pilotmaster9 Posted October 6, 2020 Report Share Posted October 6, 2020 Found in San Diego california on grass near a Cypress tree, stains blood red, chocolate brown spore print. Free brown gills. It matches on all accounts but just want to be safe. Even though I already ate it because I was sure. I just want peace of mind. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 7, 2020 Report Share Posted October 7, 2020 There are a few different species of red-staining Agaricus species that feature caps with flattened brownish patches/scales. A. brunneofibrillosus is one such species that grows in CA. So, this looks like a reasonable proposal. Agaricus is a very large genus --many different species-- but I don't know of any that fit this description and are toxic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotmaster9 Posted October 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 On 10/6/2020 at 7:32 PM, Dave W said: There are a few different species of red-staining Agaricus species that feature caps with flattened brownish patches/scales. A. brunneofibrillosus is one such species that grows in CA. So, this looks like a reasonable proposal. Agaricus is a very large genus --many different species-- but I don't know of any that fit this description and are toxic. I'm thinking it's actually closer to agaricus arorae. But regardless, I've tried it and its been a few days and I feel fine. I'm having it in wild mushroom soup right now so hopefully its still fine to eat in larger amounts. It doesn't smell or taste of phenol and the dark spore print and staining have me pretty sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 11, 2020 Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 All species of Agaricus have dark brown spore prints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rondayvous Posted October 11, 2020 Report Share Posted October 11, 2020 15 minutes ago, pilotmaster9 said: It doesn't smell or taste of phenol and the dark spore print and staining have me pretty sure "pretty sure" doesn't sound anywhere close enough to okay to make soup, or even eat in any quantity for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 12, 2020 Report Share Posted October 12, 2020 With some genera --like Russula and Agraricus-- edible types can be discerned without actually IDing exactly to species. In NA alone, the genus Agaricus includes lots of species. Kerrigan's book of NA Agaricus species is almost 1000 pages long! So, then one is left with needing to understand certain groups of species that are comprised of either edible or toxic types. Of course, this situation is such that providing suggestions within a forum like this can be very tricky, and I try to maintain a careful attitude. But, it is possible to learn one's local edible types of Agaricus. In so doing, it is recommended one proceed with caution. My understanding is that the Agaricus species of California can be particularly confusing. On the other hand, I don't know of any red-staining Agaricus that are considered to be toxic. But, another thing to consider is that when an Agaricus mushroom is saturated with moisture, the pigment from the gills may bleed into the flesh and this can created the appearance of red-staining even if the particular species is not a red stainer. Typically, the only Aagricus mushrooms that I collect for eating are the large Horse Mushrooms (section Arvenses). And, I avoid collecting these types from areas where herbicides, insecticides, or other contaminants may be present. An area near a busy road may have a high lead content in the soil, due to leaded gasoline having been used for many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rondayvous Posted October 12, 2020 Report Share Posted October 12, 2020 Thanks. That makes perfect sense. I wish I had access to areas where Horse mushrooms grew! I have to settle for the occasional meadow mushroom that pops up every year or two. Ditto, keeping away from treated or contaminated mushroom sites. I wonder how many reports of stomach upset etc ... are really people eating spoiled/old or contaminated mushrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 12, 2020 Report Share Posted October 12, 2020 I think at least some indigestion issues are due to spoilage. A big problem with contaminants like lead is that there may be no symptoms until after the toxin is consumed over a period of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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