Top Ten Fungi

[TeeDee]

Following on from this thread

Top Ten Medicinal Plants
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62036

Top Ten Edible Plants.

Thread 'Top Ten Edible Plants'

Nov 3, 2010

Following on from this thread

Top Ten Medicinal Plants
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62036


I'd like to hear your nominations for your Top Ten Edible U.K plants , these would be the plants that If you could only teach a student to learn and recognize a small selection , these would be on the list.

In the same way that there was a criteria for the Top Ten Medicinal Plants thread , that the plant should offer a 'REAL' effect ( direct health benefit ) not placebo, I would ask you to consider the Edible list in the same manner.

#Does it return a positive...

• TeeDee
• Replies: 37
• Forum: Flora & Fauna

I'd like to hear your nominations for your Top Ten Fungi , these would be the Fungi that If you could only teach a student to learn and recognize a small selection , these would be on the list.

In the same way that there was a criteria for the Top Ten Medicinal Plants thread , that the plant should offer a 'REAL' effect ( direct health benefit ) not placebo, I would ask you to consider the Edible list in the same manner.


#Easy to identify ( not be confused with poisonous Fungi )


So ,if you could only teach your Nan/Sister/Brother/Dad/Dog Ten UK Fungi that offer the most bang-for-the-buck before they wander out into the wilderness please put down your suggestions , I'm looking for a correlation so the more the merrier.

If you want to suggest a Fungi - please feel free to state why , why do you feel it makes the list?

Thank You.

 

[Broch]

Note that all these are edible BUT some people may have an allergic reaction to some species that are harmless to other people. These are all listed because they are easy to learn to distinguish from inedible/poisonous species. They all have culinary, protein, and/or nutritional value. I would be happy teaching my 10 year old granddaughter these fungi (but she has an incredible ability to remember detail).

Coconut Milkcap – Lactarius glyciosmus – exudes white coconut scented milk
Only other coconut scented milkcap is also edible

Hedgehog Fungus – Hydnum repandum – spines instead of gills
No poisonous European look-alikes

Chanterelle – Cantharellus cibarius – fruity smell
Can be confused with False Chanterelle (but easily identified by gills and not poisonous)

Horn of Plenty – Craterellus cornucopioides – grey black funnel
Only pick young, firm, specimens, no similar species if not decaying

Penny Bun – Boletus edulis (and other edible boletes) – flesh does not change colour
All poisonous boletes (none are deadly) have red colouring on them and most discolour blue when cut.

Giant Puffball – Calvatia gigantea – very large – sometimes well over 500mm
All large puffballs are edible

Field Mushroom – Agaricus campestris – grassland species
Has no vulva at base and gills are pink to brown; yellow stainer turns yellow when bruised or cut

Parasol Mushroom – Macrolepiota procera – has snake-like scales on stem
Poisonous Green-pored Parasol has green tinged gills and unpleasant smell

Shaggy Inkcap – Coprinus comatus – pick before it deliquesces
No look-alikes

Oyster Mushroom – Pleurotus ostreatus – on dead or dying trees
All large Oysters (over 4cm) are edible

Beefsteak fungus – Fistulina hepatica – looks and feel like a piece of liver on a tree
There are no similar species

Chicken of the Woods – Laetiporus sulphureus – bright yellow colouring
Hard to mistake it – slightly similar species (such as Dryad’s Saddle) are edible

 

[TeeDee]

Thank you Broch - excellent list and justification.

 

[Toddy]

Do you only want edible ones ? I use fungi but they're not all edible.

 

[TeeDee]

Do you only want edible ones ? I use fungi but they're not all edible.

Go for it - I'm interested - but as not edible can we just make those abundantly clear so no one follows and mixes them up by mistake please.

 

[Toddy]

Chaga...Inonotus obliquu
This is not just a truly superb tinder fungus, but it's tradionally used like coffee in the far north. It is the topic of much discussion re anti-cancer properties.

Hoof fungus....Fomes fomentarius
This is also a superb tinder fungus, makes really good amadou, but if you get a whole one and scoop a wee hollow in the centre of the underside, and get a bit of glowing tinder into it, it will take and hold that like good charcoal. You can literally carry fire for hours in one. Just blow on it every so often to bring it back up to a glow.

Cramp ball....Daldina concentrica
Another tinder fungus, King Alfred's cakes among other names. Hard black small bun shaped fungus.
I don't see how carrying one was supposed to stop cramp though. I haven't heard of anyone making it into a tea to try either. Probably not a good idea.

Birch polypore.....Fomitopsis betulina
Tinder but also the best and handiest natural 'elastoplast'. A small piece chewed will also ease a sore throat or mouth ulcers......I'm not a medical herbalist, please read and be certain before you try.

Artist's conk.... Ganoderma applanatum
This is used to make pictures, but it's also a really good natural rust coloured dye, and if pulped up can be used to make paper.

Candlesnuff.....Armillaria mellea
This is the glow in the dark fungus, wee spikes or antler like growths. Fun to find, but it's also anti-viral and again anti cancer......please check, be sure, be certain you want to use it. Just because we can doesn't mean we should.

Shingled hedgehog.....Sarcodon imbricatus
This is a distinctive fungus that traditionally in northern countries was used to dye wool blue. It's edible, grate up and use like mince...sort of.
Again, please be aware, check, etc.,

Scarlet elf cup....Sarcoscypha austriaca
So distinctive, it's edible, nice stir fried in butter, but it's better used as a wound healer. It helps stop bleeding.

Turkey tail.....Trametes versicolor
Good dyes and this one gets used medicinally...if you're really interested, look it up, but check multiple sources, and be sure. It's used to help clear uti's, to ease the side effects of cancer, etc.,

Oak Mazegill......Daldalea quercina
This one is kind of odd, It gets used to clean up a dye bath, sharpen the colours, but if you use a fresh one and just get it alight and then blow that out, the smoke will stun bees enough to let you get the honey Also grows on Chestnut.
I was told that it's also a good brush for a horse it's sort of rubbery if you try to cut it.
There's another one, the Birch mazegill, bit thinner, different 'maze', crisper.

That lot are either tinder, dye, or medicinal, a few are all of those though Candlesnuff is mostly just fun to find.

 

[TeeDee]

Chaga...Inonotus obliquu

Hoof fungus....Fomes fomentarius

Cramp ball....Daldina concentrica

Birch polypore.....Fomitopsis betulina

Artist's conk.... Ganoderma applanatum

Candlesnuff.....Armillaria mellea

Shingled hedgehog.....Sarcodon imbricatus

Scarlet elf cup....Sarcoscypha austriaca

Turkey tail.....Trametes versicolor

Oak Mazegill......Daldalea quercina

That lot are either tinder, dye, or medicinal, a few are all of those though Candlesnuff is mostly just fun to find.

Could you please edit/annotate which are which ref usages?

Thanks Mary

 

[Toddy]

Could you please edit/annotate which are which ref usages?

Thanks Mary

Sorry, got distracted trying to catch a photo of the woodpecker on the bird feeder outside the window beside me.

I'll go and edit it in.

M

 

[William_Montgomery]

I think Broch and Toddy have covered my list between them. A mix of the two.

In an attempt to add something.... I might put in a few to avoid, such as the Deathcap (Amanita phalloides) and the Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa).

 

[TeeDee]

Chaga...Inonotus obliquu
This is not just a truly superb tinder fungus, but it's tradionally used like coffee in the far north. It is the topic of much discussion re anti-cancer properties.

Hoof fungus....Fomes fomentarius
This is also a superb tinder fungus, makes really good amadou, but if you get a whole one and scoop a wee hollow in the centre of the underside, and get a bit of glowing tinder into it, it will take and hold that like good charcoal. You can literally carry fire for hours in one. Just blow on it every so often to bring it back up to a glow.

Cramp ball....Daldina concentrica
Another tinder fungus, King Alfred's cakes among other names. Hard black small bun shaped fungus.
I don't see how carrying one was supposed to stop cramp though. I haven't heard of anyone making it into a tea to try either. Probably not a good idea.

Birch polypore.....Fomitopsis betulina
Tinder but also the best and handiest natural 'elastoplast'. A small piece chewed will also ease a sore throat or mouth ulcers......I'm not a medical herbalist, please read and be certain before you try.

Artist's conk.... Ganoderma applanatum
This is used to make pictures, but it's also a really good natural rust coloured dye, and if pulped up can be used to make paper.

Candlesnuff.....Armillaria mellea
This is the glow in the dark fungus, wee spikes or antler like growths. Fun to find, but it's also anti-viral and again anti cancer......please check, be sure, be certain you want to use it. Just because we can doesn't mean we should.

Shingled hedgehog.....Sarcodon imbricatus
This is a distinctive fungus that traditionally in northern countries was used to dye wool blue. It's edible, grate up and use like mince...sort of.
Again, please be aware, check, etc.,

Scarlet elf cup....Sarcoscypha austriaca
So distinctive, it's edible, nice stir fried in butter, but it's better used as a wound healer. It helps stop bleeding.

Turkey tail.....Trametes versicolor
Good dyes and this one gets used medicinally...if you're really interested, look it up, but check multiple sources, and be sure. It's used to help clear uti's, to ease the side effects of cancer, etc.,

Oak Mazegill......Daldalea quercina
This one is kind of odd, It gets used to clean up a dye bath, sharpen the colours, but if you use a fresh one and just get it alight and then blow that out, the smoke will stun bees enough to let you get the honey Also grows on Chestnut.
I was told that it's also a good brush for a horse it's sort of rubbery if you try to cut it.
There's another one, the Birch mazegill, bit thinner, different 'maze', crisper.

That lot are either tinder, dye, or medicinal, a few are all of those though Candlesnuff is mostly just fun to find.

Thanks for that Toddy - Thats great! Really appreciated.

 

[Chris]

I think Broch and Toddy have covered my list between them. A mix of the two.

In an attempt to add something.... I might put in a few to avoid, such as the Deathcap (Amanita phalloides) and the Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa).

I was thinking about adding in an edible amanita that would require the ability to not only recognise an amanita, but distinguish between minor feature differences like skirt stirations and gill differences. Blusher, perhaps?

That could help cross-genus as well, knowing what sorts of features to look out for beyond the obvious ones.