'Laughing Jim'
(gymnopilus spectabilis) and
Amanita virosa (inset). Photos by Elio Schaechter

WHO IS LAUGHING JIM?

"One of the challenges of consulting for the Boston Poison Center was getting an accurate description from nervous callers...For instance, I got a fair number of calls regarding the hallucinogenic mushroom called 'Laughing Jim' (gymnopilus spectabilis)--which, as you might expect, induces laughter in some people. It is confused by the unwary with the edible honey mushroom, apparently because both are a light shade of brown and grow in clumps at the base of trees. It happens, however, that G. spectabilis has the unique property of turning green on cooking, an extraordinarily handy characteristic for identification via telephone..."

"I remember one 'spectabilis' call that got the better of me. ..The caller was an elderly lady, who, it turned out, was on a 'high.' In the midst of giggles, she lost no time in coming to the point and wanted to know if she and her guests were about to die...With some effort, I did extract from her the information that she had served a rich pasta dish containing a few mushrooms she had picked off a tree that afternoon. Sure enough, the mushrooms had turned green on cooking. I couldn't get much more out of her because, amidst much tittering, she became quite impatient with me. When I suggested that she was probably not in real danger but should see a doctor anyway, she said: 'You mean, we are not going to die [giggle, giggle]? Good-bye, then!'"

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CAUTION: This book (and this online feature) is not intended as a recipe book or an identification guide. There are risks involved in consuming wild mushrooms. To minimize them you must obtain positive identification of each specimen. Even with proper identification, the possibility exists that the consumer may be allergic to a mushroom, or that the mushroom may in some way be anomalous. The author has been conscientious in his efforts to alert the reader to potential hazards of consuming wild mushrooms, but the reader must accept full responsibility for deciding to consume any particular specimen. Descriptions of medicinal uses of mushrooms given in this book (and on this online feature) are for educational purposes only. The author is not recommending the use of mushrooms for self-medication. Always consults a physician about such use.