In article , wrote:

To a naive person, the fungus that grew in my garden that I
couldn't identify might have been taken for a horse or even
field mushroom. It was a suitable shape, with suitable gills,
whitish and the gills went pinkish brown as it matured. But
I think that it was a Hebeloma, all of which are poisonous
(though not lethal). I knew enough to be damn sure that it
wasn't an Agaricus, even if I couldn't tell what it was.

Blimey, they do look similar looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebeloma
I /have/ grown plain common mushrooms from a kit before (and I have one
still /trying/ to grow in the bathroom, but it's really really not having
it!!), but there isn't much risk going on there. :-}

That is PRECISELY why those of us who know something say that it
is much safer to start with the edible and good fungi that do NOT
look like common mushrooms! I know what to look for to identify
field and horse mushrooms, and it's not the overall appearance.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.