Any Idea What this Is?

[WhichDoctor]

I went down the garden to day to feed the chickens and came across these mushrooms growing at the base of a very sick elder tree, I'm pretty shore they weren't there yesterday.

I've had a look in my mushroom book but cant find them, I'm shore one of the hugely knowledgeable people on this site will know. Its probably quite common, but I would like to find out what it is. I had thought the tree was infected with something, I don't know weather these are it or if its just coincidence (there is a lot of wood and rubbish in the ground round there).


By the way that isn't the elder its just an old log.







I would have got a pic of them in context but the camera battery died just as I was about to. I mite get one later if its needed.

Thanks in advance.

 

[xylaria]

It is a coprinus orangey one.
It will take some cross referancing to see which of the 15 or so coprinus orangey ones it is. There looks like bonfire remains inthe back ground if there is it proberly a coprinus angulatus.

 

[Chopper]

That is definatly a Swiss Army Knife, they normally come with red scales, but sometimes black, blue or cammo. It is possibly a mountaineer model, however it would be easier to ID if you had a picture with the blades extended.

I must say that it is most unusual to find these growing wild, could someone have placed it there???

 

[xylaria]

Yeah but like fungi don't knives come indifferant sizes, and the size kind of tells which one it is. I am just guessing really I know nowt about pointy sharp things.

The fungus is most probably a Coprinus micaceus . They are regarded ebible in the US and inedible in france. I have tried eating them are they about as tasty as the egg substance you get with McD breakfasts. I would avoid alcohol if I am eating coprinus fungi.

 

[WhichDoctor]

It is a coprinus orangey one.
It will take some cross referancing to see which of the 15 or so coprinus orangey ones it is. There looks like bonfire remains inthe back ground if there is it proberly a coprinus angulatus.

There haven't been any fires round there recently just lots of junk, but it does look like the coprinus angulatus one, thanks :You_Rock_ .

Could it be growing on the elder tree roots or is it just growing on buried rubbish?

 

[chickenofthewoods]

I'd say it's Mica inkcap - Coprinus micaceus.

 

[WhichDoctor]

I'd say it's Mica inkcap - Coprinus micaceus.

Oh god it looks just like that one to . This is why I can never get my head round mushrooms . But don't inkcaps go all gooey when they go over, ill keep an eye out and see what happens to these ones.

 

[OldJimbo]

I'd figure that it's the mica inkcap too. They're considered edible here, but take the warning about alcohol very seriously.

 

[xylaria]

Little mushrooms on the hillside
Little mushrooms kind of icky-tawny
Little brown ones, need a hand lens
Little mushrooms, look the same



There is more to the song than this. All coprinus can be eaten, so for eating perposes an absolute ID is not necessary unless you are drinking alcohol. The Coprinus micaceus has global distribution and can at least provide a meal any where on the planet. But then so can McDs. And given the choice I know what I would eat.

 

[Bigman]

Why avoid alchohol when eatings these then?

 

[xylaria]

These paticular mushrooms might be ok. Coprinus atramentarius mixed with alcohol are not OK. It contains a substance called Coprine, which has similar effects to disulfram, the alcohalic adversion drug. Coprine causes intense vomiting and headache if alcohol is consumed. It takes upto three days to leave the body. No other reports or any other coprinus causing this type of reaction have really been reported, but most coprinus are not eaten in europe, where alcohol is more likely to drunk in quanties with and after meals. Pubmed also says coprine has gonadatoxic effects if used for theraputic reasons.

Ten years ago me and my Dad rendared Mr Xylaria permently allergic to BEER. I happly fed both him and my dad a large plate of cloud caps each. My Dad then took him to the pub. 10 -15 pints later each, they staggard back home. My dad been of sturdy Irish stock was utterly fine. Mr Xylaria was very ill. In fact he very ill for three days. And now if consumes BEER or CIDER he gets headache within 30 mins and then he starts vomiting. He has eaten cloud caps since with no ill effect.

 

[WhichDoctor]

Owch, nasty stuff . I'll have to remember that

 

[OldJimbo]

"These particular mushrooms might be ok."

I don't think I'd be too sure of that. From what I remember coprinus species other than atramentarius just contain less of the chemical, and that can vary from place to place. The thing is that some people are simply not affected, others get a flushed face and some might get violently sick consuming alcohol after far more than the usual three days after consuming the fungi.
I really like atramentarius and I never got sick eating it in the days when I used to drink.

 

[xylaria]

The FDA say that other mushrooms don't contain coprine

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap40.html

This website does seem to include some striking omissions, that may due to differances in consumption or toxicity of US native fungi.

I don't drink alcohol while eating any coprinus. Ink caps are not poisonious. A compound found in one of them simply blocks the ability to break down another toxin ie Alcohol. There is other compounds found in other mushrooms that have a simerlar effect. Not all of these compounds will make everybody ill. There is certainly genetic differances in how a person deals with toxins. Coprine underwent early stage clinical trails, I think it wouldn't of done so if it only effected a minority of caucasians. The toxin in cloud cap hasn't even been isolated, this maybe because the cases of poisoning are infrequent compared to common ink cap, which as far as I have read effects the vast majority of europeans at least.

 

[WhichDoctor]

Thanks for all the help and info evryone :You_Rock_ .

 

[Jodie]

Coprinus atramentarius mixed with alcohol are not OK. It contains a substance called Coprine, which has similar effects to disulfram, the alcohalic adversion drug.

Pubmed also says coprine has gonadatoxic effects if used for theraputic reasons.

Ten years ago me and my Dad rendared Mr Xylaria permently allergic to BEER.

Gosh! Fascinating, though a bit unfortunate for Mr. Xylaria.
(I have an aversion to cider but that was caused by drinking too much cider).

Didn't know about the mushrooms or the coprine compound - I do love this
forum

 

[rich59]

Just a thought about camera batteries giving up. Try taking them out and warming them in your hands before putting back. The cold affects a lot of batteries.

 

[Jodie]

What we need are wind-up digital cameras! My (very cheap, pinched
off my dad) camera goes through batteries very quickly. I'll certainly
try warming them though - thanks.

<<off to invent wind-up digital cameras>>