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Science/nature/environment

Mushroom or toadstool?

(13 Posts)
ayse Tue 09-Nov-21 18:57:05

I found this on my way home this evening growing in the grass. It looks to me like a plate mushroom which I’d edible.

Can any Gran or Grandad identify this for me.

I won’t be eating it but I’ve never seen one like this locally. The last time I saw one was in Donegal on a golf course.

ayse Tue 09-Nov-21 19:03:15

I think it might be a horse mushroom but definitely smells of mushroom and doesn’t go yellow when touched

Lincslass Tue 09-Nov-21 19:08:50

gallowaywildfoods.com/july-horse-mushrooms/ I still wouldn’t eat it though.

Blossoming Tue 09-Nov-21 19:22:58

White mushrooms with white gills are likely to be poisonous.

Baggs Tue 09-Nov-21 20:17:47

There's no real difference between mushrooms and toadstools. They are both fungal fruiting bodies with a stem and a cap. Some are edible. Many are not. So that one you found, ayse is a mushroom and a toadstool, whichever term you prefer.

You are right not to eat it without knowing its ID.

ayse Tue 09-Nov-21 21:03:37

It just seems so big but I definitely won’t be eating it. It’s all far too chancy.

Kali2 Tue 09-Nov-21 21:11:48

It's quite an old specimen, which makes it difficult to identify for certain. It is definitely NOT a horse mushroom, but is probably a 'clytocibe nebularis' - and officially considered as toxic. Some people in Eastern France eat them, boiling them twice and throwing the water, or peeling them, then tossing in butter, etc. But it is impossible to say it is one of those, which are poplularly called 'petis gris' ou 'gris des sapins' in French.

If they are the above- I would certainly NOT advise eating them, and it is too old anyhow.

Kali2 Tue 09-Nov-21 21:13:37

Ooops, got the 'i' and the 'y' inverted!

Clitocybe nebularis or Lepista nebularis, commonly known as the clouded agaric or cloud funnel, is an abundant gilled fungus which appears both in conifer-dominated forests and broad-leaved woodland in Europe and North America. Appearing in Britain from late summer to late autumn, it is edible, but may cause gastrointestinal issues

Deedaa Tue 09-Nov-21 21:21:39

The only ones I ever risk are the shaggy ink cap and the giant puff ball which are instantly recognisable. A slice of giant puffball about half an inch thick fries up like a fluffy omelette.

ayse Tue 09-Nov-21 21:28:18

Kali2

Ooops, got the 'i' and the 'y' inverted!

Clitocybe nebularis or Lepista nebularis, commonly known as the clouded agaric or cloud funnel, is an abundant gilled fungus which appears both in conifer-dominated forests and broad-leaved woodland in Europe and North America. Appearing in Britain from late summer to late autumn, it is edible, but may cause gastrointestinal issues

Thing is it was nowhere near a wooded or coniferous site but on a patch of green quite near to where I live. I’ll have to see if there are anymore around tomorrow.

I’d never eat any fungi if I wasn’t absolutely certain. They can be so dangerous and some have no antidote.

Thank you for your suggestion.

Grammaretto Wed 10-Nov-21 08:06:44

In France every pharmacist can tell you whether or not your find is edible.
I have a friend who follows an old Polish man when he goes foraging but those you found ayse do not look attractive in the least.
Like Deedaa I would stick to the ones I know and like.

I would only eat mushrooms I am really familiar with which are so distinctive, you really could not mix them with anything poisonous.
.
Chanterelles,
Ceps
Purple wood bluitts which grow from November to February.

Nannagarra Wed 10-Nov-21 11:14:24

Definitely clouded funnel. I’ve checked with my friend, a fungi expert.

25Avalon Wed 10-Nov-21 11:19:54

When in doubt don’t eat it. There is no antidote for certain poisonous mushrooms - you die within 14 days of eating it.