‘Type carefully out there’: Encyclopedia Britannica says that mushroom emoji is a poisonous hallucinogenic

How to spot them?

According to Britannica, fly agaric belongs to the Amanitaceae family of order Agaricales, and is found in forests, pastures, and fields throughout temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Once used as a fly poison, the iconic bright red mushroom with white warts all over and under is pretty hard to miss when you’re searching for an appropriate emoji to send to the group chat.

Fly agaric is often ingested by people seeking a high (Source: Instagram/@fscbiodiversity)

Like all other mushrooms, this one too has white spores and a ring on the stem below the cap. You can generally find fly agarics in forests, wilderness, and pastures in temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Its common name comes from a historical use dating back to the 16th century, when the fungus was crumbled into milk to attract and kill flies. The scientific name also reflects this, incorporating the Latin word musca, meaning “fly”.

Are they really toxic?

If you accidentally consume a fly agaric, it can lead to mushroom poisoning. Generally ingested by children or by those purposefully seeking a hallucinogenic experience, the ill effects begin a few hours after consumption and can continue for up to 12 hours. While death is rare, you can experience weird symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive salivation, perspiration, watering of the eyes, slowed and difficult breathing, dilated pupils, confusion, and excitability, according to Britannica.

The encyclopedia further states that fly agaric is a natural source of bufotenine, a weak hallucinogenic agent derived from toad poison. It blocks serotonin and blood vessels, raising your blood pressure.