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Death cap (Amanita phalloides)
Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0
Deadly poisonous

Death cap

Amanita phalloides · Amanitaceae

The death cap is the most poisonous mushroom known, responsible for most mushroom deaths worldwide and around 90% of fatal mushroom poisonings in Turkey.

FamilyAmanitaceae
SeasonJul–Nov
Spore printWhite
Cap width5–15 cm
Records in Turkey31 records
CultivationWild only
StatusDeadly poisonous

The death cap is the most poisonous mushroom known, responsible for most mushroom deaths worldwide and around 90% of fatal mushroom poisonings in Turkey. Its toxins (amatoxins) survive cooking, drying and freezing. Half a cap can kill an adult. In November 1994 it killed more than 20 people in Istanbul.

Also called: deathcap, death cup Turkish: Ölüm mantarı, köygöçüren, evcikkıran, ölüm meleği

Death cap

How to recognise it

Death cap, part by part

Spore print: White Faint and honey-sweet at first, becoming sickly-sweet and foul with age. Never taste it.

Cap — Death cap
Cap5–15 cm; hemispherical, then flat. Pale green, yellow-green, olive or bronze; rarely pure white. Paler towards the edge, often with fine dark streaks; sticky when wet and easily peeled (peeling is NOT a safety test).
Gills — Death cap
GillsGills white and free from the stem; stay white with age.
Stem — Death cap
StemWhite, often with faint cap-coloured streaks; bulbous at the base.
Ring — Death cap
RingA hanging, skirt-like white ring high on the stem (may fall off later).
Volva — the cup at the base — Death cap
Volva — the cup at the baseYES: a white, sack-like cup at the stem base, often buried in soil. You only see it if you dig the base out instead of cutting — the single most important sign.

When and where

Jul–Nov

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Julin season
  8. Augin season
  9. Sepin season
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Dec

The death cap is common in woods in early summer and autumn, fruiting from July to November in Europe. In Turkey, GBIF records peak in August and October–November.

Where do death caps grow?

The death cap grows with broadleaf trees, most often under oak but also beech, chestnut, horse chestnut, birch, hazel and hornbeam, and sometimes pine and spruce. It is native to Europe and has spread to other continents with planted trees.

In Turkey

The death cap can turn up in woodland anywhere in Turkey; GBIF records are densest in Artvin, Istanbul and Yalova.

  • İstanbul15
  • Kocaeli3
  • Kırklareli3
  • Bolu2
  • Trabzon2
  • Osmaniye1
  • İzmir1
  • Kastamonu1

31 observations on our map (GBIF, iNaturalist). Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest death cap observations

See on the map

In its habitat — Death cap
In its habitat
In its habitat — Death cap
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What is it mistaken for?

Death cap
Death cap
Button mushroom
Button mushroom
Edible species

Button mushroom Agaricus bisporus

Agaricus gills turn pink then brown and there is no volva; death cap gills are always white. Unopened young caps hide the gills — that is where the danger lies.

Edible species

Paddy straw mushroom Volvariella volvacea

Also has a volva, but no ring. This resemblance is one of the main causes of deaths.

Edible species

Green brittlegill Russula virescens

Green Russulas have chalk-brittle flesh and neither ring nor volva.

Poisonous

Yellow knight Tricholoma equestre

Once thought edible, now known to be toxic (muscle damage after repeated meals). No ring or volva.

Inedible

False deathcap Amanita citrina

Cream patches on the cap and a rimmed bulb instead of an open sack; smells of raw potato.

Toxins

The death cap's active toxins are amatoxins (chiefly α-amanitin, which blocks RNA polymerase II) and phallotoxins (phalloidin). These toxins are heat-stable. Source

Frequently asked questions

Are death caps poisonous?

Yes, the death cap is deadly poisonous and must never be eaten. Symptoms start around 8–12 hours later with stomach pain, vomiting and watery diarrhoea, followed by a deceptive recovery of up to three days while the liver and kidneys keep failing. If you think someone has eaten it, call 112 at once (Turkish poison centre: 114) without waiting for symptoms, and bring any leftover mushroom.

When is death cap season in Turkey?

In our calendar, death cap season runs Jul–Nov. The death cap is common in woods in early summer and autumn, fruiting from July to November in Europe. In Turkey, GBIF records peak in August and October–November.

Where do death caps grow?

The death cap grows with broadleaf trees, most often under oak but also beech, chestnut, horse chestnut, birch, hazel and hornbeam, and sometimes pine and spruce. It is native to Europe and has spread to other continents with planted trees.

Where are death caps found in Turkey?

The death cap can turn up in woodland anywhere in Turkey; GBIF records are densest in Artvin, Istanbul and Yalova.

What can the death cap be confused with?

The death cap can be confused with button and field mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus, edible species), paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea, edible species), green brittlegill (Russula virescens, edible species), yellow knight (Tricholoma equestre, poisonous) and false deathcap (Amanita citrina, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is the death cap called in Turkish?

In Turkish, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) is called Ölüm mantarı; other local names include köygöçüren, evcikkıran and ölüm meleği.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources (7)
Photo credits (10)