Help Please - can anyone identify these fungi growing in new turf please?

[SW Animal Lover]

Hi

Could anyone please help me to identify these fungi?

I recently re-turfed my lawn with rolls of turf I bought. After about a week the fungi in the attached pictures started to grow, I find around 100+ a day. I have cats that are only allowed in my garden and so am concerned that these fungi might be poisnous or dangerous in someway to humans and/or cats.

Could anyone please identify these fungi for me and tell me whether or not they are poisnous/dangerous or contain any hallucinogenic substances please?

Many thanks

[Chris Yeates]

hi

gills possibly a bit pale but I would suspect that this is Panaeolina foenisecii - the specific epthet literally means "after the cut, or mowing" it is seldom absent from lawns, playing fields etc. and is not injurious to health

forum rules preclude commenting on the psychotropic qualities of fungi . . . .

Chris

PS are cats daft enough to eat toadstools? I've never come across it . . . .

Chris

[SW Animal Lover]

Hi Chris

Thank you for your reply.

Very glad to hear they are not poisonous, I have been scouring my garden day and night, picking every single one I find, and scrubbing my hands afterwards!

Sorry I didnt realise I wasnt allowed to ask re the hallucinogenic properties, but fully understand why I am not! I am just very concerned for my cats. As they are only allowed in my garden, they do tend to graze on the grass several times a day and dont seem to be that fussy when doing so. I've provided them with several types of 'kitty' grass, but they much prefer the lawn.

Someone told me that if I keep cutting the grass the fungi will disappear for good. Is that correct?

And are they mushrooms or toadstools? Whats the difference? Sorry, I have no knowledge of this at all.

Many thanks

[SW Animal Lover]

P.S.

I have tried to edit my original post to remove forbidden questions but it wont allow me to, so apologies.

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by SW Animal Lover

P.S.

I have tried to edit my original post to remove forbidden questions but it wont allow me to, so apologies.

Hi SW

Thank you for you pm and explanation which I am happy to allow without editing the thread.

John

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by SW Animal Lover

Someone told me that if I keep cutting the grass the fungi will disappear for good. Is that correct?

No!

Originally Posted by SW Animal Lover

And are they mushrooms or toadstools? Whats the difference? Sorry, I have no knowledge of this at all.

Many thanks

The terms 'mushroom' and 'toadstool' go back hundreds of years and don't really mean anything in today’s context. They are all fungi!

John

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

No!



The terms 'mushroom' and 'toadstool' go back hundreds of years and don't really mean anything in today’s context. They are all fungi!

John

in a parallel fashion the terms "butterflies" and "moths" don't have any scientific value

Chris

[SheffieldLass]

And Panaeolina foenisecii doesn't contain hallucinogenic substances anyway. Even though it is still on the list of fungi you are not allowed to have in your possession, unless they've recently had the sense to remove it.

Melanie

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by SW Animal Lover

Hi Chris

Thank you for your reply.

Someone told me that if I keep cutting the grass the fungi will disappear for good. Is that correct?

no it isn't - as I indicated in my earlier post the guy who originally gave it its scientific specific name foenisecii - (Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, a personal hero of mine - and I don't have many of those!), a great botanist/mycologist who lived much of his life in solitude and poverty, had recognised how it tends to appear after grass-cutting

the fruitbodies you see are just that - short of removing your new lawn (and even then probably not if it's still going to be grass) the business end of the fungus will still be there

you don't get rid of brambles by picking blackberries! (hmmmm worthy of Montaigne that one - but then again)

cheers

Chris

[SW Animal Lover]

Hi

Thank you all for your help and comments.

I sent the photographs to a rather well known SW plant visitor attraction! And their experts said the mushrooms were Panaeolus Ater and are not poisonous but are unedible and would make you sick.

I am still finding several every morning, will they ever stop growing? At least over the winter?

I have also found some other fungi this morning which I will put on a seperate thread, if I can upload the pics!

Thanks again