Other poisonous mushrooms found in New England are the Death Cup, _Amanita phalloides_; jack-o’-lantern, _Clitocybe illudens_; Shaggy mane, _Coprinus comatus_; and the _Boletus_ and _Russula_ species. There are many others. Perhaps the best precaution is to avoid eating any mushroom not certified by an expert to be edible. =Poisonous Parts=: All portions are poisonous. The chief toxic principle is an alkaloid, =muscarine=. Amanita poisoning is characterized by intense sweating, salivation, wheezing, irregular breathing and heart beat. If not treated promptly, it =can be fatal= within an hour depending upon quantities consumed. =Antidote=: Call your doctor. Have patient vomit. Physicians perform gastric lavage and treat for =muscarine= alkaloid poisoning or excessive muscarinic stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, also dehydration. Atropine and other similar drugs counteract the effects of =muscarine=. BANEBERRY [Illustration: Baneberry, snakeberry _Actaea rubra and Actaea alba--RANUNCULACEAE_] =Description=: The red and white baneberries are perennial herbs found in woodlands and occasionally as showy plants in gardens. Leaves are large on many branches and resemble those of the wildcurrant. The small flowers are white in spring. Plants generally grow about 1 to 2 feet in height. The attractive parts are the red or white berries which develop during summer and early autumn. They are in clusters on terminal flower stalks, each on a conspicuous short fleshy pedicel. Children have been poisoned by eating the berries. =Poisonous Parts=: The root stock, sap, and berries. These produce marked irritation of the stomach and intestines causing nausea and violent purgation. If absorbed, the acrid principles can affect the heart, increase the pulse rate, and cause dizziness. Fatalities have been reported. =Antidote=: Call your doctor. Have patient vomit. Physicians perform gastric lavage and treat gastric inflammation and circulatory failure. BITTERSWEET [Illustration: European bittersweet, blue nightshade, woody nightshade _Solanum dulcamara--SOLANACEAE_] =Description=: A woody climbing or reclining herb with slender stems and dark green pointed leaves which may be purplish-green when young. Clusters of white or purplish-white flowers borne on a 5-pointed, wheel-shaped base (calyx). During summer and early fall, fruits become attractive berries, bright red to scarlet, and are scattered in clusters. They remain when leaves fall. This weed is found in numerous areas, such as on dumps, along fence walls, and generally in moist, rich soil conditions. It is a common weed in many gardens, near dwellings or in fields, and is related to the black and deadly nightshades. NOTE. The black nightshade, American bittersweet or poison berry (_Solarium nigrum-SOLANACEAE_) closely resembles the European bittersweet, excepting the berries which are purple or black. It contains the same poisonous principles.