A plea for help

[dunlin]

Hi all,
I am a complete novice at fungi identification but would like to improve, so thought i would ask the more knowledgeable members if you had any tips that could help me get started.
Ive got a pretty good book on the subject but find the subject really confusing. If its an obvious one like say fly agaric or something like that then im not so bad.
Its the ones that look so similar that get me, or is it simply a matter of getting as much detail as possible and looking in a book

It may sound a stupid question and if it does just ignore me. Id like to know what the thought processes you go through when you spot something for the first time, what are the first things i should be getting to grips with to help me improve?

Sorry if im rambling. Any tips/help would be appreciated
cheers mark....

ps:- I was looking through roger philips Mushrooms today page 63 Lactarius species.

CURRY MILKCAP. In the description he goes on to say "taste mild, smell weakly of bugs when fresh.

Is this a misprint or is this the level of detail you need to aquire. What on earth do bugs smell like

[NickCantle]

Hi Dunlin,

Step back, and ask yourself if you want to get knee deep in mushrooms, because it's addictive

Well, my first suggestion would have been to get a decent book, but you've got that bit covered, so that saves some text. The best thing to do is to get a basket or trug of some sort, take yourself in to the woods for a day. Try various habitats, you'll find you have varying amounts of success in different habitats. Collect one specimen of each species that you find and take it home for an evening with just you, WAB and your book. If you consult your book and you can confidently ID one of the species you've picked, then you've done really well- also, once you gain a little confidence by proving to yourself that you can ID a mushroom by the use of a book, the next time you see that mushroom in the woods, you'll remember the name of it because you'll associate it with your success.

Take photographs and make use of digital photography by photographing as many features as there are on the mushroom. Sharp and well exposed images of the cap, the gills and the specimen in situ' are all necessary to increase the chances of a positive ID. Notes are also a good idea- Smell, taste and notes on colour changes when bruised/cut.

Smell is a subjective thing- Some smell of coconut, some of bedbugs, some of curry and some of mice. My Mother just thinks they all just smell of mushrooms, and she'd be right, but you cop a load of a Sulphur Tricholoma and you'll disagree! Taste is one to do once you get confident enough to identify a specimen up to genus- The genus Russula, for example, is quite often nibbled by mycologists to ascertain certain tastes and effects. The specimen is spat out afterwards, and care is taken not to ingest any of the item.

It's the variety that makes the subject interesting. Knowing that you may be the first to discover something, or discover a new record for your county or even country. You will learn to recognise Genus by the features of a mushroom- the way the gills are attached, the smells, what it feels like, is it sticky, does it have a ring, goes it have pores, is it growing on an odd substrate? These are all things that need to be taken into account. The feeling when you see something you've not seen before is excellent and because it's not something you've seen before, it is natural instinct to observe it carefully and study it due to excitement, and just doing that leads to you learning more and more about every new species you find. In February of this year, on a foray with the 'Shrooms Hampshire ABFG group, I discovered a beautiful species that has only had a handful of records - Arrhenia chlorocyanea. As soon as it was spotted, we had the feeling it was something special because it's a very distinctive mushroom- Blue/black cap, white/grey gills and an absolutely gorgeous structure. For something so distinctive not to be recognised sets an alarm off in your head. Sometimes I get home to find that the species I'd not seen before is dead common, but it's all about learning and becoming familiar.

Don't jump in feet first is my advice. Keep it fun, and remember that it's just a joy to be out in the woods. If you decide to take it further, then by all means do, but you'll be delving into microscope and chemicals territory. Talking of microscopes, let me just tell you, though you might already know, that you're not guaranteed to get a positive ID on anything you post. Chances are, that if you provide the corresponding notes and images, you'll narrow it down to genus, and half of the time have the species too, but the other half will always be the bit that keeps it interesting.

It'll be good to see you as a frequent visitor in the forum and I look forward to your ID posts (if you're not a natural and ID everything you find on your own ).

Please don't hesitate to ask if you need to know anything else.

Nick

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by dunlin

ps:- I was looking through roger philips Mushrooms today page 63 Lactarius species.

CURRY MILKCAP. In the description he goes on to say "taste mild, smell weakly of bugs when fresh.

Is this a misprint or is this the level of detail you need to aquire. What on earth do bugs smell like

Ah, well, if you want to go where you want to go, I wouldn't start here! Get bug smells and Curry under your belt first.

Slightly more seriously, I do know what you mean. I think a steer on to a good book with simple keys is probably a good start. I shall watch this with interest, having just started finding fungi in the local woods. Isn't the season long this year?

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by dunlin

CURRY MILKCAP. In the description he goes on to say "taste mild, smell weakly of bugs when fresh.

Is this a misprint or is this the level of detail you need to aquire. What on earth do bugs smell like

Actually this is interesting!

The name of the herb Coriander apparently means 'bug like'. Crush a coriander leaf and remember the smell. Now 'harass' a shield bug and smell it. The smell _is_ strikingly similar to coriander!

Jim

[fairplay]

The excellent point you make about smell has been debated many times and there will never be a satisfactory conclusion.

I guess first you have to see if the fungus has gills underneath or has pores (Tubes).

Next, is it Toadstool (Agaric) shaped or is it Bracket shaped.

If it has gills you will have to compare them to a chart usually illustrated in a beginners ID book to see how they are attached to the stem. You will normally have to pull up the fungus to do this.

While you have the fungus in your hand, note any smell (even if it is the Death Cap, it is safe to sniff and even nibble as long as you spit it out) and note the colour of the gills which may change colour if it is a young specimen - a good example here being the ordinary mushroom you get in the grocers, they being pink in the 'button' stage, and chocolate brown in the 'open cap' (mature) stage. Have you ever noticed the spores when you leave a mature mushroom in the bag or face down on the kitchen table ?

If it is a Bracket fungus it still may have tubes or gills, remember what tree species it was growing on, live or dead wood, head height , waist height or at the base of the tree.

I have forgotten the MOST IMPORTANT POINT and that is to identify your poisonous fungi first. This is essential to know before you even think about eating wild fungi.

Good luck,

Neil.

[fairplay]

Blimey Nick, I thought I went on a bit, but you've used up the the country's ink supply.

Neil.

[dunlin]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Hi Dunlin,

Step back, and ask yourself if you want to get knee deep in mushrooms, because it's addictive

Well, my first suggestion would have been to get a decent book, but you've got that bit covered, so that saves some text. The best thing to do is to get a basket or trug of some sort, take yourself in to the woods for a day. Try various habitats, you'll find you have varying amounts of success in different habitats. Collect one specimen of each species that you find and take it home for an evening with just you, WAB and your book. If you consult your book and you can confidently ID one of the species you've picked, then you've done really well- also, once you gain a little confidence by proving to yourself that you can ID a mushroom by the use of a book, the next time you see that mushroom in the woods, you'll remember the name of it because you'll associate it with your success.

Take photographs and make use of digital photography by photographing as many features as there are on the mushroom. Sharp and well exposed images of the cap, the gills and the specimen in situ' are all necessary to increase the chances of a positive ID. Notes are also a good idea- Smell, taste and notes on colour changes when bruised/cut.

Smell is a subjective thing- Some smell of coconut, some of bedbugs, some of curry and some of mice. My Mother just thinks they all just smell of mushrooms, and she'd be right, but you cop a load of a Sulphur Tricholoma and you'll disagree! Taste is one to do once you get confident enough to identify a specimen up to genus- The genus Russula, for example, is quite often nibbled by mycologists to ascertain certain tastes and effects. The specimen is spat out afterwards, and care is taken not to ingest any of the item.

It's the variety that makes the subject interesting. Knowing that you may be the first to discover something, or discover a new record for your county or even country. You will learn to recognise Genus by the features of a mushroom- the way the gills are attached, the smells, what it feels like, is it sticky, does it have a ring, goes it have pores, is it growing on an odd substrate? These are all things that need to be taken into account. The feeling when you see something you've not seen before is excellent and because it's not something you've seen before, it is natural instinct to observe it carefully and study it due to excitement, and just doing that leads to you learning more and more about every new species you find. In February of this year, on a foray with the 'Shrooms Hampshire ABFG group, I discovered a beautiful species that has only had a handful of records - Arrhenia chlorocyanea. As soon as it was spotted, we had the feeling it was something special because it's a very distinctive mushroom- Blue/black cap, white/grey gills and an absolutely gorgeous structure. For something so distinctive not to be recognised sets an alarm off in your head. Sometimes I get home to find that the species I'd not seen before is dead common, but it's all about learning and becoming familiar.

Don't jump in feet first is my advice. Keep it fun, and remember that it's just a joy to be out in the woods. If you decide to take it further, then by all means do, but you'll be delving into microscope and chemicals territory. Talking of microscopes, let me just tell you, though you might already know, that you're not guaranteed to get a positive ID on anything you post. Chances are, that if you provide the corresponding notes and images, you'll narrow it down to genus, and half of the time have the species too, but the other half will always be the bit that keeps it interesting.

It'll be good to see you as a frequent visitor in the forum and I look forward to your ID posts (if you're not a natural and ID everything you find on your own ).

Please don't hesitate to ask if you need to know anything else.

Nick

Wow thanks nick thats some reply, thanks for the info and i will certainly be visiting and posting pictures on the forum.

Ive been a bird watcher for most of my life but fungi identification is a whole new ball game that requires the use of all the senses.
I spend most of my spare time in the woods and wish i had taken more interest years ago in what is proving to be a fascinating subject.

Many thanks for the response

regards mark....

[dunlin]

Originally Posted by fairplay

The excellent point you make about smell has been debated many times and there will never be a satisfactory conclusion.

I guess first you have to see if the fungus has gills underneath or has pores (Tubes).

Next, is it Toadstool (Agaric) shaped or is it Bracket shaped.

If it has gills you will have to compare them to a chart usually illustrated in a beginners ID book to see how they are attached to the stem. You will normally have to pull up the fungus to do this.

While you have the fungus in your hand, note any smell (even if it is the Death Cap, it is safe to sniff and even nibble as long as you spit it out) and note the colour of the gills which may change colour if it is a young specimen - a good example here being the ordinary mushroom you get in the grocers, they being pink in the 'button' stage, and chocolate brown in the 'open cap' (mature) stage. Have you ever noticed the spores when you leave a mature mushroom in the bag or face down on the kitchen table ?

If it is a Bracket fungus it still may have tubes or gills, remember what tree species it was growing on, live or dead wood, head height , waist height or at the base of the tree.

I have forgotten the MOST IMPORTANT POINT and that is to identify your poisonous fungi first. This is essential to know before you even think about eating wild fungi.

Good luck,

Neil.

Thanks neil some great pointers that i will have to remember, just the sort of advice i need.

Its interesting you mention the point about poisonous mushrooms its that what put me off in the first place. I first thought about mushrooms as free food but now realise its such i diverse subject im going to stick with looking and not eating them.
As the saying goes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

many thanks for the reply
regards mark

[CapAndBracket]

Someone mentioned isn't the season long this year, if you stick with the fine band on here you will find as with bird watching the season is all year.

Along with agreeing on the responses you have recieved i would also add that if you can find a local group you can join on forays occasionally that this will accelerate your learning and boy can it be fun. Enjoy.

Cheers J.P.

[fairplay]

I'll certainly second that J.P.

Neil.