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 EasyPeez
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Registered: 11/05/08
Posts: 82
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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 ID Request - Puffball? 
#17083499 - 10/23/12 04:41 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Hi,
Please could someone help ID the following and confirm if it is an edible puffball please? Poss Handkea excipuliformis?
It's not quite as 'cudgel-like' as my book describes it - as you'll see there is a definite distinction between the stem and the cap.
It was found 23/10/12 in Yorkshire, on a grass verge in a residential area under trees (chesnut I think), in a group of 3. My book also mentions small warts but I can't see much evidence of this. Smell is subtle and mushroomy, nothing really notable. Thick stem.
I also spotted these in woodland (first one growing on a healthy tree, second growing on dead wood, so if anyone can identify those I'd be grateful. Cheers.
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 Tangich
Registered: 10/28/09
Posts: 8,723
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: EasyPeez]
#17083514 - 10/23/12 04:51 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Can you slice one in half? It looks like an immature Agaricus in the 2nd picture, but it's too blurry to be certain.
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EasyPeez
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Registered: 11/05/08
Posts: 82
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Tangich]
#17083544 - 10/23/12 05:05 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Will get on it and post something up this afternoon. Sorry about the pic quality, I really need to invest in a proper camera.
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EasyPeez
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Registered: 11/05/08
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Tangich]
#17084094 - 10/23/12 08:49 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Sliced in half as requested...sure does look and feel tasty!
I also found these this afternoon...any ideas?
1. Found in ploughed field. White with dappled top. There were quite a few coming through with dome-shaped caps, flattening out on the more mature ones.
2. I think/thought this is the same kind of mushroom as 1. but then on turning it the gills seem brown on this one as opposed to white. Maybe just an aspect of it maturing?
3. Small, shiny, quite bright yellow (or so it seems to my colour-blind eyes). Found on a golf course. Wondered about Bolbitius vitellinus but seems too small and too yellow?
4. Deep red colour (I think?!) Found on grass at a caravan park.
5. Doesn't really show up on the pic but these were a sulphurous yellow colour (again, to my eyes) and very slimy. Found in a playpark.
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Tangich
Registered: 10/28/09
Posts: 8,723
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: EasyPeez]
#17084341 - 10/23/12 09:52 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yes, the 'puffball' is a young Agaricus species. If they smell nice, like store bought button mushrooms, they are edible, poisonous species would bruise intense yellow on the bottom of the stipe when cut (but it fades almost completely after half an hour).
#1 & #2 are Volvopluteus or Pluteus species. Did you see if the bottom of the stipe ends in a volva? Or is there wood burried underneath.
#3 - Bolbitius titubans.
EDIT: Forgot to say, you have to be very careful when picking immature mushrooms that look like 'puffballs', deadly amanitas can look very similar at that stage.
Edited by Tangich (10/23/12 10:03 AM)
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EasyPeez
Stranger
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Posts: 82
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Tangich]
#17085453 - 10/23/12 01:14 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Please forgive my ignorance, but when you say the bottom of the stipe ends, do you mean the bottom of the base when pulled out of the ground? I'm used to picking libs so always snip or snap rather than pull to protect the mycelium, and that's what I did with these. So no, I didn't see the very bottom. They weren't growing out of wood though unless it was buried wood - they were coming up in a patch of ploughed field.
Re: the Agaricus, again I'm very ignorant I'm afraid and am confused as to genus, species etc. So if Agaricus is the genus, within this there will be hundreds of individual species, some of which are edible and some not? Is that right? And the ones I've found are edible but some mushrooms, despite being of the same genus, are a different species and so might be deadly (and poss. stain yellow as you said)? And so if for example, Agaricus = genus and bisporus = species what is the actual term for the overarching plant name mushroom/fungi? I always thought that was the species...obv not.
With the Pluteus, are they edible? Or are you unsure of the exact species of Pluteus and therefore unsure of edibility?
A quick google has brought my attention to Pluteus Salicinus - apparently this and some other Pluteus Species contain Psilocybin - is this true and if so do these grow in England? I thought Semilanceata and Cyanescens were the only 2 native hallucinogenic shrooms...
Finally, you didn't mention the last 2 or the earlier 2 that I found growing on wood - too hard to tell because of the photo quality?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks for all your help, it really is much appreciated.
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Tangich
Registered: 10/28/09
Posts: 8,723
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: EasyPeez]
#17090453 - 10/24/12 03:58 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
EasyPeez said:
Please forgive my ignorance, but when you say the bottom of the stipe ends, do you mean the bottom of the base when pulled out of the ground? I'm used to picking libs so always snip or snap rather than pull to protect the mycelium, and that's what I did with these. So no, I didn't see the very bottom. They weren't growing out of wood though unless it was buried wood - they were coming up in a patch of ploughed field.
Yes, I mean the very bottom, where the fruit is attached to the mycelium. If the species is Volvopluteus gloiocephalus, then it would have a volva, a formation like half an eggshell on the bottom.
Quote:
EasyPeez said:
Re: the Agaricus, again I'm very ignorant I'm afraid and am confused as to genus, species etc. So if Agaricus is the genus, within this there will be hundreds of individual species, some of which are edible and some not? Is that right? And the ones I've found are edible but some mushrooms, despite being of the same genus, are a different species and so might be deadly (and poss. stain yellow as you said)? And so if for example, Agaricus = genus and bisporus = species what is the actual term for the overarching plant name mushroom/fungi? I always thought that was the species...obv not.
Yes, Agaricus is the genus, bisporus the species. That particular mushrooms 'full name' is Agaricus bisporus, always both parts need to be mentioned.
There are a lot of species within Agaricus, most of which are edible, and very good. Poisonous species bruise yellow on the bottom of the stipe, and more importantly, have a strong, unpleasant, chemicall or ink like scent. But none of those species is deadly, they cause gastric problems.
Some Amanitas can look very similar to puffballs when young because they are enveloped in the volva, so you need to cat every one in half to see if a deadly little mushroom is hiding beneath.
Quote:
EasyPeez said:
With the Pluteus, are they edible? Or are you unsure of the exact species of Pluteus and therefore unsure of edibility?
A quick google has brought my attention to Pluteus Salicinus - apparently this and some other Pluteus Species contain Psilocybin - is this true and if so do these grow in England? I thought Semilanceata and Cyanescens were the only 2 native hallucinogenic shrooms...
Finally, you didn't mention the last 2 or the earlier 2 that I found growing on wood - too hard to tell because of the photo quality?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks for all your help, it really is much appreciated.
That definitely isn't one of the psychoactive pluteus. And sorry, I have no idea if they grow in England, I guess they might.
As I said, I'm not sure if it's a Pluteus or Volvopluteus, but I'm leaning towards the latter. If it is Volvopluteus gloicephalus, then it's edible but not very good.
And yeah, I didn't mention the others because I'm not sure. I guess the last one in your first post is a young Auricularia.
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Byrain
Registered: 01/07/10
Posts: 9,664
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Tangich]
#17090560 - 10/24/12 05:31 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tangich said:
Yes, the 'puffball' is a young Agaricus species. If they smell nice, like store bought button mushrooms, they are edible, poisonous species would bruise intense yellow on the bottom of the stipe when cut (but it fades almost completely after half an hour).
Quote:
Tangich said:Poisonous species bruise yellow on the bottom of the stipe, and more importantly, have a strong, unpleasant, chemicall or ink like scent.
Please don't mislead newbies about poisonous Agaricus species, not all which bruise yellow or smell distinctly chemically, inky, or like phenol. Agaricus californicus is a good example of a species that doesn't always have both traits.
Quote:
Tangich said:If it is Volvopluteus gloicephalus, then it's edible but not very good.
I find them to taste good, maybe not great, but certainly good. The op's mushroom also certainly looks like it, but I would like to see the stem base better before confirming. Also, the op should familarize himself with deadly Amanita species like A. phalloides before even considering to eat these. In this case, the strongly salmon/pink gills rule out A. phalloides, a spore print could also confirm its not an Amanita.
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EasyPeez
Stranger
Registered: 11/05/08
Posts: 82
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Tangich]
#17091935 - 10/24/12 12:07 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Thanks for all your kind help.
Based on what you've said I'll give the Agaricus a go with some olive oil and garlic. The Pluteus is a bit of a trek away so I can't see me getting back for those.
I also found this today - am i right in thinking Coprinus Comatus?
Thanks 
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Ganzig
It's for the street cred
 
Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 8,206
Loc: Oregon 
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: EasyPeez]
#17091937 - 10/24/12 12:08 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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--------------------
I must keep reminding myself of this.
I must keep reminding myself of this. I must keep reminding myself of this.
I must keep reminding myself of this.
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Tangich
Registered: 10/28/09
Posts: 8,723
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: EasyPeez]
#17091944 - 10/24/12 12:09 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yup, Coprinus comatus!
Pick only when it's very young and the gills are completely white! It's considered one of the best mushrooms by some, and you can very easily make your own patch in a compost pile if you have a yard.
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EasyPeez
Stranger
Registered: 11/05/08
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Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Tangich]
#17091964 - 10/24/12 12:15 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Only found very mature ones today, but will keep a hungry eye out for some younglings. I have a compost patch - would it just be a case of dumping some in there and letting nature do the rest, or is it a bit more complex than that? My compost is covered usually too, so I'm guessing it would need to be opened up to the elements?
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Untitled
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Registered: 10/13/12
Posts: 1,333
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: EasyPeez]
#17092440 - 10/24/12 01:46 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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I now see why people advise slicing what they think are puffballs in half lol. Clearly it would have (and was) been good advice in this case.
Edited by Untitled (10/24/12 01:59 PM)
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Untitled
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Registered: 10/13/12
Posts: 1,333
Loc: England
Last seen: 5 years, 1 month
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: EasyPeez]
#17092496 - 10/24/12 01:55 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
EasyPeez said:
Only found very mature ones today, but will keep a hungry eye out for some younglings. I have a compost patch - would it just be a case of dumping some in there and letting nature do the rest, or is it a bit more complex than that? My compost is covered usually too, so I'm guessing it would need to be opened up to the elements?
I'm glad you asked as i also want to know!
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Tangich
Registered: 10/28/09
Posts: 8,723
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Untitled]
#17092585 - 10/24/12 02:14 PM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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Like with almost everything, there's an easy way and a hard way!
The easy way is obviously just to throw black spore-filled caps on the pile, and hope they spread. C. comatus is a fairly agressive mushroom and that will wery likely work.
The hard way would be to clone tissue samples on agar, expand from agar on rye grain, colonize a sawdust or compost block and mix it in your pile. It's obviously more secure, but a whole lot of work, time and equipement is neccessary for that to suceed.
You can keep the compost pile covered for most of the year, as long as some gas exchange is possible. The mycelium prefers moist and high CO2 conditions. In autumn, when the rains start, uncover the pile if that's possible, and you should see mushrooms within a week!
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EasyPeez
Stranger
Registered: 11/05/08
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Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: ID Request - Puffball? [Re: Tangich]
#17211129 - 11/13/12 05:44 AM (11 years, 5 months ago) |
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That's brilliant, thanks.
There is no way I have the time or skills to carry out the latter method but I'll def give the easy option a good try next time I find a hoard of inkcaps.
Thanks
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