Lawn With Mushrooms

[Mary Fisher]

No, I was puzzled too - but I'm not renowned for my numeracy.

Mary

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes, 95% are just disgusting, of the rest, equal numbers (2 1/2% each) are edible and poisonous respectively.

And of the edible ones, only about half a dozen species are worth it, and of the poisonous ones, only about 4 species are actually truly dangerous. The rest make you sick, but don't kill you.

[Anna Kettle]

I discovered a great one only last year called the beefsteak fungus. It grows on oak trees, looks red and bloody and highly un-vegetarian and tastes of lemon

Conveniently, behind my house is a country estate planted with several hundred mature oaks so I shall be eating more beefsteak fungus this autumn

Anna ~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Plaster conservation and lime plaster repair / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|

01359 230642

[Mary Fisher]

Do you ever have guests ?

:-)

Mary

[The Natural Philosopher]

That is allegedly one of the few worth eating.

You may also find the odd boletus in your neck of the woods.

[Andrew Gabriel]

A couple I knew who liked to go mushroom picking always used to leave one of each type behind after the meal in a bowl on the dining table. The idea was that if friends or relatives should find them unconcious, they could tell what had been eaten.

That also reminds be of sitting in Casulty some 20 years ago for a couple of hours at University College Hospital whilst someone who just had something heavy come smashing down on the bridge of their nose was waiting to be seen. Anyway, the only thing in the waiting area to provide even the most remote mental stimulation was a large chart of different types of mushroom. For want of something better to do, I had walked over to it and spent what would otherwise be a totally unreasonable length of time studying all the mushroom on it. I must have said something to one of the nursing staff -- can't recall what now. Anyway, she responded the chart wasn't there just to look pretty, it was so people could say "I ate _that_ one" whilst doubled over with stomach cramps or whatever...

[Mary Fisher]

And has that ever happened?

:-)

Mary

[Andrew Gabriel]

I don't believe so, at least not before they got divorced.

[MJ]

When we went through a phase of hunting, I found a purplish/violet one which tasted fantastic. A very beefy or steak-like taste. We never did find any more. This one was growing near a tree in a car park.

MJ