These were picked on the THanksgiving weekend on Vancouver Island about halfway from Cowichan Lake toward Port Renfrew. THese mushrooms were growing on the ground in a small grassy cleared area created at the side of a logging road. The area was native sandy soil and not roadbed material, but there may have been wood debris buried in creating this clearing, though none was evident. They some of them were very large and heavy and they were much more school-bus yellow than the pictures show. Note that the cutting board they are on is a very large one. Use my key ring and pocket knife for scale. They were in the car for several days before getting home and being photographed. The bag they were in was not stained with spores after several days. Attempts to get a spore print resulted in soggy paper but no evidence of spores. I don't know if I picked them before they could sporulate. A small taste revealed a mild mushroomy taste but they were not bitter. Last year I found some kind of Gymnopilus that looked similar but covered everything in sight in brick red spores and tasted very bitter. Thanks for your help with this one
Compare Phaeolepiota aurea. Cheers, Harri Harmaja http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/harmaja/index.htm
Whenever Harri identifies something the issue is as dead as a werewolf shot with a silver bullet! Bravo! http://healing-mushrooms.net/archives/phaeolepiota-aurea.html I prefer the name golden bootleg mushroom. Next time I will eat them. I know where the patch will be and when. I was sure tempted last time. I will culture it to agar when again I find it and try to grow it. Maybe I should make it policy to clone delicious looking but unidentified mushrooms. Just a few days ago I threw the last of them (dehydrated) out on the back lawn in the rain. Dried mushrooms can sometimes be reanimated after as much as thirty years. I may try it. Thanks Harri. I don't know how you do it.
