Newbie...

[Wyldkatt]

Okay, so I am a newbie to this forum. I have an interest in foraging. I live in a village in Bedfordshire which allows me to forage for a number of fruits and the local hunts keep me supplied with game and as usual with village life there are always vegetables to swap for other fruits and vegatables with neighbours.

The last thing I would like to tackle is fungi. Starting off with those that are growing on a regular basis in my garden.

I have looked for some time on the net and can't seem to find other like minded in Beds, hence why I have joined this forum.

To start me off, please can you help identify the following. (Apologies for the quality of the photo - phone camera)

I think that the first one is a young shaggy ink cap and is about 11cm tall...



As for these next two - I have not a clue.

This one is extremely common in my garden and I have included both young and old...



And this one grows often but is a solitary figure...



So can you help me identify these for sure please. I would love to know if I have some good eating fungi....

[NickCantle]

Good afternoon and a warm welcome to WAB,

First off, if you're going to be swapping and exchanging fungi with neighbours, you'd better knuckle down for a few months. If you decide to take a chance with your edibles, that's up to you, but when a second person/community enters the equation, it's a big no-no unless you're 100% certain. Anyways, enough of the boring bit and let's get down to your ID's.

As you say, the quality isn't stunning, but you can make out a few features (phone camera is very convenient and I've got a few ID's using mine- it's better than no photograph). It is never easy to identify by photos alone, even those photographs that are large, in focus and well saturated. If you are trying to achieve an identification purely by photographs, (which is rarely guaranteed) then there are a number of things to take in to account. But these things are generally included to ascertain more chance of a certain ID.

• Photograph the specimen in its natural habitat if possible
• Photograph the cap
• Photograph the gills
• Photograph the stipe/stem
• If you've narrowed down to genus and you know it's safe to nibble, include the taste with your ID post
• What did the fungus smell like?
• What were the dimensions of the fungus?
• Which habitat was it growing in? (Woodland, heathland, pastures, etc)

Your first photograph is not an Ink Cap. For one, the structure is much too large for Coprinus. To me it looks much more like a Shaggy Parasol - Macrolepiota rhacodes. For a start, at the lower end of the stem, you can see that there is a 'bulb' like feature which is characteristic of this species. Upon inspection of the stem, there is no ring- in Shaggy Parasols there should be one, but if you look, the specimen isn't old enough to have formed it. It is evident that if this specimen's cap was to expand more, the membranous fibres attaching the outer edge of the cap would tear off thus forming the ring. Another good test to see if you have a Shaggy Parasol is to cut the flesh- it should flush red and here in your photograph, I can see slight reddening of the stem and flesh. To top it off, the scales atop the cap of this specimen are characteristic of this species.

As for your further two photographs, you've not much chance of a certain ID, though If I had to have a guess at the first one I'd say Marasmius oreades - The fairy ring champignon, but that's only a very vague guess!

Anyways, I hope that hasn't scared you off!

Hope it helps

Nick

[Wyldkatt]

Thanks for that. I wasn't about to go swapping fungi until I knew what I was doing....

I will remember this tips about identification. I would normally use my very good digital camera, but as usual, when you need it you find the rechargeable batteries are fully discharged!

And I guess this is going to be one of those subjects where I should get to know the actual name, rather than the common name. (That will please my sister who can give you the actual name of most garden plants)

Once again, thanks for the prompt reply.

[flaxton]

I would agree with your ID Nick but doooo keep up its Chlorophyllum rhacodes now

Mal
Don't want to upset anyone but the common name hasn't changed

[NickCantle]

Cheers mal, I was trying to think of the new one but got carried away. Chlorophyllum rhacodes it is!

[Wyldkatt]

Guys - I am truely grateful for your help, but which one is now Chlorophyllum rhacodes:

Macrolepiota rhacodes or Marasmius oreades

You haven't made it easy for the newbie....

I don't want to many any assumptions!

[NickCantle]

Lol, wise move and never be afraid to ask LOADS of questions!

Macrolepiota rhacodes is now Chlorophyllum rhacodes. I'm pretty sure Marasmius oreades is still the same

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by Wyldkatt

Guys - I am truely grateful for your help, but which one is now Chlorophyllum rhacodes:

Macrolepiota rhacodes or Marasmius oreades

You haven't made it easy for the newbie....

I don't want to many any assumptions!

Hi and a warm welcome sorry if we made it more complicated than it needed to be. Over the years as identification techniques improve and especially now with DNA testing some fungi has changed from one name to another. Chlorophyllum rhacodes is one. Most of us knew it as Lepiota rhacodes it then moved to Macrolepiota rhacodes and now (at least for the time being) it has moved to Chlorophyllum rhacodes. But don't get bogged down with such things (yet) just enjoy fungi and this forum.

Mal

[Wyldkatt]

hehehe....

If they do they same to plants then my sister is going to have a lot of learning to do!