SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — A recent post in an online forum claimed a user had found one of the world’s deadliest mushrooms in various parts of Salt Lake City.
Specifically, the user said they had found a mushroom commonly called a destroying angel — and Bryn Dentinger, an associate professor in the plant biology department at the University of Utah , told ABC4.com that a destroying angel is one of the deadliest types of mushrooms in the world.
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So, should Utahns be worried about finding a deadly mushroom in their yard or around Utah cities? Dentinger said no.
“At the moment, there is no record of destroying angels in Utah,” Dentinger said.
Dentinger said the user who posted about the mushroom incorrectly identified the mushroom as a destroying angel — what the user found was actually a mushroom more commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling .
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An image of Leucoagaricus leucothites (commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling). The mushroom has visual similarities to a toxic mushroom, but white dapperlings are not toxic. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) -
An image of Amanita virosa (commonly known as a destroying angel). The mushroom has visual similarities to a benign mushroom, but destroying angels are among the deadliest mushrooms in the world. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) -
An image of Leucoagaricus leucothites (commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling). The mushroom has visual similarities to a toxic mushroom, but white dapperlings are not toxic. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) -
An image of Amanita virosa (commonly known as a destroying angel). The mushroom has visual similarities to a benign mushroom, but destroying angels are among the deadliest mushrooms in the world. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger)
