Magical Mushrooms

Here are some wonderful Alice in Wonderland-like mushrooms that I saw at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. I was so excited by them that I forgot to find out what they're actually called.

Comments

[Dragan]

They're probably some type of Amanita: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita

[Rvnsng]

Appears to be Amanita Muscaria. Frequently portrayed in Fairy tale artwork, not just "Alice."

[Sagredo]

It is said that Amanita muscaria are psychedelic, but that one must detoxify them first through parboiling, drying, pickling, or simply drinking the urine of someone else who has eaten them.

[cynthia thornton]

The common name is Fly Agaric, once used to poison flies when mixed with milk.

[herman pronounced angus]

That is wild... they look like something that was photoshop'd in.

[Dante's Heart]

Those are so beautiful and strange! They do look like they would magick you into either gianthood or sudden smallness. It is exciting reading the comments here, as well - they just add layers to the magic. Mushrooms used to poison flies when mixed with milk? That belongs in a novel somewhere. A good novel.

[William Lexie]

Ahh yeah , neat find , I am currently working up a new art work of faerie tale land , that has 'srooms ' in it , didn't fully color it yet so now I have some inspiration ..................
Lo , beneath bush overgrown
and dead branches tossed and thrown
for what first I thought to be children's toys
left forgotten by young girls and boys
was really a faerie kingdom newly built
finely designed with patterns liken a quilt
bejeweled in a glory to behold
with colours beguiling bright and bold ...........................WJL