It’s a Sunday afternoon and I pass by a grass verge near my house. My heart jumps at the sight of a huge cluster of (what seem to be) Horse mushrooms or possibly Field mushrooms.  I was without a basket or bag so like a kid in a sweet shop I scooped up a good share, leaving some to drop their spores.

But my dreams of a nice fry up or even a creamy mushroom soup are soon quaffed because I suddenly realise these mushrooms are not what they appear to be. I wait until I get home around the corner to double check. Read on…

I am not surprised at all that the Yellow Stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus) is responsible for the most cases of mushroom poisoning in this country. Although this evil twin of our favourite field, wood and Horse mushrooms is not deadly it can keep you in the loo for longer than you normally do! Gastric symptoms can persist for up to 24 hours. Fortunately I have not been caught out yet, but some people after consumption usually get away with only mild upset or sometimes have no reaction at all. My Uncle once told me “Ooh, I don’t get along with those Yellow Stainers – don’t like ‘em” . Let’s hope that it was only his palette they offended – I didn’t ask!

So how on earth can I identify this poisonous peril when compared to a Horse mushroom? I hear you all cry!

Don’t rely on the ‘overall look’. They differ in colour from pure white to brown/grey, scaly and smooth, tall and short and so on. Horse mushrooms can display some yellow colour on it’s cap and stem – so if you see yellow it’s not always a bad thing.

Both the Horse Mushroom and Yellow Stainer ‘bruise’ yellow (There’s hardly any yellow about the Field mushroom). But the Yellow Stainer has a stronger chromium yellow once bruised. If you rub the cap with your thumb, there will be a very noticeable colour change. But the crunch test for me is at the very base. Take a knife to the very bottom of the stem (the base is more bulbous than the others) and cut in half (see picture below). If the colour changes to a vivid yellow colour, then you’ve got yourself a Yellow Stainer. Horse and Field mushrooms do not stain at the base like this.

Other good ID tips are:
1. The smell is an unpleasant antiseptic-like smell (more so when being cooked)
2. The ring on the stem is quite large. Before the veil drops it does not have the ‘cogwheel’ pattern like the Horse Mushroom.
3. Gills when very young are white unlike the Horse and Field mushrooms which are pink

In addition to point 3 – if you’re new to collecting mushrooms, avoid very young specimens as they also can be confused with much more poisonous (even deadly) young toadstools.

Imposter of the Horse and Field Mushroom - The Yellow Stainer

Imagine how surprised I was at discovering the Dark-centred Hebeloma (Hebeloma mesophaeum) in the depths of winter, especially this one in January 2010. The Guardian newspaper on 6 Jan has successfully predicted the coldest UK winter in 30 years.

Well, in this case it was 4th January and snow was evenly spread across Leicestershire – Martinshaw Woods to be precise. These are great woods with such a mix of tree species. I wasn’t expecting much in the way of mushrooms but I did find plenty of ‘Jelly Ear’ and the above mentioned fungus.

The Dark-centred Hebeloma (Hebeloma mesophaeum) also known as the Pine Mesophaeum grows under conifers and broad leaved trees, but in this case it was conifers, and this may have been the reason it was around at this time of year. I’m only guessing at this, but because there is a certain large chunk in the woods that is just conifer (after freezing my nether regions throughout the rest of the woods) the temperature change walking through them was quite surreal. The heat had risen a good few degrees. No snow had penetrated the canopies above and it felt like you had just walked into another wood at a different time of the year! There seemed to be a very powerful closed-in, greenhouse effect in this part of the woods.

So I can only guess that these were perfect conditions for the Dark-centred Hebeloma (Hebeloma mesophaeum) and they must have been hanging on since late autumn. They were scattered everywhere – dozens and dozens of them. Some people might consider them quite dull in appearance but I quite like them, even though they are inedible and possibly poisonous (as are most related species).

The mushroom itself has a convex (and slimy) cap and most striking of all is the dark brown centre itself (hence the common name). Young specimens have a cobweb-like veil covering the sinuate gills. The stem is white and sometimes has a faint brown ring zone (remants from the veil). It also has another good identifiable characteristic in which it has a faint smell similar to a raddish!

Scattered accross the pine floor showing the distinctive dark brown centre on the cap

I start this post with mixed praise. Setting it in ‘Tales of Toadstools’  (for I believe it’s a taodstool) and ‘Woodland Treats’ (for edibility content). But I stress – It’s not much of a ‘woodland treat’ for everyone out here, culinary speaking to be precise.

It’s one of those ‘they’re everywhere’ toadstools, around Leicestershire anyway. Their appearance can be really quite dull, but depending on their age, the Clouded Agaric (Clitocybe nebularis) can vary in medium to very large in size and has always interested me, mainly because it was really my first mushroom hunting discovery. Just shows how ‘common as muck’ they are!

They are recommended to be avoided for the food table, which I’m having a problem with. It seems such a waste. They’re large, juicy looking with loads of them about. The main reason being is that they can ‘disagree’ with some people and cause some bad stomach upset. Somebody must have tried to eat them, and what do they taste like? Was it worth it?

After a little net surfing I came across a great blog article covering this very subject. ‘Risky Eating’ was the title by the author Becky. She decided to take a chance and sample a small amount. Having no reaction after 24hours, she cooked up a lot of fungus and found it to be ‘really really tasty’ with a  ‘strong flavour’. (See the full article here)

So, come Autumn again this year, I think I’ll have a taster and see if I’m OK with it. Because if I am, then wow, I’ll be spoilt for pickings. Here’s hoping!

The cloudy grey brown agaric often grows in rings. Can grow quite large (15 - 20 cm).

It’s always nice to come across one of the most loved of all toadstools. I’m of course talking of the Fly Agaric from the Amanita family (Amanita muscaria). You’ve most probably seen it  illustrated in your favourite childhood nursery rhyme or story – or even even video game (gotta keep up with the times!).

It was interesting to know it was initially used as a fly killer (hence the name I suppose). In how this was achieved, I don’t know. Did you pick it, the grow it in your house? Hmm, interesting.

This mushroom is in the same family of the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) but is itself rarely fatal (you need to eat quite a few). It is not, as some people think, ‘THE’ Magic mushroom (or one of that kind) which are actually mushrooms of the Psilocybe family. But it is in fact a hallucinogenic. I, of course have never felt the urge to experiment – especially with the ones I’ve found (as you’ll see from the pictures). They all seem to be a snack stop for the bugs or are broken by passing animal traffic!

Anyway, I don’t feel the need to pick them, as they look great staying where they are, whatever their condition.

Another interesting point to anyone thinking of eating one of these (although I don’t recommend it) is that it is legal to ingest Amanita muscaria (in most countries), but illegal to ingest Magic mushrooms (Psilocybe family) in most countries as well. Depends if you want to stick on the straight and narrow I guess! Also be sure to look out for any Ceps (Boletus edulis) hanging around, as they sometimes grow nearby.

The best snap shots I have so far! Hopefully to replaced with better finds next year.

The Fly Agaric's Red cap with white spots (veil remnants)