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Let's face it, treasure hunting is fun. There is nothing I know that
resembles treasure hunting as much as foraging for wild mushrooms. I am a
science fiction fan, and mushrooms are the closest I can come to an alien
life form coexisting with us under our very feet. Just like treasure
hunting (and searching for aliens) there is a risk. The best weapon we
have to minimize this risk is education. There are old mushroom hunters
and bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.
Some of us like to hunt for the thrill of the chase--we like to watch birds
too, and there is no munching involved. But many of us crave the taste of
the wild. There is a safe way to do this. There are many good local
organizations that will take you on a learning jaunt in mushroom country.
Monadnock Mycorrhizza ( jsflynn@srnet.com ), and the Brattleboro Mycophagy
Club (our of Bonneyvale Environmental Center (802-257-5785) have mushroom
forays in Chesterfield. The Friends of Pisgah and the Harris Center do
also, but not often.
There are over 5000 species of mushrooms in the United States. About 100
of these have poisonous varieties within them. Identification, no matter
how much education and how many reference books, is not always certain.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT. Even poisonous mushrooms compost quite
nicely.
Mushrooms for the table must be fresh. You wouldn't dream of munching on a
pizza some dog has slobbered over. A lot of critters like ‘shrooms, so be
sure you got there first. Some mushrooms keep better than others, and some
can be air dried. Others, for eating purposes, must be cooked and used or
frozen. When you first start hunting for edible mushrooms, don't try to
learn too much as once. The amount of information is overwhelming. Learn
a few, safe varieties at a time. We have a beginning here, with a few
‘shrooms that you can find on walks in Chesterfield.
| One of the choicest morsels is the Morel, family Morchellaceae. They are
available, if you're lucky, only in the spring of the year. Morels do not
have gills. Their caps are similar to a sponge in appearance, and have a
stalk which is HOLLOW, with a SINGLE CHANNEL, or stuffed with filaments
like cotton. The caps can be creamy, buff, or brown. This morel is a very
common type, and can be found in Chesterfield, and no, I will not tell you
where.
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The False Morel, Gyromitra (see below), can only be mistaken for a true morel by
somebody who has never seen a morel. STALKS OFTEN HAVE SEVERAL BRANCHING
CHANNELS OR ARE HOLLOW. I have never seen one of these in Chesterfield.
What I have seen, in abundance, especially in Pisgah, are Stinkhorns,
family Clathraceae. Again, once you see one, you won't have much trouble
telling it from a morel. And once you SMELL one, you know where it got its
name. It carries a dirty musky rotten odor. |
| The chanterelles, genus Cantharellus, are shaped like vases. These vases
have ribs, which may resemble but are not gills. There are many sizes and
varieties, and some of the most common (although never common enough) are
quite small. The small, dark greyish brown chanterelle is a real gourmet
treat. More common are the orange varieties. They often come right up out
of moss, or cracks in rocks, often in clumps of 3 or 4, and I've seen them
in Pisgah and Chesterfield Gorge. |
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Jack O' Lanterns are called look-alikes to chanterelles, but they don't
look alike to me. They are almost PHOSPHORESCENT ORANGE, WITH
SHARP-EDGED GILLS, and they often grow in clumps of 8 or more. They grow
from the STUMPS OF TREES, or OTHER DEAD WOOD, but the wood and roots it
springs from may be buried. Once you see it, you won't mistake it for
chanterelles.
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| Oyster mushrooms are Genus Pleurotus. They look glorious, usually rather
delicate and white to cream. They are often in the shape of an oyster
shell, and grow on wood--often maple, beech, poplar or willow. They often
sprout quickly from the wood after a rain, in clusters one atop another,
and may have a pleasant licorice-like odor. They may have very short to no
stems. Their gills are fragile, and there are no very close look-alikes.
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The Sulphur shelf, Laetiporus sulphureus, is a stalkless bracket fungi.
This means that you find it as often overlapping fanlike shelves on the
trunks of trees. It is bright yellow-orange to orange, and can grow quite
large and lovely. It has pores rather than gills. Some people find this
mushroom causes them gastric upset, whereas many people enjoy them without
any untoward effects. It is shown here in place as well as from the
underside view, in hand.
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Old Man of the Woods is pretty easy to identify, and is a bolete. Old Man of the Woods has, like
most boletes, spongy pores on the underside of the cap, and not gills. It is Strobilomyces floccopus. It's shaggy, dry surface is
very distinct, with coarse deep gray or black scales on a paler cap. It is
edible, but one of the many that is not worth the harvest, as it is very
"undistinctive" in taste. |
| Pholiota squarrosoides is also called sharpscales, and has a lovely,
textured cap. Unfortunately, it resembles the shaggy scalecap which has
been reported poisonous by some people. This is one to admire at a
distance, unless you are a "shroom expert", and then you must weigh the
risk carefully. I prefer to harvest the pictures only. |
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There are many varieties of honey mushroom. They can be quite varied in
appearance, as well as taste. Although many are a gastronomic delight,
some people cannot eat them at all. They should be sampled with caution,
and in very small quantities. They come in clusters, and their stalks grow
together out of trees--often from stumps, since this fungi is quite
parasitic to the tree. This is a late summer and autumn visitor. The
Deadly Galerina is smaller, and usually brighter, and, unfortunately, lives
up to its name.
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| Amanita muscaria, also called the fly agaric, is very common in the area.
It is also usually easy to identify. It's cap is bright yellow to
yellow-orange, and has a shiny surface with warty looking protuberances.
In other areas it is red, with the same warty protuberances. The first
time you go on a mushroom foray, ask someone to point it out. It is
beautiful, but poisonous. Once you know it, you can avoid it. Amanita
phalloides, also called the "death cup", is quite deadly. |
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Inky caps, family Coprinaceae, are very fragile, and quite unusual. They
deliquesce. This means that the edges of the cap turn black and liquefy.
There are edible (when young before they start to self-digest) and
poisonous inky caps. Unfortunately, if you consume alcohol up to 5 days
after eating some of the edible ones, you can suffer an Anabuse-type
reaction. Anabuse is a drug given to alcoholics to prevent them from
drinking alcohol. You can get an unpleasant surprise if you forget and
take cough medicine or another medicinal containing alcohol after you
consume these. The word "suffer" was used with careful intent. You DON'T
want to experience this.
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| Jewel Weed is not a mushroom, of course, but it is a wonderful bonus you
can gather at the end of a mushroom hunt. It won't last long away from its
moist environment, but it is worth harvesting some. Cut it up and boil it
with water in a stainless steel pot. Let the bright yellowish- red liquid
cool, and strain it. This liquid should be frozen in ice cube trays and
kept in your freezer for the summer. There is no better soother for poison
ivy. Rub the ice cube over the irritated skin. The ice will add its
mechanical inflammatory reducer. It is plentiful here, and can often be
found near where poison ivy grows. |
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The Field, or Horse Mushrooms, Psalliota arvensis, also called Agaricus
arvensis, are these marvelous little mushrooms which crop up on your lawn
or in open fields after a rain, or in the morning after a dew in mid to
late summer and autumn. They are one of the few mushrooms it is safe to
eat raw. They have a ring around the stalk, and have no lower vulva--a cup
at the base of the stalk, which is one characteristic which distinguishes
these from the amanitas. The gills are generally pinkish, but turn dark
brown when they dry. Grab them fast, because slugs and other critters like
them too. Cut in slices, they dry well. |
1) False Morels (Gyromitra esculenta)
2) Death Cup (amanita phalloides)
3) Jack-O'-Lantern (Clytocybe omphalotus illudens)
4) Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
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Mushrooming is fun. You sharpen observing skill, and can learn scientific
techniques of spore printing and other identifying techniques. Take a
basket along--mushrooms "melt" into a sticky mess when stored in plastic.
Also take along some waxed paper bags. You want to ensure that mushrooms
you cannot identify on the trail are kept separate from known edible
varieties.
Mushrooming can be exciting even if you don't harvest any. But most of us
are tempted. It takes education, but there are willing and able teachers
in the area. To encourage caution, here is a some specific information on
mushroom "defense".
There are at least 6 different mushroom toxin varieties, and each of these
require specific therapy. Typical symptoms of mushroom poisoning
gastrointestinal complaints. Other toxins, like bacterial and viral
toxins, are capable of producing the same symptoms. The mushroom type
must be identified for the most effective treatment. Supply refrigerated
or air dried suspects to the Emergency Room staff.
 Poisonous mushrooms of the Amanita and Galerina genera secrete amanitin and
phalloidin, which affect the blood, liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal
tract within 6 to 24 hours. These are exceedingly dangerous. Expect to
see blood in your urine, protein in the urine on testing, gastroenteritis
and jaundice. Poisonous amanitas also contain ibotenic acid and muscimol,
which hit the central nervous system. In 20 minutes to 2 hours, expect dry
mouth, delirium, blurred vision, and a staggering walk . Those of the
Gyromitra genus have monomethylhydrazine which affects the same areas as
amanitin and phalloidin, but take 6 to 10 hours to act. Your blood cells
will begin to break down, and you will experience nausea, vomiting, muscle
cramps, severe abdominal pain, liver and kidney failure, and weakness.
Coprinus mushrooms have coprine, which acts with alcohol ingestion--it
produces an Anabuse effect in from 20 minutes to 5 days. In other words,
you can eat them, and 5 days later have a glass of wine and end up with
SEVERE vomiting. Your blood pressure may drop dangerously. Clitocybe and
Inocybe poisonous ‘shrooms have muscarine, which hits the autonomic nervous
system. Within 20 minutes to 2 hours your tears will be flowing, saliva
will be dripping, you will be urinating frequently., and have diarrhea.
Dehydration comes quickly. Psilocybe and Panaeolus mushrooms have
psilocybin and psilocin, which attack the central nervous system. Within
15 to 30 minutes you can expect hallucinations, and a hyperactive state.
Don't let these symptoms discourage you. Start with identification only.
You will go through baskets of mushrooms before you feel comfortable on
your own. You will also gain a sizable collection of mushroom
identification books and paraphernalia. You still may not be able to
identify a mushroom. When in doubt, throw it out. Go with a knowledgeable
group until you are familiar with the mushroom you plan to harvest.
Education is your most important defense.
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