Everyone knows that when foraging for mushrooms, it's best to have an expert at your side, so as not to take an accidental nibble out of a noxious fungus. But if you happen to be mushroom-hunting in the North of California, you best have a few experts, because this is the home of the Death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. One single death cap has enough toxin to kill a human being, and as the young mushrooms look quite different from their mature counterparts, differentiating between these deadly shrooms can be a matter of life or death.
The scary part of the Death cap is that it starts working before you even know it; for the first 6-12 hours, you may not show any symptoms. Meanwhile, the toxins have already started destroying your liver cells. And while the Death cap isn't native to northern California - it has European origins - it's presence is indisputable now, with reports of several people dying due to Death cap consumption. Want to see how this mushroom works its black magic? Watch the video!
