Template:POTD/2010-07-09
A mature specimen of the poisonous Amanita muscaria mushroom. Native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, it has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere and is now a true cosmopolitan species. It is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. Its specific name comes from the Latin musca, meaning "fly", as it was known to be an insecticide when crushed in milk. The mushroom is edible after neutralizing the toxins by parboiling, but Amanita muscaria is now primarily famed for its hallucinogenic properties.Photo: Noodle snacks