Fly Agaric
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Fly Agaric
Amanita muscaria
Instantly recognisable as a toadstool often featured in fairy tales or images, the Fly Agaric can ususally be found under birch trees but also less frequently in coniferous woodland.
Highly poisonous with hallucinogenic compounds, the Fly Agaric is said to have been the inspiration for Father Christmas with his distinctive red and white clothes. In Lapland, nomadic reindeer herding tribes regard the Fly Agaric as the reindeer’s favourite food and when the mushrooms hallucinogenic chemicals have been ingested by members of the tribe, they are said to have witnessed the reindeer flying.
Also in British Mushrooms and Fungi
