Identification: Wonder what type of mushroom this is and if it's edible

Discussion in 'Fungi, Lichens and Slime Molds' started by tianxiao, Nov 11, 2009.

  1. tianxiao

    tianxiao Member

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    I found clumps of mushrooms on the grass beside some trees. Here are 2 pictures. I couldn't be sure what type of mushroom they are or if they're poisonous or not. I have boiled them in water with silver coins and the silver didn't turn color. I don't know how else I can test them.
     

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  2. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    The only test for mushroom edibility is to eat it; if you don't die or get sick, it's edible.
     
  3. Harri Harmaja

    Harri Harmaja Active Member 10 Years

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  4. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    Oh my....
    You boiled them with silver coins??? Does that WORK for anything?
    Ok..and I highly must say....don't do a taste test at all unless you have IDEAS first....even some mildly poisonous ones can leave you cramping pretty bad with just a taste. ugh
    Did these have any distinct odor...what kind of trees were they growing around...found near snow or?....DID you do a taste test??? lol
    I'll definately go with Harri on this.
    Try:
    Tricholoma atrosquamosum
    Tricholoma scalpturatum
    Tricholoma moseri
    Tricholoma terrum
    .....There's several differen't members of the Trich. family that these resemble.....however...very few have been positively tested for edibility.
     
  5. tianxiao

    tianxiao Member

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    Well on some websites it told me to boil the mushroom with silver coins. if the coins obtain tarnish then the mushroom is poisonous. However these mushroom didn't give the coins tarnish. Yes it seems to belong in that genus. But is the only way to test if it's poisonous or not is to eat it?? cause it looks quite safe and there are so many around this small forest behind my house. The mushroom smells like wet damp soil. and I have to check up on what trees it grows around with. someone told me cedar but i wasn't quite sure. it was pine trees, but what type of pine i don't know
     
  6. MycoRob

    MycoRob Active Member

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    My understanding is that the silver thing is true for ONE TYPE of poison. There are many many types of poisonous chemical in mushrooms. You're likely to get a negative result with any given test of a single toxin. In fact, you can do a hundred tests for poisions that all come up negative and still do your 101st test to find out that it is toxic.

    We know that you have a Tricholoma. We know it is NOT one of the common edible ones. Some Tricholomas have been suspected in DEATH. My advice is that if you choose to eat some, save some intact ones so if it kills you or puts you on the list for a liver transplant, those of us with the common sense not to eat something something we can't identify can learn from your mistake.
     
  7. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I don't think there is a simple "home" test for edibility/toxicity in mushrooms. And the test is definitely NOT trying to eat them, even a small piece or a lick. We need to be cautious with our advice here, people show quite a readiness to try new things and often display a recklessness about it. While the majority of mushrooms are harmless, some are so toxic that small amounts can kill. That is nothing to play with. Never eat a mushroom that you do not have a positive identification of.
     
  8. Harri Harmaja

    Harri Harmaja Active Member 10 Years

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    Summarizing:

    1) There is no shortcut to separate the edible and the poisonous mushrooms.
    2) Whether a native or an immigrant, you must learn at least some edible species of your home district.
    3) You also must get to know the poisonous species that occur in your home area.
    4) The learning process comes true by reading handbooks, exploring the internet, consulting mushroom experts, making excursions alone and especially with an expert, and participating trips arranged by mushroom associations!

    Regards,

    Harri Harmaja
    http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/harmaja/index.htm
     

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