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
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
Paddy,
Try this!
www.rogersmushrooms.com
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!
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
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.
I bow to Roberts expertise on this one!
I agree with Robert. One of the many flammulina species. All edible, all mediocre.
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
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!
:)
pleased you are still breathing ;D shades x