DEADLY fungus is spreading in Britain amid a torrent of wet weather. Death Cap mushrooms, dubbed "silent assassins" by the Woodland Trust, are popping up across the country, thriving in the gloomy conditions following floods and thunderstorms. The poisonous fungus grows up to 15cm across and 15cm tall, with a domed or white cap and an off-white stem.
"Although it looks fairly inoffensive and similar to a number of edible mushrooms, it is deadly poisonous," the Woodland Trust warns. Now a surge in fungi growth is being reported across Britain amid growing fears over the Death Cap mushrooms, according to the Daily Star . The mushroom is fairly common in most parts of Britain, Ireland and mainland Europe , and is often found under oak and beech.
Read more Health Death Caps contain the poison amanitin and are responsible for 90% of deaths by fungus. Half a cap or even less is enough to kill a person. Three people in Jersey - including a mum and son - were poisoned on September 15 after eating death cap mushrooms.
They mistook the deadly fungus for edible mushrooms. Most read in Health Fungi expert Charlotte Shenkin told the BBC : "It’s essential to be aware of the real and potentially deadly risks of eating wild fungi without knowledge and caution." Toadstools are now thriving in the soggy conditions following days of wet weather.
Andy Overall, who write about fungi, posted on X: “I’ve never seen so many mushrooms in East Sussex, as fungi responds to the rain and relatively.