On 16/10/2013 22:41, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Brooklyn1 wrote:
rick1955 wrote:

Hi i have these mushrooms growing in the centre of my lawn could
someone please ID them for me and are they edible ,many thanks Rick,H
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Check he
http://academic.evergreen.edu/projec.../phm/index.htm

Even if you think you have identified it be cautious, positive ID can be
hard and there are some quite poisonous types that look much like edible
ones. If you really want to eat them start with a small bit and work up to
a plate full. Common symptoms of the inedible kind are burning mouth,
nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. We harvest field mushrooms but nothing goes
into the pan unless two people are both sure it is correct. I don't know
the one in the pic but it isn't the common field mushroom found here.

D

That is very bad advice - "quite poisonous types" is a dangerous
understatement. If you followed your advice to eat a small piece and
work up to a plateful, and happened to eat the most poisonous fungus we
have here in the UK - Amanita phalloides (Death Cap) - you would likely
die without medical help, and probably need a liver transplant if you
survived the acute poisoning. One Death Cap will destroy the liver.
Symptoms of liver damage will not show for around 24 - 48 hours after
ingestion,and by then it's too late. It does happen - although rarely,
thank goodness..

The /only/ answer with anyone who asks "can I eat this?" is "No". Then
add the caveat to find an expert who can positively identify the
"mushroom". But as it is sometimes the "experts" who get it wrong, and
suffer for it, I'm not sure even that is safe advice. If the fungus is
very distinctive, like a morel, fine, but if it looks like a common
mushroom, I'd err on the side of caution.

--

Jeff