They’re everywhere.
The autumn rains fall, and fungi explode from the ground.
If you’ve got a good eye (and look down) you’ll start to notice them everywhere.
Some people see a mushroom and their first thought is “can I eat it?”
I used to belong to a mushroom group on Facebook that was a constant stream of blurry photos and the person posting asking for help with an ID and wondering if it was edible.
Every mushroom is edible - once.
Many of them would just as soon kill you if you’re not careful.
It’s best not to just go stuffing them in your mouth to try them out without being absolutely certain which variety they are. It’s not a quick learning curve, either. If you want to know about fungi, you’ve got to put the time in. Here’s Nolan checking out a mushroom he found on a camping trip in 2011, without asking the hordes of online geniuses.
Surely it can’t be that difficult to tell the difference between edible and poisonous mushrooms? Just ask the family of author Nicholas Evans, who he nearly killed with misidentified wild mushrooms - three of them ended up needing new kidneys.
Let’s take a look at some of the mushrooms that are found here in the Pacific Northwest. Today I attended the Snohomish County Mycological Society annual mushroom show and saw a wide variety of fungi gathered int he area in the last few days. It was also a great opportunity to try out my new iPhone camera…
Here’s an obvious one to avoid - Amanita muscaria (no spellcheck, I don’t mean mascara). Also known as fly agaric, this mushroom is easily identifiable and well known as one that shouldn’t be eaten. People do consume them for their hallucinogenic properties or eat them after cooking but it’s generally not recommended. You’ll probably not feel very good if you try one. Several varieties of amanitas are deadly poisonous, including Amanita phalloides (Death Cap) and Amanita virosa (Destroying Angel). Those common names are a sure giveaway.
Here are some that are edible! With a name like Lactarius deliciosus… they’re also knows as Saffron Milk Caps, and apparently are tasty if cooked right. They have a rather distinct look, I suppose.
Clitocybe nudas, or Blewits are known as choice edibles.
How about our friends the Russulas? Some are edible, some are not. Some used to be poisonous, but apparently now you may proceed with caution.
Hmmm… one of those Russula crassotunicatas looks kind of like a Lactaius deliciosus. Kind of.
Ahhhh, the good old Russula brevipes. Mediocre in looks and edibility. These may be more distinct for their size rather than any other discerning features.
Oh - here’s another big one! The Clitocybe nebularis.
I can’t quite read what that says, let’s take a closer look.
Does anybody like skunk?
Perhaps the taste of cedar pencils is more enticing. If so, the Cortinarius violaceus is for you! I’d love to come across these in the wild, just to see those purple caps amid the moss.
How are you doing? Are you confused, or do you think you could stride into the forest and forage a feast?
Let’s take a look at puffballs…
People love to eat puffballs, and the Lycoperdon perlatum looks great (if you like to eat puffballs).
What’s this? A sort of puffball that’s poisonous? They don’t look too much alike, do they?
They do. Not so much like the common puffball, but an awful lot like the Lycoperdon pyriforme.
By now you can probably see that mushroom identification isn’t an easy endeavor. Some people are really into foraging wild mushrooms and enjoy eating their finds. Personally, I think I’ll stick with store-bought and keep my kidneys intact. I do love looking at all the strange and wonderful varieties of fungus that grow in the forests and lawns around us, and am slowly learning their names. Visiting a mushroom show is a great way to see numerous varieties in one spot.
Even experienced mycologists are confused sometimes…
And it’s no wonder. One look at this identification key shows just how complicated the task of proper identification is.
Keep your eyes peeled for our little fungi friends while you’re out and about! But please, don’t eat them unless you’re absolutely positively positive it’s okay.
Tidbits
Keeping this short this week - I’ve been really busy and it’s getting late!
Burke Herbarium - Macrofungi image collection
Making: Still having fun with AInktober! Here’s “mother in disguise.”
Recently eaten: we ate at Hattie’s Hat in Ballard before the Chameleons Vox show. Yummy burgers! They gave me a different drink than the one I ordered, but it was still good!
Reading: I’m working on Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith and The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt. Making/taking more time to read.
Videos of the week
If every fungus spore became a full grown mushroom, we’d be completely inundated… best not to think about that too hard.
Friday night we went to see Chameleons Vox. I have not been to a show for a long time where the audience was so joyously, emotionally engaged. It was a wonderful experience. Michael got to see his old friend Mark, who he used to hang around with (along with the rest of the band) nearly 40 years ago. It was a great night all around.
Hard to pick a favorite, but this one may be mine…
Question of the Week
If you feel like answering the question (or to just say hello), hit reply to this email. Answers will be shared next week - always anonymous.
What candy is your weakness?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week I asked what you’re afraid of.
Jail.
Terminal Illness.
Not much else.
Current Temperature: 48.2 F (9.0 C)
Current Humidity: 99%
Wind (max gust): 17.2 mph
Precipitation: 0.08 in
Number of Subscribers: 116