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Published by lemit 07-01-2009
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In my back yard, I just found what looks like a Cortinarius caperatus, or "Gypsy mushroom," which is apparently safely edible.

I'm an old farm boy, so "mushroom" means Morel. Everything else is a "toadstool" and is, well, I guess in other cultures you'd say "unclean."

Does anybody know if there are any poisonous mushrooms I might mistake for the Gypsy mushroom? I'll put this one in the freezer until I'm certain it's safe.

I'd love to eat this mushroom I grew myself. We don't get many of them around here on the edge of the desert, so it would be something special, but not something to die for.

--lemit
  #1 (permalink)  
By Moontanman on 07-01-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

Very few mushrooms are actually deadly, most are just inedible due to taste or texture. The few that are deadly are dangerous enough to make you want to be absolutely sure know what you are eating. Many mushrooms will make you sick as in bad intestinal upset, I pick wild mushrooms regularly and have never been poisoned or made sick yet but I limit my self to just a few species i know are edible. Mushrooms that grow out of trees, dead or other wise are not poisonous, at least where I "live" which is another important factor.

Cortinarius caperatus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This mushroom doesn't appear to be a desert type of mushroom......
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  #2 (permalink)  
By lemit on 07-01-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

I live in an old city park neighborhood in a megalopolis between the desert and the mountains. I have to keep crackers tightly sealed to keep them from getting soggy. We had five inches of rain in June--not much for the midwest but almost half of our average annual rainfall.

I'm gradually turning my backyard into a forest. I've been hearing tree frogs out there. I hope to find more mushrooms in the future. If I could get morels started . . . .

The mushroom I have in the freezer really does look like the Gypsy kind. It should be safe, shouldn't it?

--lemit
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  #3 (permalink)  
By Moontanman on 07-01-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

Lemit, i haven't seen the mushroom, i didn't see it growing nor am I familiar with that particular mushroom. If you are not 100% sure, don't eat it....
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  #4 (permalink)  
By lemit on 07-01-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

Good advice. I'll try to find a local expert. If I can't find one, I'll throw the mushroom out.

Thanks.

--lemit
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  #5 (permalink)  
By enorbet2 on 07-01-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

Hope you find one of these just like this
Attached Thumbnails
Edible mushroom?-longest-mushroom.jpg  
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  #6 (permalink)  
By freeztar on 07-01-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

Based on this from the wiki:

Quote:
The ochre-coloured fruiting bodies appear in autumn in coniferous and beech woods, as well as heathlands in late summer and autumn.
I would say it is probably not a Gypsy mushroom. The article mentions two look alike species in N. America:

Quote:
Similar-looking North American species include Agrocybe praecox, which lacks the wrinkled cap, and is found in cultivated areas, and Phaeolepiota aurea, which has powdery-granular surface.[4]
So you might start there.

Also, take it out of the freezer. Freezing fresh mushroms will cause them to become a lump of slime upon dethawing. My recommendation, if it is not too late, is to cut the stem off just below the gills and set it on a blank white sheet of paper over night to get a spore-print. Place a cup or some sort of container over the mushroom and put it in a dark and dry place to sit overnight. Spore color alone can help tremendously in ID'ing, but you'll really need a good microscope to get a firm ID via spores. For some species this is unnecessary, but for others it is essential.

As MTM recommended, don't eat it. It's simply not worth it. Mushroom poisoning is something you would never wish on your worst enemy. Having your organs (including brain) slowly dissolved while you're still alive does not sound like a fun way to go (some Amanitas can cause this).

Of course, I would never discourage scientific curiousity, so by all means, try your best to ID it. Do you have any pictures?
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  #7 (permalink)  
By lemit on 07-02-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

I think I'll pass on this one and try to get more information before the next time it's wet enough around here to get mushrooms. We usually get a monsoon in August or September, so I'd better get busy.

Thanks for the information.

--lemit
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  #8 (permalink)  
By blaneyg on 09-30-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

<br>These mushooms have popped up a couple of times in my backyard. Someone said they're either parasol or meadow mushooms. Can anyone tell if these are edible (and worth eating)?
Thanks
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  #9 (permalink)  
By freeztar on 09-30-2009
Re: Edible mushroom?

They do not match any of the common edibles in the US. It's always better safe than sorry with mushrooms.

But, if you give us some more info, we can help ID it, or at least narrow it down.
Where are they growing (region and local conditions)?
Can you post a picture of the underside?
Measurements of size?
Have you taken a spore print?
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