Don’t pick poison

The rainy season is here, so you’re likely to see mushrooms poking up all over the place, especially if you travel to coastal areas. But be wary: Contrary to popular myth, poisonous mushrooms aren’t always brightly colored. In fact, they typically look like most edible varieties, according to California Poison Control System (CPCS), which recently released a warning against picking and eating wild mushrooms. Last winter’s heavy rains produced a bumper crop of Amanita phalloides—aka “death cap” mushrooms—and an increase in human poisonings reported to the CPCS. In a statement, Dr. Craig Smollin, medical director at CPCS for the San Francisco area, said, “No matter how experienced one is at mushroom identification, there is always a risk in eating wild mushrooms,” adding that buying cultivated mushrooms from a grocery store or farmers’ market is your best bet.

Untreated poisoning can lead to liver damage or death. Symptoms typically develop six to 12 hours after ingestion and include:

• abdominal pain

• cramping

• vomiting

• diarrhea