Skip to main content
European Destroying Angel, Destroying Angel
Amanita virosa, the European destroying angel, is a pure white, deadly Amanita of Europe and northern Asia. The cap is conical at first and often keeps a central boss, and the stem bears a hanging ring and a white sac-like volva. The name was formerly applied to North American destroying angels, which are now recognized as distinct species.
Deadly poisonous. Contains amatoxins (chiefly α-amanitin) that inhibit RNA polymerase II and destroy the liver; one cap can kill an adult. Symptoms appear hours after eating and liver failure follows. Seek emergency hospital care immediately if ingestion is suspected. It has been eaten in mistake for the field mushroom (Agaricus campestris), which has pink to brown gills and no volva.
This page grows with the community. Here is what it is still missing:
Join WeMush to log cultivation data, discover strains, and connect with fellow growers.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
