for poisoning

After hospitalization, the patient is detoxified. This is an enema, gastric lavage or hemodialysis. The choice of treatment method depends on how much of the dangerous product the patient has eaten.