Hello. I found these growing in my backyard grass. They smell like typical mushrooms, and didn't bleed when broken. I'm doing a spore print right now. The spore print is white. Thanks.
This looks like Lepiota naucina, which is an edible mushroom that should be eaten only if identified by an expert, which I'm not. It resembles poisonous species of Amanitas that can kill; so it is not worth the risk to try it out. I've never eaten it myself, since the flavour is reported to be not that great. Since Chanterelles are available in abundance in the Lower Mainland of BC, I can't see the point of picking any mushrooms that don't taste at least as good as Chanterelles.
Attractive mushroom! Did you folks see the recent news of mistaken L. naucina related death? http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/08/27/judith-josephine-koritar-1944-2009/ p.s. we should move this thread to the Mushroom ID forum
Thank you frog for that link... So many people just don't realize how DEADLY a mistake can be. From famous people like the gentleman who wrote The Horse Whisperer to this lovely lady who was known locally in her area.....it takes a toll on those who dont' know their ID's for sure.
THat's remarkable. It seems that she was not killed directly by the Destroying Angel, but by aspergillus, the family of fungus that ferments soy sauce. This usually only kills those with compromised immune systems and no-doubt the immunosuppressive transplant drugs played a role in this infection. Nevertheless an awful end to a life very well lived. Know your mushrooms!
I don't think the article made it clear that Ms. Koritar died of Amanita poisoning, although it would make sense if she did. How could she have made such a tragic mistake? My mushroom books are full of warnings that Lepiota naucina resembles the deadly white Amanitas. On the other hand, there are deadly poisonous Lepiotas, such as Lepiota josserandii. If one wants to try Lepiota naucina (I've done it and had no mishaps), I'd recommend the following precautions: 1. Along the mid-Atlantic coastal area, my experience has been that L. naucina fruits only after the first cold snap of autumn, when the temperature has dipped to the mid 40's. I don't try to find it before then. 2. I look carefully at the ring around the stem. If it hangs like a skirt, that's a bad sign; I might investigate no further. 3. I dig the base of the stem carefully from the soil, and if there's a GHOST OF A CHANCE there was ever a volva, I discard the specimen. 4. Because some small-sized species of Lepiota are poisonous (indeed, said to contain poisons like the Amanitas have), I discard any specimens that aren't the typically fairly large size that L. naucina has. 5. I make sure the gills of fully developed plants aren't greenish. That would be a bad sign - the poisonous Lepiota molybdites. 6. I make sure all the gills of all the specimens turn brown on cooking. If any remained white, the entire dish would have to be discarded.
