Amanita crenulata

The editors of this site owe a great debt to Dr. Cornelis Bas whose famous cigar box files of Amanita nomenclatural information gathered over three or more decades were made available to RET for computerization and make up the lion's share of the nomenclatural information presented on this site.

George E. Morris, from frontispiece plate in (A. P. Morse 1918).

BASIDIOSPORES of A. crenulata lectotype (portions in NYS and CUP-A): [105/6/1] (7.2-) 7.5 - 10.5 (-12.8) × (5.8-) 6.0 - 8.5 (-9.8) µm, (L = 8.3 - 9.2 µm; L’ = 8.8 µm; W = 6.8 - 7.8 µm; W’ = 7.3 µm; Q = (1.05-) 1.07 - 1.33 (-1.46); Q = 1.15 - 1.25; average Q’ = 1.20), nonamyloid, thin-walled, smooth, hyaline, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, less often globose or ellipsoid; apiculus sublateral, cylindrical to truncate conic, up to 2.5 µm broad at base; contents guttulate. Collection 9-14-86-A consists of one basidiome dried very close to the start of sporulation. As is often the case in Amanita, the spores of such material are abnormal including a giant spore (14.0 × 12.8 µm).

BASIDIOSPORES measured from sporeprints: [185/9/?] (7.0-) 7.7 - 9.8 (-11.0) × (5.9-) 6.6 - 9.0 (-10.5) µm (L = 8.0 - 9.4 µm; L’ = 8.6 µm; W = 6.9 - 8.5 µm; W’ = 7.6 µm; Q = (1.0-) 1.07 - 1.24 (-1.51); Q = 1.06 - 1.19; Q’ = 1.14).

Buck (1965) reported on the case of an obese man from Lunenberg, Massachusetts, who, after tasting two of his mushrooms raw, boiled up the remainder which made “a large dish full.”  About an hour earlier he had drunk 3 ounces of whiskey in highballs.  After his meal he slept for two hours awakening with nausea, vomiting, salivation, diarrhea, blurred vision, and seeing flashes of blue light.  He lost consciousness and was admitted to a hospital about five hours after ingestion.  On admission, he exhibited a pulse of 84, hypotension, pupils dilated to 7 mm and reactive to light, and muscular twitching.  His heart, lungs, and abdomen were adjudged normal.  Gastric lavage was performed.  Within one hour of admission, systolic blood pressure had fallen to 95 mm of mercury.  Exactly one hour after admission he was placed on 5% glucose IV (2000 ml); at this time “the mouth was observed...to contain a large amount of mucus; he was talkative, disoriented and incontinent of urine; and he exhibited muscular twitching.”  His blood pressure had risen somewhat; his pulse was still 84.  I continue with Dr. Buck’s words: “At 3:30 a.m. [four and one quarter hours after admission] he was restless, and the muscular twitching was more marked.  Half an hour later he received atropine sulfate, 1.3 mg (1/50 gr.).  At 6:30 a.m. he was again given 2000 ml of 5% glucose intravenously.  At 7 a.m. spasm of the right arm was noted.  The systolic blood pressure ranged between 170 and 190.

“He improved rapidly, and by 2:30 p.m. he was mentally clear, and physical examination was negative except for some twitching and an equivocal Babinski reflex on the left side.  An electrocardiogram was normal.  His condition was normal by 6 p.m., and on the following day he was discharged.  He complained of weakness for a day or two, and symptoms of distress after meals that were relieved by...[a common antacid] developed.  X-ray study of the gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder was negative, and over a period of 3 or 4 weeks there was gradual improvement.”

On 15 October 1989, I received a call from the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES), Newark, asking for assistance in determining mushrooms involved in a poisoning case.  An unidentified, homeless male of European ancestry weighing approximately 68 kg and 49 years of age had been found unconscious near railroad tracks in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the early evening.  The mushrooms found beside him mixed with pine needles were later identified by me as A. crenulata.  He was brought to Underwood Memorial Hospital by paramedics who correctly identified the mushrooms involved as amanitas of the A. muscaria group.  NJPIES was notified at 9:45 p.m.  When aroused by the paramedics, the man attacked them and the emergency room personnel violently; he was incoherent and very combative.  He was given valium which rendered him unconscious.  At this time he was noted to have diarrhea, chills, and muscle spasms.  There was no salivation or tearing; nor were there notable constrictions of throat muscles although he did gag a few times.  His pupils were reactive, not restricted or dilated. His lungs sounded as if something had been aspirated.  He was hypotensive and hypothermic (body temperature of 35.6° C) when brought in.  The most remarkable phenomenon according to doctors treating him upon admission was profound diaphoresis.  Doctors and nurses interviewed at the time said that they had never seen anyone sweat so continuously and profusely.  (The diaphoresis ceased after four to five hours.)  The NJPIES files indicate he was incontinent of urine.  He was placed on saline IV with fluids warmed to combat hypothermia.  A drug screen found acetone in his body fluids which was later attributed to starvation although ingestion of isopropyl alcohol was considered at first.  Shortly after admission he entered a comatose state described by the attending doctor as a “death-like sleep.”  This lasted for more than half a day.  When he awoke the patient was again combative (reported to NJPIES at 1:30 p.m. on 16 October), slamming his face and legs against the siderails of his bed which were then padded.  Four point restraint was applied.  Sedation by valium was unsuccessful.  Five hours later, the patient was calmer and valium appeared to be working.  At 6:30 a.m. on 17 October, however, the patient was still violently responsive to touch and was again restrained; he exhibited an elevated temperature (37.8° C) throughout the day. On 18 October the need for restraint and sedation continued.  Ventilation, which had been repeatedly considered throughout the episode was again considered, but never used; the patient’s lungs proved clear.  On 19 October the patient was cooperative, but disoriented.  He mouthed what was thought to be a name.  He was unable to grasp a pen.  The case records available to me end here.  The patient fully recovered and is, once more, out of contact with his family.  The evidence from this case indicates that A. crenulata contains poisons similar in action to ibotenic acid/muscimol.

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