Funeral Bell?

[negations]

I found these growing on some deciduous wood mulch at my local primary. It looks to me like Galerina marginata. I didn't fancy tasting them just in case. Identification is quite important as we will need to get rid of them for health and safety if they are poisonous.










Thanks in advance.

Paul

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by negations

Identification is quite important as we will need to get rid of them for health and safety if they are poisonous.

Odd! So are you going to chop any Yew or Laburnum trees down because they're poisonous, and sterilise all the soil because it might have Clostridium tetani spores or other pathogens in it?

Jim

[negations]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Odd! So are you going to chop any Yew or Laburnum trees down because they're poisonous, and sterilise all the soil because it might have Clostridium tetani spores or other pathogens in it?

Jim

Good point. I did just point it out to the head (I am not part of the school) and he wanted to "remove" them. For my part I am educating the students about them, but he claims that is "policy".

[negations]

To be fair though, if they are Funeral Bells and some 4 year old inadvertently eat one on school grounds, the head would be legally liable I assume.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Look like Stropharia aurantiaca to me. Assuming they are still called that.

Cheers,

Adam

[Brocakat]

negations, your attitude is actually more up-to-to-date ------- ( and IMO actually in the Real-World ) - & WHAT 'shocking things' can the children do at times other than in School-Times ?.....this Head-Teachers paranoia at the prospect of litigation is frightening ) ------- than your Head teachers attitude.

How about the Head Teacher educating/informing the children not to eat them & WHY it's not a good idea to eat them - rather than sheltering them ? 'Cotton-wooling' them is keeping them ignorant and I can't see any positive side to that. Action, not reaction is required. It seems this 'Head' is a genuine "Townie" .

Has he cut off all the stems from all the trees in that School Woodland - just in case
little Tom grazes his knee from jumping off from a height of 1.5 metres ?

I hope he realises the pendulum is swinging back towards exposing children to some (lowish) risks, as can be see from the latest Playground Equipment catalogues he may care to peruse.

The way he fobbed you off with the all-encompassing phrase 'Policy' speaks volumes.

I'm not saying 'leave them' or 'eat them' _ I'm saying 'be aware of them' . A bit like traffic. Not to be scared of the vehicles ( that are just like the one that brought the children to school !) - but to respect & watch out for them.

[negations]

Wise council and I think they are almost certainly the Leratiomyces ceres mentioned from looking at them. I suppose I need a better book as the Black's one does not have enough (will a book ever?).

I have advised the head that I will deal with the mushrooms through my Nature Club (2/3 of the school pop) as that is a more sensible way to proceed. They are very pretty and poisoning them out of existence is a bit akin to why there are so few things left in the UK fauna.

Thanks again.

Paul

[negations]

I think I have failed the mycological fraternity as the net result is the end of these poor fungi. I do blame myself as I was the resident "expert", the best I could come up with using the materials to hand was the Funeral Bell and this caused a bit of panic. The more likely mushroom, not that it makes much difference, was still considered a WMD and likely to be deployed at any time, so that is that. In future, I shall keep my ideas to myself and try to enjoy what is out there with my nature group, rather than invent new bogey persons.
I better not mention, as hinted by Jim, that the Yew tree in the church next door has rather poisonous berries.

[Adam Cheeseman]

The berries of the yew aren't poisonous, it's the seed within them that is.

Cheers,

Adam