Janice
Presently Honey Fungus seems to have exploded in this area.
It also seems to be a good year for Sweet Chestnuts (or maybe I never looked
before).
There are really fat ones about.
I have plates of unidentified fungus in the kitchen.
Am presently struggling with a bright scarlet waxcap- very little yelow in it -
caps under 2cm , domed rather than conical
They seem so distinctive and yet Phillips and Jordan seem tobe living in
completely different worlds to each other and to me.
I have been away and my computer has gone all wrong, but in my absence
FungiGirl seems to have been drumming up a storm- well done
Thank you for the compliment J Simons! Where is your area where Shaggy
Inkcaps are exploding because they are not exploding in mine (SW London,
North Surrey). However, like you I have seen more Honey Mushrooms than
usual. I am also finding some Bay Boletus under pine and Hedgehog Fungus -
nothing in London/Surrey area seems that plentiful probably because we have
a lot of experienced commercial hunters who scour the woods early in the
mornings.
I understand the problems using Phillips & Jordan for identification. It is
frustrating because you know you could probably eat some of them but aren't
too sure. P & J are OK - you just have to keep thumbing through the pages
for years until you almost know it off by heart - not much comfort I spose.
Gardengirl
Fungigirl (gardengirl as well on uk.rec.gardening)
>I understand the problems using Phillips & Jordan for identification. It is
>frustrating because you know you could probably eat some of them but aren't
>too sure. P & J are OK - you just have to keep thumbing through the pages
>for years until you almost know it off by heart - not much comfort I spose.
I started with a tiny little book, collins pocket guide - did me alright
though. I read it from cover to cover several times then went out
collecting reasonably confident. If there were two species in a family
and the specimens I found were definitely not the one, then they must be
the other unless obviously quite different.
It was only later when I got some bigger books that I realised there are
many more species in some of the families.
Andy R - voting for Six
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Newbies take warning! If we had more deadly species in the uk, this
method could kill you...
I've eaten Amanita rubescens, with trepidation, but not gone much
further than that. Neurotoxins are scary.