[Q] Edible mushroom?

[lemit]

In my back yard, I just found what looks like a Cortinarius caperatus, or "Gypsy mushroom," which is apparently safely edible.

 

I'm an old farm boy, so "mushroom" means Morel. Everything else is a "toadstool" and is, well, I guess in other cultures you'd say "unclean."

 

Does anybody know if there are any poisonous mushrooms I might mistake for the Gypsy mushroom? I'll put this one in the freezer until I'm certain it's safe.

 

I'd love to eat this mushroom I grew myself. We don't get many of them around here on the edge of the desert, so it would be something special, but not something to die for.

 

--lemit

[Moontanman]

Very few mushrooms are actually deadly, most are just inedible due to taste or texture. The few that are deadly are dangerous enough to make you want to be absolutely sure know what you are eating. Many mushrooms will make you sick as in bad intestinal upset, I pick wild mushrooms regularly and have never been poisoned or made sick yet but I limit my self to just a few species i know are edible. Mushrooms that grow out of trees, dead or other wise are not poisonous, at least where I "live" which is another important factor.

 

Cortinarius caperatus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

This mushroom doesn't appear to be a desert type of mushroom......

[lemit]

I live in an old city park neighborhood in a megalopolis between the desert and the mountains. I have to keep crackers tightly sealed to keep them from getting soggy. We had five inches of rain in June--not much for the midwest but almost half of our average annual rainfall.

 

I'm gradually turning my backyard into a forest. I've been hearing tree frogs out there. I hope to find more mushrooms in the future. If I could get morels started . . . .

 

The mushroom I have in the freezer really does look like the Gypsy kind. It should be safe, shouldn't it?

 

--lemit

[Moontanman]

Lemit, i haven't seen the mushroom, i didn't see it growing nor am I familiar with that particular mushroom. If you are not 100% sure, don't eat it....

[lemit]

Good advice. I'll try to find a local expert. If I can't find one, I'll throw the mushroom out.

 

Thanks.

 

--lemit

[enorbet2]

Hope you find one of these just like this

[freeztar]

Based on this from the wiki:

 

The ochre-coloured fruiting bodies appear in autumn in coniferous and beech woods, as well as heathlands in late summer and autumn.

 

I would say it is probably not a Gypsy mushroom. The article mentions two look alike species in N. America:

 

Similar-looking North American species include Agrocybe praecox, which lacks the wrinkled cap, and is found in cultivated areas, and Phaeolepiota aurea, which has powdery-granular surface.[4]

 

So you might start there.

 

Also, take it out of the freezer. Freezing fresh mushroms will cause them to become a lump of slime upon dethawing. My recommendation, if it is not too late, is to cut the stem off just below the gills and set it on a blank white sheet of paper over night to get a spore-print. Place a cup or some sort of container over the mushroom and put it in a dark and dry place to sit overnight. Spore color alone can help tremendously in ID'ing, but you'll really need a good microscope to get a firm ID via spores. For some species this is unnecessary, but for others it is essential.

 

As MTM recommended, don't eat it. It's simply not worth it. Mushroom poisoning is something you would never wish on your worst enemy. Having your organs (including brain) slowly dissolved while you're still alive does not sound like a fun way to go (some Amanitas can cause this).

 

Of course, I would never discourage scientific curiousity, so by all means, try your best to ID it. Do you have any pictures?

[lemit]

I think I'll pass on this one and try to get more information before the next time it's wet enough around here to get mushrooms. We usually get a monsoon in August or September, so I'd better get busy.

 

Thanks for the information.

 

--lemit

[blaneyg]

<br>These mushooms have popped up a couple of times in my backyard. Someone said they're either parasol or meadow mushooms. Can anyone tell if these are edible (and worth eating)?

Thanks

[freeztar]

They do not match any of the common edibles in the US. It's always better safe than sorry with mushrooms.

 

But, if you give us some more info, we can help ID it, or at least narrow it down.

Where are they growing (region and local conditions)?

Can you post a picture of the underside?

Measurements of size?

Have you taken a spore print?

[blaneyg]

But, if you give us some more info, we can help ID it, or at least narrow it down.

A: Thanks!!

 

Where are they growing (region and local conditions)?

A: Spring, TX, just north of Houston

 

Can you post a picture of the underside?

A: above

 

Measurements of size?

A: The largest is about 4-5 inches in diameter

 

Have you taken a spore print?

A: Sorry, I don't know what a spore print is.

[Jay-qu]

hey Lemit you might want to try the forums at shroomery.org, they have many experts that are very helpful in id'ing mushrooms of all varieties - they will want a spore print as Freezy suggested and pictures also.

[lemit]

Well, the mushroom hasn't lasted a hundredth of the time this thread has. I don't even remember what it looked like. I did take the sensible advice. I threw the mushroom away and have avoided all others that have grown in my yard since then.

 

--lemit

[Jay-qu]

ah whoops, I didnt realise the original question was months ago :phones:

 

The mushrooms will grow back next year and if you are interested then get an ID from the site I mentioned :rolleyes:

[freeztar]

Have you taken a spore print?

A: Sorry, I don't know what a spore print is.

 

A spore print is basically a "fingerprint" of the mushroom. You cut the stalk so the mushroom lies flat and place it on a white piece of paper overnight with some sort of covering over the mushroom. The next day, you should see the spores that fell out of the gills on the piece of paper. The color of these spores is often used in identification of mushrooms. For a truly accurate ID, mycologists use microscopes to measure the size and shape of the individual spores. Sometimes species can differ by only a few µm or less.

 

With some mushrooms, you can look for build up on the annulus (the ring around the stalk). In this case, the spores look purple-ish (judging from the photo). Can you confirm this with a spore print?

 

Also, notice the odor and give a piece of the cap or stalk a cut and look for any lactation or bruised tissues at the site.

[blaneyg]

Sorry for the delayed response. By the time I got around to it all the mushrooms were gone. We had another rain however, so above is the spore print. The color is a deep blue green. Also, they always appear after a good rain and are in a crescent cluster around an dead tree, if that helps.

Thanks!

[freeztar]

Since they appear in an arc around a dead tree, these would be classified in a broad grouping of mushrooms referred to as fairy ring mushrooms.

 

There's only so many species that exhibit this trait in N. America.

 

I'll need to do some research to pin this one down...