Amanita citrina under the giant oakmushroom, learning mycology
So, it has been both exciting and scary mushroom-learning-wise for the last two days. But good & important learning. I bought a new book (a shout-out to Half-Price Books–I LOVE you!). The new book is The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia by Peter Jordan & Steven Wheeler. It wasn’t really what I was looking for because the book’s emphasis is on the consuming of mushrooms. It turns out, though, that the pictures are really great (multiple pictures of each family, various ages/poses/appearances and attractively arranged) so it has been more helpful in a lot of ways than Texas Mushrooms by the Metzlers who usually show just one image of each mushroom.
The scary part has been finding out through these two books that many mushrooms I have found so far are toxic/poisonous or possibly downright deadly. It’s really okay because I HAVE been very careful about not putting my hands in my mouth until I have washed them twice with 2 different kinds of soap…just in case… That’s because I know that I don’t know anything (almost) about mushrooms (or the rest of life). But it still has made me feel a little yucky to know that I may have gotten rather up close & personal with the DESTROYING ANGEL (Amanita virosa) or the DEATH CAP (Amanita phalloides)!
Which mushroom is this?
Good view of gills & stem, Amanita right?
Maybe I am being overly dramatic. Since I took these pictures on one of the first days that I lived here and didn’t know I needed to dig around it to see if there was a volva cap. Maybe one of you experienced mycologists out there will tell me it is totally innocuous.
I don’t think you can say the same thing about the ones below, although I do realize there is a big difference between “death is almost a certainty” and “poisonous/toxic/make you really sick.”
I have a question: what if I handle one of the really highly poisonous mushrooms & accidentally wipe my eyes or my nose? Could that be dangerous at all?
And don’t forget the very attractive Amanita citrina–such a pretty yellow color, so attractive in a group around the giant oak, but also called the False Death Cap (it is false because it is not deadly–but it is tagged ‘not edible.’)
- close-up (universal veil washed off in rains)
Last word: Texas Mushroom authors say don’t eat little brown mushrooms! The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia says don’t bother with any mushroom that has the volval cup. My idea was only to ID mushrooms. I really never thought I would find a chanterelle or cep bolet. If I do, I will be damned sure that I really, really, really know it’s ok before I take it to the kitchen.
It’s too bad to end today’s blog this way, but my next blog will feature some of the hilarious mushrooms I’ve found–who knew they could be so weird!
FloraExplored 