EDIBLE MUSHROOMS & POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES | FUNGIKINGDOM.net FUNGIPHOTOS.net

Read a good field guide, but don’t base your identification on apparently positive comparison with a photo of a mushroom. 062-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Saprobic on hardwood& conifers. Brown cap. Rusty-brown s.p. Smallish. Fragile ring. Can be found throughout the year, but more prevalent in autumn. Same toxin in Destroying Angels, A. virosa, A. bisporigera, A. ocreata, A. verna a-amanitin. Destroys liver cells. Symptoms the same. 061-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Velvet stem. Fruits all year. Pale, long-stemmed Inoki mushoom is cultivated form. Galerina marginata has white s.p Wickipedia says In Europe this mushroom is inedible, but it is eaten in the U.S. and Japan. It is apparently rarer than H. capnoides (edible) and H. fasiculare (inedible), though it is fairly common here in the fall. In 1993 cultures of Flammulina velutipes were flown on the Space Shuttle Columbia in order to determine how the mushrooms would handle low gravity. Like many wood-inhabiting mushrooms, Flammulina velutipes typically bends its stem near the base, then grows straight up, resulting in a cap that is more or less parallel to the ground--presumably so that spores will fall easily from the gills. Aboard the space shuttle, however, the mushrooms got confused, growing out of a simulated tree trunk at all angles. They lost their balance. 060-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Puffballs are undifferentiated inside. Amanitas show the whole mushroom. Deadly ‘Destroying Angel,’ is the most poisonous of our native eastern Amanitas and accounts for 90% of the deaths by wild mushrooms. It contains cyclopeptides that destroy the liver. There are two equally poisonous and virtually indistinguishable amanitas, Amanita verna and Amanita bisporigera. It is found June through October under hardwoods. The toxin is a protein by the name of alpha amanitin, a cyclopedtide which works by slowly attacking an enzyme in the liver. Both the liver and the kidneys are ultimately affected about 6 to 24 hours after consumption. Symptoms include violent cramps and diarrhea. There is a false remission of symptoms by the third day. On the 4th and 5th day the liver and kidneys continue to break down. Death follows unless a liver transplant can be performed. The same toxin is in the Autumn Galerina. 059-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Amanita phalloides is commonly called the Death Cap. It is natively a European mushroom which was introduced to the US by at least the 1970‘s with its associated trees. It is now in many continents including Australia, parts of Africa and South America. The caps are greenish-yellow. Gills and veil are white with hints of yellow-green. It smells faintly sweet to cloyingly sickly sweet. The majority of fatalities due to mushroom poisoning are a result of consumption of this mushroom. It apparently looks similar to straw mushrooms and out west is confused with them. One has to eat only half a cap to be threatened with an agonising death. It is believed that Emperor Claudius and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the 6th were deliberately poisoned by the Death Cap. Its toxic ingredient damages the liver and kidneys - usually fatally. One of the only known antidotes is a milk thistle compound. 058-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Scleroderma citrina is packaged in Europe and sold as a substitute for truffles. A small amount eaten raw has been reported to cause muscles to lock up, temporary vision problems and deep sleep. 057-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

The puffballs are members of the artificial group called the gasteromycetes, or stomach fungi. Their spores are contained inside and are released through a tiny hole in the top by means of rain, wind, animals or insects. Other gasteromycetes include the false puffballs (Scleroderma and Pisolithus), stalked puffballs, bird’s nest fungi, earthstars, and stinkhorns. Except perhaps Calostoma, a stalked puffball, none are mycorrhizal. Lyco in Greek means ‘wolf’ Perdon means ‘ to break wind’ therefore a common name is Wolf’s fart. Pyriforme means ‘pear-shaped’ Lycoperdon perlatum grows on the ground, the other on decaying wood. Both are edible when white inside. They shouldn’t be confused with Scleroderma citrina or a death angel button. You also want to be cautious about breathing in large amounts of spores. Several years ago students from Wisconsin were told the spores were hallucinogenic. They inhaled so many that they germinated in their lungs and grew Hyphae. They were given anti-fungal drugs and their respiration returned to normal. 056-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

There is nothing that can be confused with Calvatia gigantea, expect perhaps a soccer ball. Usually found in fields, meadows and deciduous woods. Grow up to 3 or more feet wide within a week. Produces up to 9 trillion spores! Sometimes see them growing in fairy rings. Eaten with butter or olive oil and fried in Panko crumbs like eggplant. It’s sometimes used to make noodleless lasagna. 055-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Both Grifola frondosa and Meripilus sumsteinei grow at the base of trees and cause a white rot. Likely weakly parasitic as well as sabropic. The types of wood destroying fungi encountered by pest management professionals and homeowners fall into two basic categories: brown rot and white rot. White rot attacks the cellulose and lignin in the wood giving the wood an off-white appearance. In the later stages the wood becomes spongy to the touch. White rot typically attacks hardwoods and lacks the cubical checking appearance of brown-rotted wood. Brown rot commonly attacks softwoods turning the wood dark brown. In advanced stages of decay, wood attacked by brown rot becomes friable and splits appear across the grain giving the wood a "checkerboard" appearance. Infested wood may be structurally weakened in a relatively short period of time. Once brown rot has extracted all of the nutrients from the wood the wood may become dry and powdery. This leaves the impression that dry wood has rotted (dry rot) but in reality it is an old infestation of brown rot. G. frondosa, they can appear year after year in the same location. This polypore, however, has larger lobed caps and smaller pores than Grifola frondosa. It stains black on handling. Though often confused with Grifola frondosa, both are choice edibles. Meripilus giganteus is a European species. 054-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Grifola frondosa, or Hen of the Woods, is a choice soft-fleshed polypore. The Japanese call it Maitake. It is Saprobic and s.w. parastic. Hen of the Woods grows often in clusters on particularly oak tree bases. It causes a white butt-rot. Like the oyster mushroom, it can be and is cultivated. It can be confused with two other mushrooms, Meriplilus sumstinei and Polyporus umbellatus. All three are edible. 053-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Hericium coralloides is sometimes also called Hericium ramosum. It is saprobic and possibly somewhat parasitic. Typically found on fallen logs or branches of hardwoods. Hericium erinaceus consists of a single unbranched body. Hericium americanum is more branched than Hericium erinaceus and grows from the woods of living trees and dead hardwoods. The spines are 1 cm of longer, whereas the spines of Hericium coralloides are 1 cm or less. Hericiums are rarely found on conifers. They are now placed in the Russulales. 052-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

The main feature of the tooth fungi are the spines below the cap. The spores are produced there. The majority of tooth fungi are too tough to be edible. The Hydnaceae are now placed within the Order Cantharellales. Like the chanterelles, they are firm mushrooms. They are mycorrhizal with conifers and with hardwoods. White s.p. Hydnum repandum is larger than a similar edible species, Hydnum umbilicatum. 051-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Here is a red-pored bolete that is edible. 050-001

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Red-pored Boletes and Boletus subvelutipes: The cap of this mushroom is often red and as such can be confused by beginners with Boletus bicolor - if you don’t notice that the pores are supposed to be yellow rather than red. There are red-pored boletes that are edible - such as Boletus frostii. And I have heard of mycologists who have eaten the black to dark indigo staining Boletus subvelutipes without any problem, but most books discourage you from eating red-pored boletes like this one. There may be several species that look very similar to B. subvelutipes in the east like Boletus discolor. This species has a fine hairy red tomentum at its base. 049-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Boletus sensibilis is fairly common and looks and smells as if it is delicious. However, some people cannot eat this mushroom others can. I tried it myself last year and found it smelled curry-like, but was otherwise tasteless. The couple who cooked it up for us had been eating it for years without any problems. I had no bad reaction, nor did the other people who ate it. We didn’t eat much though, observing the caution to taste just a small amount one’s first time. I should point out that it is on record that one family got muscarine poisoning from eating B. sensibilis, characterized by constricted pupils, nausea, vomiting and exhaustion. (Michael Beug). It took several days for them to recover. 048-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Boletus bicolor is a red and yellow medium to large bolete. The yellow pore layer is very shallow. The apex of the stem is yellow while the base is colored like the cap. There may be a few different varieties of Boletus bicolor. I’ve heard it said that Boletus bicolor doesn’t stain blue, but the yellow pore surface can stain bright blue. The flesh, however, is slower to stain and when it does it is a comparatively pale blue color. The two-colored bolete appears mainly in summer and is a prized edible. Not everyone can tolerate eating them though and these people may experience stomach upset and diarrhea. It is mycorrhizal with oaks and other hardwoods. 047-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Looks good to eat and is often confused by beginners for Boletus edulis, but this species is extremely bitter. The difference between the two is that Boletus edulis types have a white reticulation and Tylopilus felleus has brown reticulation and like other members of the Tylopilus group - pinkish pores. 046-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

All boletes are mycorrhizal. They usually have a bun-shaped cap. Beneath the cap are pores. Lining the inside of the pores are the spore producing structures. Several boletes are considered choice edibles. Several will not be well-tolerated by your digestive system. Unless you are immune compromised, it is unlikely that any will kill you, although Boletus Huronensis will make you quite ill. The classic edible bolete is Boletus edulis. Boletus edulis is mainly a European and western U.S. mushroom that primarily grows under pines. There are several bolete species that are frequently misnamed Boletus edulis, but nearly all are equally delicious just the same. In the east, most of what we call B. edulis is either Boletus nobilis, B. pinophilus and B. variipes or some other species. They grow under oak. All exhibit some white reticulation on the stem and have roughly the same bun shape cap and swollen base, though the cap color may be pale tan rather than a rich reddish brown. 045-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Called C. fallax in the east, they are genetically the same as C. cornucopioides, despite having a pinkish or yellowish spore print and different size-spores. They have been considered mycorrhizal because of their outdated taxonomic association with chanterelles, but are now thought to be sabrobic, though they may have an association with moss, where they are often found. They grow under both hardwoods and conifers. 044-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500

Main differences between this and the true chanterelles is that this is hollow down the center and has a scaly cap. Both have a ribbed hymenium. Gomphus is larger. Another Gomphus - G. kaufmanii is more brown than orange to orange-red in color. 043-001

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:38:25 -0500