http://www.wansteadandwoodfordguardian.c...c_mushrooms.php
Getting to know your magic mushrooms
By Charlie Stong
IF you go down in the woods today you will be well advised to do so with an expert. That is if you are planning on a spot of mushrooming. Otherwise you could die.
You will also need to be in possession of a permit, as hunting for mushrooms is illegal without one in Epping Forest and even then you are only allowed to pick them for your own consumption.
These were just a couple of the things the Guardian found out when we spoke to ecological expert Tricia Moxey.
Mrs Moxey, a former employee of the Corporation of London, which owns the Epping Forest land, now lectures on ecology.
There are over 1500 types of fungi growing in the forest, fungi which have been growing there for hundreds of thousands of years.
Mrs Moxey said: "There are around 1600 different types of fungi which grow in the forest. Many of these are edible but many are not and you need to know exactly what you are doing.
"People are not allowed to pick the mushrooms without a permit as they are extremely important to the well being of all surrounding living organisms.
"Unfortunately there has been a recent increase in people picking mushrooms illegally and the fine only stands at around ?200. Fungi are so important and I really do think this fine has to be looked at. It is not severe enough."
Mushroom hunting, or mushrooming, is the activity of searching for mushrooms in the wild, typically for consumption, but sometimes it is done more as a sport and is particularly popular within Slavic cultures.
Bizarrely competitors see this as a sport in which the little fungi actually have a chance of winning - if the person eating does a poor job of species identification.
But picking mushrooms and eating them is only a safe occupation if one if familiar with toxic types and can properly identifies the species and what's edible and what deadly.
Mrs Moxey said: "For people who do not have the knowledge, fungi can be dangerous. If eaten some of the mushrooms which grow in Epping Forest, such as the Fly Agaric mushroom which is distinguishable by its red colour with white spots, can make you very ill and can even cause hallucinations."
Fly Agaric mushrooms, otherwise known as Amanita muscaria, can be dried and transformed into one of the many known types of magic mushroom, although in fact their alarming effects are nasty, brutish and sometimes can interfere with the body's nervous system.
But there is better news, as Mrs Moxey explains: "Some of the mushrooms can be eaten. These include Oyster mushrooms and Penny Bun mushrooms which are called so because they look like sticky buns."
There is no simple answer to what is poisonous and what is edible, although experts advise to avoid small brown mushrooms. The bottom line is that if you are seriously thinking about mushrooming, you have to study first, or go with an expert.
To conclude, Mrs Moxey's opinion is simply stick to the purchasable variety. She said: "Although fungi are among the oldest living organisms on the planet, they have only really been studied for the past 150 years, so generally I would advise people to stick to the local farmers' markets and supermarkets."
If you are interested in mushrooming you can apply to Epping Forest's visitor centre for a personal consumption permit. For more information call 8508 0028.
4:57pm Monday 31st October 2005
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