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footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 05 5:53 pm Post subject: More fungi found

I have decided that the only fungi that I will be able to identify safely is the giant puff ball, so the search is on to fill the frying pan.

On my wanders today I found a couple that I think I have managed to identify (still wouldn't eat 'em) and have labelled thaem with my guess. There are a couple of other varieties that needs trained eyes on

If anybody has the time to have a look, they are here (should be!)

https://pub12.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?usernum=998726172&album=31827

Look for album that says fungi.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45434
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 05 5:55 pm Post subject:
Dunno what any of them are but nice pics

footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 05 5:56 pm Post subject: Fungi found
I meant to say that if you click the image that loads, the full size one will load, if that helps

footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 05 5:57 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Dunno what any of them are but nice pics

Jeeez that was quick !

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 05 8:31 pm Post subject:
I totally agree with the "no idea". The only one I think I know is the red cracked boletus.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:33 am Post subject:

Ooh! I like a challenge on a Friday morning!

Charcoal burners; you're half way there, they ARE russulas, so you've got the genus right.

Top one that may be a charcoal burner... Naah, doesn't seem right for that, a bit too delicate. I'd say give that one a tentative little nibble and spit it out; if it tastes reasoable and doesn't burn, in the basket it goes. It's a russula in Britain, it isn't red, if its cooked its safe. All depends on whether it tastes good.

Next row down, red russula... Well it comes down to a small selection. It's a dark rather than vivid red, so probably safe, BUT you can only really distinguish between the red russulas when you know the habitat (what trees were there?) and when you can give it a good smell. There are a couple of red russulas referred to as sickeners that you really want to avoid.

Cracking boletus... Yeah, maybe. Did it bruise green or did the flesh stain when it was cut?

As for the others... Can't tell from those pics.

Looks like a good little walk in the woods!

footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 10:55 am Post subject:

cab wrote:

Thanks for viewing the pictures and giving your opinion.

Hope the pictures were easy to access. Perhaps I would be better just numbering the pictures F1 F2 F3 ?

As for give it a nibble ('

') not a chance

I have just been to cut and bruise the cracked boletus and a few minutes later checked the colour and it does appear to have a bluey green tinge to it, but its only slight.

The trees were mainly beech I think. Under the conifers there was nothing of note. Is this usual ? The are lots of woods on Anglesey that are owned by the forestry commision, and its okay to wander. Just wondering if it is a waste of time ?

Give it a nibble indeed! My enjoyment will have to be the hunt, and the taking of pictures. I'll leave the dare devil stuff to others

Just checking the footpath maps for the next sortee

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 11:04 am Post subject:

cab wrote:

Next row down, red russula... Well it comes down to a small selection. It's a dark rather than vivid red, so probably safe, BUT you can only really distinguish between the red russulas when you know the habitat (what trees were there?) and when you can give it a good smell. There are a couple of red russulas referred to as sickeners that you really want to avoid.

I always worry that you could mistake a red russula for something narsty like a fly agaric, which can get the veil washed off? What divides them, for the amateur? White gills scare me...

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 11:19 am Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

I always worry that you could mistake a red russula for something narsty like a fly agaric, which can get the veil washed off? What divides them, for the amateur? White gills scare me...

White gills should make you think, but not scare you.

Russulas have no ring, no volva or swelling on the base of the stem, the gills can be ever so slightly running onto the stems in some species, but never far, and they're kind of crumbly.

Amanita has a ring, and usually some veil remnants on top, and a volva; at worst, there'll usually be some kind of swelling where the volva has rotted in a bit.

Best plan is to get out there and sniff and feel some, the difference between the meaty fly agaric and the rather crumbly russulas will be apparent to you.

But in truth, if you're at all concerned about red russulas, don't pick 'em. The one or two red ones that are nice aren't so very nice that you NEED to pick them.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 11:24 am Post subject:

footprints wrote:

Thanks for viewing the pictures and giving your opinion.

Hope the pictures were easy to access. Perhaps I would be better just numbering the pictures F1 F2 F3 ?

As for give it a nibble ('

') not a chance

Don't make yourself sick with worry if that's what nibbling would do

With the non-red russulas, it's the easiest way. You can go to full identification if you choose, but it'll make you gibber.

Quote:

I have just been to cut and bruise the cracked boletus and a few minutes later checked the colour and it does appear to have a bluey green tinge to it, but its only slight.

Pink cracking bloetus then.

Quote:

The trees were mainly beech I think. Under the conifers there was nothing of note. Is this usual ? The are lots of woods on Anglesey that are owned by the forestry commision, and its okay to wander. Just wondering if it is a waste of time ?

There's some GOOD mushrooming in Anglesey. You're not wasting your time!

Best bits will be the mixed woodland; pine next to broadleaves will give you most diversity and tastiest shrooms. But look out also for the coastal walks in Anglesey, I had masses of Agaricus when on holiday there.

Beech...

Look at:
https://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~6030.asp
https://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~6025.asp
https://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~6953.asp

Lots of russulas with beech, these are some of the red ones.

Quote:

Give it a nibble indeed! My enjoyment will have to be the hunt, and the taking of pictures. I'll leave the dare devil stuff to others

Just checking the footpath maps for the next sortee

Happy hunting on the next jaunt out

footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 5:21 pm Post subject: found these.

I went for a second rummage about and found a lot of ?????

On a wooded area of farm land I went for a wander. The brush in the woodland is generally so dense that you can only pass into the more open areas by following the paths the cattle have made as they have forced their way through.

In a clearing under some short oaks that have managed to get established despite the cattle, I came across the remains of loads of decaying large fungi. I had the distinct feeling that there had been a huge party some days ago, and I had arrived too late.

I managed to find one that hadn't started to decay and I kept it.

A little later I found a nice bracket growing on a downed silver birch. I didn't want to pick the bracket but had gone without the camera.

The pictures of both can be seen here:

https://pub12.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php? usernum=998726172&album=31882

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 5:29 pm Post subject:
Can't place the mushroom like one. What's the top look like? Did it have a ring? Volva or swelling? Colours when bruiesd or cut? The bracket is a birch polypore, otherwise known as razor strop fungus. You can't eat it, but dry it out, break it in two and you can use it for sharpening blades on. Don't feel bad about picking it, there's plenty of that one about.

footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 5:57 pm Post subject:

cab wrote:

Can't place the mushroom like one. What's the top look like? Did it have a ring? Volva or swelling? Colours when bruiesd or cut?

The bracket is a birch polypore, otherwise known as razor strop fungus. You can't eat it, but dry it out, break it in two and you can use it for sharpening blades on. Don't feel bad about picking it, there's plenty of that one about.

Oops! Just had to fish the specimin from the bin

I have posted 4 views. (i'll use the big flasgun next) The fungi is dished in shape, and as they get older and start to decay the dishing seems more pronouced. The head of the fungi doesn't seem to have much meat on it, but large crumbly gills. Sliced through the meaty bit might have been 5mm ? Another thing which was very noticable compared to all the russelas (?) I found today, was the lack of slug damage. Some were eaten, but not to the same extent.

https://pub12.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?usernum=998726172&album=31882

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 6:34 pm Post subject:

Wow is that right about the colour of the Russulas cab? They're the next ones on my list to try. I'm still (groan) awaiting my copy of the Phillips book from Amazon, I've been waiting 12 weeks.

There have been loads of what I think are russulas, with almost black tops. The've been munched heavily by slugs. If you're saying I should go ahead then that's fabulous!! I'll pick a few and check out my friend's copy of Phillips first.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 7:26 pm Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Good old Richard Mabey tells us that none of the russula species in Britain is poisonous when cooked (food for free, great book). So my normal practice is to decide whether or not it's a sickener or something similar (don't want one of those), have a sniff see if it's nice, see if I can decide whether it's a good edible species (charcoal burner, yellow swamp russula, a few others) or a half decent one (common yellow russula and many, many others). If I still don't know, I sniff it again, have a tentative, tiny little nibble and spit. I'm looking for it not to burn, taste like soap, and leave a pleasant aftertaste. If it's good, into the basket it goes, generally to be cooked in butter and olive oil and tossed into pasta.

'Course, I might poison myself one day

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