The Ultimate "What is this Fungi?" thread.

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SOAR

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 21, 2007
2,031
8
48
cheshire
I know where you mean, nice little walk, the walk along the Goyt towards the back of Offerton High is nice too.
 
Feb 10, 2010
13
0
yorkshire
Hi

Went for a walk last week end and came across a few fungi I was hoping the fungus experts out there could help me ID. Have tried looking these up in a reference book and about 99% sure I’ve correctly identified one of them, but the other two im not sure about. The orange caped one was in Birch woodland, the other two in mixed, mostly conifer, some Birch, Willow etc. Not to influence the outcome the point I got confused with was the thickness of the stems for the last two? I know its not an exact science but one is significantly thinner than the other? I'm at the stage when Im thinking of starting to collect edibles from the Boletus family, any words of advice on the bad ones in this family and where they occur, points to look out for etc.

Image0_13.jpg

Image0_6.jpg

Image0_9.jpg


PS: apologies if the photos go wrong, first try
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
1st one looks like Leccinum quercinum
2nd one looks like an old Bay Bolete Xerocomus badius
Working on the 3rd one ;)

As always - if I post that it's edible, assume I'm a raving loon and that everything is deadly, this will likely prevent you being poisoned - never eat anything based on my identification as I'm not a mycologist only a layman with some mushroom guides.

Cheers,
 

motz

Member
Apr 17, 2010
14
0
Leicester & Chelmsford
1st one I would say is Leccinum versipelle The Orange Birch Bolete. 2nd looks like either a bay bolete Boletus badius or the red cracking bolete Boletus chrysenteron which are very common although I would expect a more cracked surface as the name suggests - it's hard to tell from the photos though. 3rd looks like the bay bolete. Hope that helps.
 

Lordyosch

Forager
Aug 19, 2007
167
0
Bradford, UK
Been out and about again today, found some more mystery fungi.
Went cover-to-cover in Collins mushroom guide and checked Roger's mushrooms. Can't get the ID even close.
4934736204_04812cdb5f.jpg


Found on that moss-covered stump, dead at a guess!
4934151717_d370d30502.jpg


Just can't match the strong brown colour with the smooth underside.

Also on the same stump...
4934740806_7e59d09554.jpg


(ps I've got the pictures working this time!!)


Cheers all

Jay
 

motz

Member
Apr 17, 2010
14
0
Leicester & Chelmsford
Hi Lordyosch, the top one is Polyporus badius if you look in Roger's book the picture isn't that clear (well to me anyway) but if you do an image search in google for it then you'll see much more similar pictures. The bottom picture I can't quite tell, have you got anymore pictures of it? Hope this helps,
Motz.

P.S actually just a thought the bottom picture could probably be just older specimens of P. badius??
 

listenclear

Nomad
Aug 19, 2008
266
0
East lothian
These wee brown guys are really tough at the best of times to be honest so not even able to venture a guess really I'm afraid.
Ones like that i tend to overlook as I am interested more in eating them than the id side of things.
Good luck. If you are really keen, do a spore print and that should at least rule out a good chunk of possibilities...
 

BunnyMazonas

Member
Sep 13, 2010
41
0
40
Kent


I've looked online and my best match I can find for this is the edbile chicken-of-the-woods. The sources I've found suggest there are no poisonous types that look like chicken-of-the-woods, making it a safe to eat mushroom.

Is anyone able to confirm this, or suggest what I should be looking for to confirm?

FYI - That is the stump of a tree it is growing on, so it is in the right place!
 

Geoff Dann

Native
Sep 15, 2010
1,252
31
55
Sussex
www.geoffdann.co.uk


I've looked online and my best match I can find for this is the edbile chicken-of-the-woods. The sources I've found suggest there are no poisonous types that look like chicken-of-the-woods, making it a safe to eat mushroom.

Are you completely insane? You find something that looks a bit like something edible, can't find anything like it that looks poisonous so you conclude it is safe to eat? :yikes:

Is anyone able to confirm this, or suggest what I should be looking for to confirm?

NO, it isn't chicken of the woods. It is Giant Polypore (Meripus giganteus) which is inedible because it is far too bitter. Luckily for you, it isn't actually poisonous, but if you are still at the stage where you don't know the difference between these two species then UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you conclude anything is safe to eat unless you 100% *KNOW* what it is.
 

BunnyMazonas

Member
Sep 13, 2010
41
0
40
Kent
Are you completely insane? You find something that looks a bit like something edible, can't find anything like it that looks poisonous so you conclude it is safe to eat? :yikes:



NO, it isn't chicken of the woods. It is Giant Polypore (Meripus giganteus) which is inedible because it is far too bitter. Luckily for you, it isn't actually poisonous, but if you are still at the stage where you don't know the difference between these two species then UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you conclude anything is safe to eat unless you 100% *KNOW* what it is.

Hence why I asked on here before actually touching it. :p

Is there any chance anyone could point me to some sources to help me recognise the differences? I noted the porpus underbelly, the ringed pattern on top and yellow colour with cream underbelly, plus the growing location; oak. I'm guessing I missed something obvious?
 
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Geoff Dann

Native
Sep 15, 2010
1,252
31
55
Sussex
www.geoffdann.co.uk
Bunny

Hence why I asked on here before actually touching it. :p

OK. You're not crazy.

Is there any chance anyone could point me to some sources to help me recognise the differences? I noted the porpus underbelly, the ringed pattern on top and yellow colour with cream underbelly, plus the growing location; oak. I'm guessing I missed something obvious?

You'll know chicken of the woods if/when you find it because (a) it is a vivid orange/yellow colour, not a dull grey-brown and (b) it really does smell just like chicken, and giant polypore doesn't.

Geoff
 

BunnyMazonas

Member
Sep 13, 2010
41
0
40
Kent
Ah, fair enough. I can see what you mean, now. Thank you for giving me sensible advice; I'd hate to do something stupid. My plan for now is to just identify mushrooms; even if I identify something as edible, I don't plan on actually testing that until I've had a lot more practice!
 

Geoff Dann

Native
Sep 15, 2010
1,252
31
55
Sussex
www.geoffdann.co.uk
Ah, fair enough. I can see what you mean, now. Thank you for giving me sensible advice; I'd hate to do something stupid. My plan for now is to just identify mushrooms; even if I identify something as edible, I don't plan on actually testing that until I've had a lot more practice!

Bunny,

There's a few you really can't get wrong. You cannot confuse a penny bun with anything poisonous unless you are both completely colour blind and very stupid. You can't get shaggy inkcaps wrong. You can't get giant puffballs wrong. You can't get beefsteak fungus wrong. I would have normally said you can't get COTW wrong, but clearly you can (although you were correct to believe that what you'd found wasn't poisonous).

I teach people to forage in Sussex, if you're interested. Still some weekdays free this year...

Geoff
 

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