mushroom expert ?

[kelly]

i have a dead plum tree and after the recent rains mushrooms have started sprouting from the ground, can they be eaten or are they "magic mushrooms " that we all remember from polytechnic days..

[El Cid]

Don't risk it unless you can positively identify them.

Most funghi are not that nice to eat, they may not be life threatening but you could have a very nasty experience! If you are really unlucky it could be much worse.

Unless you are absolutely certain what they are, buy the ones in the supermarket.

[spanish hopes]

are they "magic mushrooms " that we all remember from polytechnic days..

Kelly that is a disgusting overgeneralization which tars us all with the same shameful brush and I for one certainly object to it.

I never went to a 'Polytechnic'

[k]

There has been an article within the last two weeks or so that covered safe edible garden mushrooms, with a few pics, in the daily mirror (sorry don't remember the date) you could try the website or email them for the publish date.
I know nothing about about growing/picking, but felt it probably only covered a fraction of species, it did however give the 'don't eats'.
A google search is probably the better option on this one if you are trying to avoid the cramps, dying or tripping.

[Kelly4]

".....Kelly that is a disgusting overgeneralization which tars us all with the same shameful brush and I for one certainly object to it.

I never went to a 'Polytechnic'..."

Very good, Spanish Hopes, you made my day!

[kelly]

nothing wrong with polytechnic i went to north london actually in the 80s now its known as north london university polys were a good way for those with lower a level grades to still do a degree of which i did a geography degree, and please no offence was meant at poly i took magic mushrooms once and felt very sick..wudnt recommend them i dont see what i said as offensive as none was meant i didnt realise that you lot on the coast are so highly strung

[mhic]

Kelly.

Not Prince of Wales Road, Kenytish Town?

Mhic.

[kelly]

malborough building hollway rd

[Nikvin]

couple years back, at a local mantanza, the guys went off t find mushrooms, whilst the work was done. When they returned with many basketfuls, lenghthy discussions ensued over each mushroom, as to whether it was ok or not. very few got a unanimous vote, and about half that were cooked were voted against by many.
Needless to say I was somewhat reluctant to partake of that dish at meal time, at least the meat had been certified safe by the vet!!
As no one dropped dead, or fell ill within 3 hrs, i did have some later, and delicious they were too!!
Just beware, if the locals -who have been collecting them for donkeys years, cant agree - what chance does a guiri have!

[Grouser]

Kelly, did the mushrooms kill the plum tree?

[poshtotti]

I was watering the garden tonight & noticed mushrooms growing in the grass! - I've picked them all & thrown them in the composter, I was worried that the dogs might eat them & I haven't a clue what type they are. Can they be poisonous to dogs? - I certainly don't want tripping dogs they're mad enough without hallucinating!! Could be amusing though..........

[hillybilly]

Kelly, did the mushrooms kill the plum tree?

I'm more worried about Kelly. What with the mushrooms and the smoking chimney I reckon he's a goner....
Or maybe the chimney wasn't really smoking, he just imagined it after one too many mushrooms.
Kelly, speak to us. Let us know you're all right

[Grouser]

I asked if the mushrooms killed the tree because if they did it could be Honey Fungus. This spreads underground with black tendrils and will kill many plants including trees and shrubs. The fruiting bodies are the mushrooms that appear above ground. They are honey coloured with a cap size of about 9cm.
If that’s what you’ve got and you want to keep a garden, all the dead and infected material needs burning and the ground sterilizing.
The ‘Magic Mushroom’ is Psilocybe Semilanceata. At least the one all the old hippies go scouring the hillsides of Wales for is. It’s also known as the Liberty Cap. The cap is 1 to 1.5cm in size with a distinct nipple on the top and the gills are black. The stem is long and thin. It grows in established grassland, sometimes in fairy rings. Its effects are heightened perception, hallucinations and possible liver damage.
The other magic mushroom is the Fly Agaric. So called because it was used as a preparation for killing flies. The Vikings used to use it before going into battle and were known as ‘Berserkers’ because it made them feel invulnerable. It’s the red one with white spots that ‘Big Ears’ lives in. It is also very toxic and extremely hard on the liver. Indeed it is said to be a better bet and safer to drink the urine of someone who has taken it, as their liver will have removed much of the toxins.
The Agaric family also contains the two deadly poisonous mushrooms that grow in the UK. They are the all white ‘Destroying Angel’ and the whitish ‘Death Cap’, with green or yellow radiating fibres on the cap. Both of these kill in only small quantities and I don’t think there is a known antidote. These are probably also in Spain together with others I don’t know about.
Many other mushrooms are poisonous and while not killing you, could cause permanent organ damage so the message is (as has been said further up the thread) don’t eat anything you’re not 100% sure about.
The largest living organism in the world is a fungus. It is a Honey mushroom, (see above) and the underground bit is 3.5 miles across. It’s estimated to be at least 2,400 years old and is in Oregon. Don’t ask me how they measured or dated it.

[gretch]

Earlier this year I saw a leaflet in my local chemist indicating lots of different mushrooms, good and bad, with latin names and other details.