Vorarlberg mushroom expert finds 26-centimetre fly agaric

A mushroom expert in Vorarlberg has found a fly agaric with a cap measuring 26 centimetres across, which may be the largest ever discovered in the Austrian state. ORF reports that Uschi Österle, chair of the Vorarlberg Mycological Association, found it last week while out exploring with a fellow mushroom enthusiast.

Österle said they measured the mushroom on the spot with a small tape measure. She had never seen a fly agaric wider than 20 centimetres, a size she already considers exceptional.

The mushroom was measured, mapped and photographed for documentation. Österle has known the spot for years, but said a specimen of this size was highly unusual. Weather, the surrounding environment and soil conditions all need to align for such growth, she said.

The exact location is being kept secret because fly agarics can indicate where porcini mushrooms grow. The association wants to avoid triggering a rush of mushroom pickers to the spot.

Despite a hot, dry summer, the mushroom season has produced many finds, particularly at elevations around 1,000 metres. Österle described the season as uneven and said the main season has been shifting further into autumn in recent years.

Reference books generally give a maximum cap diameter of 20 centimetres for the fly agaric, Amanita muscaria. One description by the Natural History Society of Nuremberg gives a range of about five to 25 centimetres, placing Österle’s find above the cited upper limits. The species is poisonous and can cause confusion, speech problems, unsteady walking and severe restlessness.