It is difficult to distinguish between poisonous and edible mushrooms in the wild. Brown, fly agaric, and morel mushrooms are deadly. Experts recommend using guidelines and field guides when picking mushrooms. Spore printing and chemical testing can accurately ensure a mushroom’s safety.
While the mushrooms available for purchase at your local grocery store should be safe to consume without a doubt, poisonous and edible mushrooms can be difficult to distinguish in the wild. References such as field guides should always be used when collecting wild mushrooms. Brown mushrooms, fly agaric mushrooms and morels are all deadly. Other types of mushrooms can cause digestive problems or hallucinations. Comparison with a reputable field guide can help reduce encounters with deadly mushrooms, but spore printing and chemical testing can more accurately ensure a mushroom’s safety.
Of the many different types of mushrooms, three cause nearly all toadstool-related deaths. Many poisonous and edible mushrooms look very similar, so it’s important to learn the differences between them. Experts recommend that even experienced pickers use guidelines when picking mushrooms. Mistakes can happen easily, and even experienced pickers have been poisoned by mushrooms.
Brown mushrooms are very common. These mushrooms are also called galerina and some refer to them as deadly galerina. Fallen trees, stumps, and dead wood provide the perfect home for clusters of these mushrooms. Like a common mushroom, these are often collected, although all small brown mushrooms should be avoided, because accurate identification is difficult.
About 90 percent of poisonings that occur with mushrooms occur due to Amanita. Even experts who are skilled at distinguishing between poisonous and edible mushrooms are often unable to tell the difference between an amanita and a safe mushroom. Amanita has a bulbous base that is unique to this type of mushroom but may not always grow above ground, so careful digging may need to be done. The “death cap” is a type of Amanita, as is the “destroying angel” which closely resembles the safe “meadow mushrooms” that are sold in stores. Most deaths are caused by “the destroying angel” due to the close resemblance.
One of the most popular mushrooms in the world is morel. These mushrooms have wrinkled caps, thick stems, and a flavor that’s considered one of the best. False morels, which are poisonous, look similar. The differences between poisonous and edible mushrooms are that false morels have caps that are not attached to the stem. Care should always be taken when harvesting morels because while both types are season favorites, both types can also grow at any time during the year.
Poisonous and edible mushrooms are easy to mix. Many types of mushrooms are poisonous enough to cause stomach upsets or hallucinations but are not deadly. Pickers shouldn’t taste a mushroom to see if it is poisonous, because some types of toadstools don’t taste bad, even if they are deadly. Spore printing, in which the moist mushroom cap is pressed against white paper to see the impression of the spore – specifically, its color – should be done to identify safe mushrooms. Additionally, chemical tests should be performed to ensure a mushroom is safe.
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