Ten people had been admitted to the No. 12 People's Hospital in Guangzhou after eating poisonous mushrooms since March 21, the New Express reported Sunday.

Six were still in critical conditions, the report said.

They were poisoned by a mushroom locals call the "white toxic umbrella" because of their appearance.

The "white toxic umbrella" usually grows in March, April, August and September, experts said.

More "white toxic umbrellas" were found this year. "Once we found more than five kilograms of the toxic mushroom under a tree," said Li Taihui, one of the experts. Only 100 grams of the toxic mushrooms could cause death as China did not have a particular medicine to counteract the toxin, experts said.

They warned the public to be aware of eating wild fungi, particularly during the humid weather in April and May when heavy rains can result in a proliferation of wild mushrooms.

It was very hard for people to distinguish toxic wild mushrooms from edible varieties without tests. The only way to avoid mushroom poisoning was not to eat wild mushrooms, experts said.

Windy Shao
Editor: Catherine