Sir, – Your otherwise entertaining and informative article “The mushroom looks like a classical toadstool from a children’s story” (Weekend, October 12th) contained a concerning inaccuracy and omission. It referred to “the striking and hallucinogenic death cap mushroom”. The death cap (Amanita phalloides) is not hallucinogenic or psychoactive but, as its name implies, it is extremely poisonous and is responsible for most cases of fatal and near-fatal poisonings every year.
Nor is it particularly striking, and it can be confused with harmless mushrooms. Moreover, it is very common in Irish woodlands in autumn and poses a significant danger to casual mushroom foragers who are not familiar with it. – Yours, etc,
Dr TOM HARRINGTON,
Castletroy,
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