The nightmare of inexperienced mushroom hunters everywhere, the Destroying Angel occupies the coveted position of one of the most deadly poisonous mushrooms known to mycologists.

The mushroom gets its common name from its infamously pure white fruiting body. It is equipped with most of the features that a mushroom can have, including a skirt on the stem (annulus) and round cup-like base (volva). The mushroom displays a beautiful white cap, stalk, and gills, and it deposits a white spore print. These white spores can be the crucial factor between life and death for someone who is trying to distinguish a Destroying Angel in its button stage from an edible, brown-spored, white button mushroom.

There are Destroying Angels all over the world, and you’d best not eat any of them. They all have toxins that cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. If left untreated, these toxins can lead to liver and kidney failure, and ultimately death.

There are a number of mushroom species that fall under the name of Destroying Angel. For the sake of brevity, they can all be considered a part of the Amanita genus of mushrooms. Please visit the sites that I have listed for more information and names.

More Info: blog.mycology.cornell.edu