My neighbor told me he found a bunch of mushrooms growing under his pine trees. Would you try eating them?

Question

http://static.flickr.com/96/244131744_2cf598b9e7_b.jpg
Or what else?

Lee J, you're scaring me.

I want to add, this was only hypothetical. I just took pictures. Right now, no wild mushrooms or store spinach.

Answer 1

Absolutely not unless you are an expert on mushrooms. Many are fatal and look just like the ones in the store produce section.

Your picture looks like a poisonous Amanitas.
Amanitas (Amanita spp.)

Amanitas are the reason why there are no old, bold mushroom hunters. Several members of this group contain amanitin, one of the deadliest poisons found in nature. One cap of a Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa) can kill a man

An amanita starts as an egg-shaped button which can resemble a small puffball. This breaks open as the mushroom grows. Fully developed amanitas are gilled mushrooms with parasol-shaped caps that may be white, yellow, red or brown. They also have the following characteristics:

1. A saclike cup surrounding the base of the stem. This often is buried just beneath the soil surface and may not be obvious.
2. A ring on the stem.
3. White gills.
4. A white spore print (see page 12).

Both the ring and the bulb may be destroyed by rain or other disturbance. For this reason, beginning mushroom hunters should avoid all parasol-shaped mushrooms with white gills.

Amanitas are usually found on the ground in woodlands in summer and fall, but be on the lookout for them whenever you hunt for mushrooms.

Answer 2

It's funny you mention this, because just yesterday night I was going through a bunch of old books I read in high school and one of them was called The Wildreness Survival Handbook. I also, found some mushrooms growing in my backyard, not under our pine trees but in close proximity to them. I looked up mushrooms in the book and it gave a list of wild poisonous mushrooms and pictures of what they looked like. There's a species of mushroom that grows under pine trees called Amanita. Apparently there are many different genuses or whatever, but they showed the four most poisonous ones. Two were deadly and and the other two were deadly if enough were eaten. Apparently, they attack the kidneys and cause immediate failure. There is no antidote for Amanitas to date. I wouldn't even give them to your dog or cat if you have any pets. I tried giving the ones I found near our pine trees to my rabbit and she turned her nose away and when I pushed it towards her again, she jumped back. Animals know. According to this book, often the most beautiful mushrooms are the most deadly ones. If you handle them, I would wash your hands thoroughly w/ soap and water.

Why don't you just stick to eating button mushrooms, Portabello, Shiitake, Oyster, Morels (really expensive), etc.

Answer 3

No, nto unless I was N expert at odentifying mushrooms. It's more likely that your hypothetical neighbor found toadstools which I wouldn't eat either.

Answer 4

NO...do not eat or even taste. Some mushrooms are poisonous that can make you very ill or worse. If you are going to eat mushrooms, be sure they are purchased from your local supermarket.

Answer 5

Never eat a mushroom until you know exactly what it is. Even some edibles have look-a-like poisonous cousins.

Answer 6

No mushrooms from the outdoors, and today no bagged spinach.

Answer 7

I dont think it would be that hard to find someone to identify them as psilocybin or not. Take them to a horticulturist (?) or whoever does that sort of thing in your area. Good luck.

Answer 8

i be double checking they were safe to eat. not sure how to ID safe mushrooms. lots of different types can be poisonous

Answer 9

umm no most mushrooms that grow in your yard are posion.

Answer 10

nope