John sighted these and dragged me down to the river at Struan Farm, knowing a good blog photo op when he sees one!
We have seen these colonies of bright red toadstools under the pines at Struan Farm in previous years, although we never know when they're going to pop up. I have since learned that they are Amanita muscaria, a non-native species of fungus introduced to the Southern Hemisphere with pine plantations. Apparently they grow where pines do, are "symbiont."
While generally considered poisonous (and they look it, don't they?), I've read that in certain cultures they are parboiled and ingested for their hallucinogenic properties. John and I have decided not to test this out either way. Yes, despite having read Carlos Castaneda's The Teachings of Don Juan!
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