Amanita Muscaria the Truth Behind the Fairy Tale

Amanita Muscaria: The Truth Behind The Fairy Tale

BIO 101

Amanita Muscaria: The Truth Behind The Fairy Tale

Deep in the Pacific North West forest, there is a magical mushroom. One that has helped influence many types of people and even helped create mystical pictures. It is often illustrated with unicorns, pixies, and the occasional frog. They are also very frequently mentioned in many fairy tales that so many children grow up on. This enchanting mushroom is called the Amanita muscaria by mycologists; everyone else refers to it as Fly Agaric, Beni Tengutake, or simply the Fairy Mushroom (Erowid & Erowid, 2012).

The Amanita muscaria is a large and conspicuous mushroom that usually grows in groups. The caps are generally bright red or...