Identification: Do I have shiitakes growing in my yard?

I have discovered this little collection under our French lavender and thereabouts. They look OH so like shiitakes. What are the odds of living after eating them?

 

Are they growing from wood chips?

Do they have a ring on the upper stalk like this mushroom? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Agrocybe.praecox5.-.lindsey.jpg

 

Well, they are growing in soil which has a lot of wood matter in it. Here are more pictures. Thank you so much for your response!

Casey

 

I'm not convinced enough of my guess to throw it out yet.

Keep an eye out for younger ones, before their caps crack, and please do two things. First, check for that ring on the stalk (i'm still not convinced it isn't there). Second, please take a spore print. Try one with an older specimen you have, although i'm not sure it'll give you a good spore print - but if it doesn't, you've only waited a couple of minutes.

how to take a spore print-->
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/spore_print.html

We'll figure it out ...

 

Thank you. Perhaps I will wait until first light? I had to watch the Canucks crash and burn and now it's dark...

 

I agree with MycoRob, they really do look like Agrocybe praecox, in particular because of the cracked cap and the season.
'Looking forward to the spore print
cheers,
frog

 

I'm working on the spore prints from two specimens. I'll send tomorrow morning. Thanks for your interest!

Casey

 

Sorry this took so long...death and funeral got in the way. Here are the spore prints...

 

Yes, those spore prints are consonant with Agrocybe praecox.

 

Thank you. So, is this an edible variety? I don't think I'd eat them, but I am curious.

 

It is semi-officially a species 'complex', meaning we don't fully understand the species yet. That said, we don't eat it.