Amanita phalloides is a poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Widely distributed across Europe, A. phalloides associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. Adaptations have expanded its range outside of Europe after it was accidentally introduced alongside oak, chestnut, and pine. The large fruiting bodies (i.e. the mushrooms) appear in summer and autumn; the caps are generally greenish in colour, with a white stipe and gills. Unfortunately, these toxic mushrooms resemble several edible species commonly consumed by humans, increasing the risk of accidental poisoning. A. phalloides is one of the most poisonous of all known toadstools. It has been involved in the majority of human deaths from mushroom poisoning, including the Roman Emperor Claudius and Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. It has been the subject of much research and many of its biologically active agents have been isolated. The principal toxic constituent is α-amanitin, which damages the liver and kidneys, often fatally. No antidote is known.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

533: Belisarius and his legions defeated Gelimer and the Vandals at the Battle of Ad Decimum near Carthage, and began the "Reconquest of the West" under Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ad_Decimum)

1814: War of 1812: The bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," which later became the national anthem of the United States. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Baltimore)

1956: IBM unveiled the 305 RAMAC (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control), the first commercial computer that used magnetic disk storage. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_305_RAMAC)

1987: Goiânia accident: A radioactive item was stolen from an abandoned hospital in Goiânia, Brazil, contaminating hundreds of people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident)

1993: After rounds of secret negotiations in Norway, PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (pictured with U.S. President Bill Clinton) formally signed the Oslo Peace Accords. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Accords)

_____________________ Wiktionary's Word of the day:

fermata: (music): A notation to hold a note for longer than its usual duration, until the conductor cuts it off. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fermata)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

Worldly renown is naught but a breath of wind, which now comes this way and now comes that, and changes name because it changes quarter. -- Dante Alighieri (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dante_Alighieri)