can I eat it? (fungus)

[paddyx]

Hi,
Found a clump of fungus growing on the stump of a small tree/bush in my polytunnel. Looks very distinctive but I can't identify it. Can anyone help? I'm intending to eat it, but obviously want to know if it'll do anything nasty to me first!
It was in a clump of five, two of the heads had welded together, the head's about 2 inches across.
Hopefully this picture link will work:
http://www.floppycat.com/images_misc/mystery_fungus.jpg
The photo was taken about an hour after I cut it; no obvious signs of shrivelling or colour change. It doesn't smell of much - maybe slightly mushroomy.
Thanks
- Paddy

[paddyx]

[saddad]

Looks like Honey fungus to me... in which case you need rid of that stump! Honey fungus is edible but I wouldn't eat it on my identification............
:o
grows straight out of stumps,inlarge clumps.White flesh, tough stalks,white cotton like ring below the cap. Gills vary from off-white to brown. Smells strong and sweet.

The more I look at it the less convinced I am... again I wouldn't eat it on my say so. I wouldn't eat it myself!
:-X

[telboy]

Paddy,
Try this!
www.rogersmushrooms.com

[paddyx]

Thanks for the help, but I can't find anything at RogersMushrooms that has the distinctive black stem. Maybe I'll drop in to the library for a fungus book;
Last thing that grew in our polytunnel was a "Roman Shield" fungus (I think) - the book said it was edible, though one web site said it was "deadly poisonous" - I ate one with no ill effects, though all that "die suddenly after 6 days" stuff with Death Cap and Avenging Angel is somewhat scary!

[OllieC]

paddy, having double checked our last discussion on a similar topic, I think they look absolutely delicious and it's a brilliant idea to eat them.

You're a much braver person than me!

Please report back,

Ollie

[Robert_Brenchley]

It looks like Flammulina velutipes, a common winter species which grows on tree stumps and roots. It is edible, but supposedly a bit tough. I haven't tried it.

[telboy]

I bow to Roberts expertise on this one!

[blight]

I agree with Robert. One of the many flammulina species. All edible, all mediocre.

[paddyx]

Yes, the Flammulina (Winter Mushroom or Velvet Foot) looks pretty convincing. It's got the sticky cap and everything. I'm trying a spore print to make sure it's not Galerina.
It would be too much to hope for a decent meal's worth of these to grow in there though. The appearance of various fungi led me to buy a mushrooms-in-a-box kit, which didn't grow a single mushroom!
If I pluck up courage to eat these, I'll let you know.
Thanks for your help - I find the wide variety of shape, colour and size makes it really hard to identify things clearly enough to want to eat them.
Happy gardening
- Paddy

[paddyx]

Cooked a few of them and at them (tasted like those japanese entoki(?) ones, which I think the Velvet Shank is related to). No ill effects, though I set light to the microwave!

[angle shades]

:)

pleased you are still breathing ;D shades x