Amanita muscaria Fly Agaric

An unmistakable toadstool, well known to most people with its red cap speckled with white veil remnants. The stem has a well developed ring and a prominent, sack-like volva at its swollen base. It is a common woodland species associated mostly with birch but also, frequently, in conifer forests. It is widespread in much of West Glamorgan, particularly in the acidic woodland and forests of Neath Port Talbot, but less so in Gower and rarely found in the limestone woodlands there. The fruiting bodies are notoriously poisonous containing a number of isoxazole alkaloids, particularly ibotenic acid and  muscimol (a decarboxylated derivitive of ibotenic acid) which are psychoactuve compounds that are structuraly similar to the natural neurotransmitter, gamma-aminobutyric acid. As a result, they stimulate the glutamate receptors in the central nervous system. Unlike the main toxins found in Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), these alkaloids are absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream and symptoms become evident soon after ingestion. People who ingest it often suffer from hallucinations and other alarming symptoms.