List of deadly fungus species

Although many people have a fear of mushroom poisoning by "toadstools", only a small number of the many macroscopic fruiting bodies commonly known as mushrooms and toadstools have proven fatal to humans.

This list is not exhaustive and does not contain many fungi that, although not deadly, are still harmful. For a less-detailed list of fungi that include non-deadly poisonous species, see List of poisonous fungi.

## Fungi with significant risk of death if consumed

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Scientific name  | Common name  | Active Agent  | Toxicity  | Habitat  | Similar edible species  | Picture

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Amanita arocheae
Tulloss, Ovrebo & Halling | Latin American death cap  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland (oak)
Mexico | Volvariella volvacea, Amanita vaginata, Amanita fulva |
Amanita bisporigera
G. F. Atk. | Eastern destroying angel  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland (pine and oak)
Eastern North America  | Agaricus silvicola, Volvariella volvacea |
Amanita exitialis
Zhu L. Yang & T.H. Li | Guangzhou destroying angel  | amanitins[1][2] | liver  | Deciduous woodland
Guangdong province,
China; India  |  |
Amanita fuliginea
Hongo | East Asian brown death cap  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland
China  |  |
Amanita magnivelaris
Peck | Great felt skirt destroying angel  | amanitins[3] | liver  | Americas |  |
Amanita ocreata
Peck | Western destroying angel  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland (oak)
Pacific Northwest
North America  |  |
Amanita phalloides
(Vaill. ex Fr.) Link | death cap  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland (various)
Europe, North Africa, North America, Australia (SE), New Zealand  | Volvariella volvacea,
Russula virescens
Amanita lanei
Tricholoma equestre, Agaricus campestris |
Amanita smithiana
Bas | smith's lepidella  | 2-amino-4,5-hexadienoic acid  | liver & kidney  | Woodland
Japan and Pacific Northwest |  |
Amanita sphaerobulbosa
Hongo | Asian abrupt-bulbed Lepidella  | 2-amino-4,5-hexadienoic acid  | liver & kidney  | Mixed woodlands, eastern Asia  |  |
Amanita subpallidorosea
Qing Cai, Zhu L. Yang & Y.Y. Cui |  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland
China  |  |
Amanita subjunquillea
S. Imai | East Asian death cap  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland
East and Southeast Asia, Japan, India  |  |
Amanita verna
(Bull.: Fr.) Lam. | Fool's mushroom  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland (various)
Europe  | Agaricus arvensis
Agaricus campestris
Lycoperdon spp.  |
Amanita virosa
(Fr.) Bertillon | European destroying angel  | amanitins | liver  | Woodland (various)
Europe  | Agaricus arvensis
Agaricus campestris
Lycoperdon spp.  |
Calonarius splendens
Rob. Henry | splendid webcap, yellow clubbed foot  | orellanine | kidney  |  |  |
Conocybe rugosa
(Peck) Singer
more commonly known as Conocybe filaris |  | amanitins | liver  | grassland, lawns, rich soil and compost
North America, Europe and Asia  | Psilocybe spp.  |
Claviceps purpurea | Ergot  | ergot alkaloids | multiple | grass  |  |
Clitocybe dealbata
(Sowerby) Gillet | ivory funnel  | muscarine | CNS  | grassland
Europe, North America  | Marasmius oreades

Clitopilus prunulus

Clitocybe rivulosa
(Pers.) P. Kumm. | false champignon  | muscarine | CNS  | grassland
Europe, North America  | Marasmius oreades

Clitopilus prunulus

Cortinarius orellanus
Fries | Fool's webcap  | orellanine | kidney  | Coniferous woodland
Northern Europe  |  |
Cortinarius rubellus
Cooke | deadly webcap  | orellanine | kidney  | Coniferous woodland
Northern Europe  |  |
Cortinarius eartoxicus
Gasparini | deadly webcap  | orellanine | kidney  | Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania  |  |
Galerina marginata
(Batsch) Kühner | autumn skullcap  | amanitins | liver  | worldwide  | Kuehneromyces mutabilis

Galerina sulciceps
(Batsch) Kühner | toadstool  | amanitins | liver  | Indonesia  |  |
Gyromitra esculenta
(Pers. ex Pers.) Fr. | false morel  | gyromitrin and monomethylhydrazine | multiple (depletes PLP stores)  | Coniferous woodlands in the Northern hemisphere | Morchella spp.  |
Inosperma erubescens
(A. Blytt) Matheny & Esteve-Rav. | red-staining inocybe
(prev. I. patouillardii)  | muscarine | CNS  | Deciduous woodland (beech)
Europe  | Calocybe gambosa,
Agaricus spp.,
Cortinarius caperatus[4] |
Lepiota brunneoincarnata
Chodat & C. Martín | deadly dapperling  | amanitins | liver  | Coniferous woodland
Europe  | Tricholoma terreum, Marasmius oreades |
Lepiota brunneolilacea
Bon & Boiffard | star dapperling  | amanitins | liver  | Sand dunes of Western Europe  |  |
Lepiota castanea
Quél | chestnut dapperling  | amanitins | liver  | Coniferous woodland
Europe  |  |
Lepiota helveola
Bres. |  | amanitins | liver  | Coniferous woodlands of Europe  |  |
Lepiota subincarnata
| deadly parasol  | amanitins | liver  | Asia, Europe, and North America  |  |
Trichoderma cornu-damae | poison fire coral  | satratoxin-H (a ribosome inactivating small molecule)  | bone marrow, brain and skin  | Japan, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Australia | Ganoderma |
Paxillus involutus
(Batsch ex Fr.) Fr. | brown roll-rim  | unknown, possibly glycoprotein antigen | extreme autoimmune reaction with hemolysis | Europe and North America  |  |
Trogia venenata
Zhu L.Yang, Y.C.Li & L.P.Tang | Little White  | (2S,4R)‐2‐amino‐4‐hydroxyhex‐5‐ynoic acid [5] | Causes cardiac arrhythmia and hypoglycemia (Yunnan Sudden Death Syndrome)  | Yunnan, China | white Pleurotus |

## Fungi where isolated deaths have been reported

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Scientific name  | Common name  | Active Agent  | Toxicity  | Habitat  | Similar edible species  | Picture

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Amanita muscaria | Fly agaric  | Muscimol  | CNS  | Northern hemisphere, coniferous and deciduous woodland  | Lycoperdon spp.

Calvatia spp.

Amanita caesarea

Rubroboletus pulcherrimus
Fr. | Red-pored bolete  | unknown  | severe gastrointestinal  | Woodland
Western North America  | Boletus edulis
Neoboletus luridiformis |
Entoloma sinuatum
(Bull.) P. Kumm. | Livid pinkgill  | unknown  | severe gastrointestinal  | Deciduous woodland
North America, Europe  | Clitopilus prunulus
Calocybe gambosa
Entoloma abortivum |
Hypholoma fasciculare
(Huds.:Fr.) P. Kumm. | sulfur tuft  | Fasciculol F and E  | severe gastrointestinal  | Woodland
Western North America  | Armillaria mellea
Hypholoma capnoides |
Lactarius torminosus
(Schaeff.) Gray | woolly milk-cap  | unknown  | severe gastrointestinal  | Woodland
Northern Europe  | Lactarius deliciosus

Omphalotus illudens
(Schwein.) Bresinsky & Besl | jack-o'lantern mushroom  | Illudins M and S, Muscarine | severe cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea  | North America  | Cantharellus californicus |
Omphalotus japonicus
(Kawam.) Kirchm. & O.K.Mill. (2002) | jack-o'lantern mushroom  | Illudins M and S, Muscarine | severe cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea  | Japan  | Pleurotus ostreatus
Lentinula edodes
Panellus serotinus |
Pleurocybella porrigens | Angel Wings  | Pleurocybellaziridine[6] | neurotoxic  | Woodland (various)
North America, Europe and Asia  | Pleurotus pulmonarius |
Russula subnigricans
Hongo | Nisekurohatsu  | cycloprop-2-ene carboxylic acid | rhabdomyolysis | worldwide  |  |
Tricholoma equestre
(L.) P. Kumm. | yellow knight, man-on-horseback  | possibly cycloprop-2-ene carboxylic acid?  | rhabdomyolysis | worldwide  |  |

## See also

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* List of poisonous fungus species
* Mycotoxicology

## Footnotes

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1. ^ Yang Z, Li T (2001). "Notes on three white Amanitae of section Phalloideae (Amanitaceae) from China". Mycotaxon. 78: 439–48. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
2. ^ Hu J, Chen ZH, Zhang ZG, Zhang P (2003). "Analysis of the main amatoxins and phallotoxins in Amanita exitialis, a new species in China". Weishengwu Xuebao. 43 (5): 642–46. ISSN 0001-6209. PMID 16281563.
3. ^ Logemann H, Argueta J, Guzmán G, Montoya Bello L, Bandala Munoz VM, De Leon Chocooj R (1987). "A deadly poisoning by mushrooms in Guatemala". Revista Mexicana de Micologia (in Spanish). 3: 211–16. ISSN 0187-3180.
4. ^ Zeitlmayr L. (1976). Wild Mushrooms:An Illustrated Handbook. Hertfordshire: Garden City Press. p. 77\. ISBN 0-584-10324-7.
5. ^ Zhou, Z. Y.; Shi, G. Q.; Fontaine, R.; Wei, K.; Feng, T.; Wang, F.; Wang, G. Q.; Qu, Y.; Li, Z. H.; Dong, Z. J.; Zhu, H. J.; Yang, Z. L.; Zeng, G.; Liu, J. K. (2012). "Evidence for the Natural Toxins from the Mushroom Trogia venenata as a Cause of Sudden Unexpected Death in Yunnan Province, China". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 51 (10): 2368–2370. doi:10.1002/anie.201106502. PMID 22287497.
6. ^ Wakimoto T, Asakawa T, Akahoshi S, Suzuki T, Nagai K, Kawagishi H, Kan T (2011). "Proof of the existence of an unstable amino acid: pleurocybellaziridine in Pleurocybella porrigens". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 50 (5): 1168–1170. doi:10.1002/anie.201004646. PMID 21268219.