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Florida Oyster Mushroom? Any mycologists here?
- Thread starter BigB
- Start date
Disclaimer: Consuming wild-harvested foods always carries a risk of misidentification that could result in serious injury or death, even with the advice of a professional, but especially without it. Anyone choosing to do so does so at their own risk.
As it happens, when my fellow English majors were taking Underwater Basket Weaving for their electives, I took a bunch of upper-division science courses, including Mycology. There's a saying among wild mushroom enthusiasts: "There are two kinds of foragers: adventurous ones, and old ones." I have taken great pains to be one of the latter.
My advice would be to first take a spore print. Lay a piece of plain white printer paper on a dinner plate and put your sample, gills down, on it. Put a bowl over it, put it in the fridge, and leave it undisturbed at least overnight. The spores will collect on the paper; the color of the spore print is often useful in keying out mushrooms.
I'd then email pictures of the mushroom and spore print, along with a description of the medium it was growing on and any other relevant details to a professional. Although several come to mind, I'd probably start with Dr. James Kimbrough at the University of Florida. One of the big challenges for mushrooming enthusiasts in Miami is how radically different a climate we have; a lot of the stuff that grows elsewhere doesn't occur here, and a lot of the stuff that grows here isn't found elsewhere. Dr. Kimbrough really knows his stuff, and has written at least one book that I know of dealing specifically with mushrooms of Florida.
One last word of advice: if you're going to harvest and eat wild mushrooms, pay careful attention to spoilage. A lot of people fall prey to what they think is mushroom poisoning, but actually turns out to be food poisoning (which, by the way, can also be fatal) from eating mushrooms that are past their prime
As it happens, when my fellow English majors were taking Underwater Basket Weaving for their electives, I took a bunch of upper-division science courses, including Mycology. There's a saying among wild mushroom enthusiasts: "There are two kinds of foragers: adventurous ones, and old ones." I have taken great pains to be one of the latter.
My advice would be to first take a spore print. Lay a piece of plain white printer paper on a dinner plate and put your sample, gills down, on it. Put a bowl over it, put it in the fridge, and leave it undisturbed at least overnight. The spores will collect on the paper; the color of the spore print is often useful in keying out mushrooms.
I'd then email pictures of the mushroom and spore print, along with a description of the medium it was growing on and any other relevant details to a professional. Although several come to mind, I'd probably start with Dr. James Kimbrough at the University of Florida. One of the big challenges for mushrooming enthusiasts in Miami is how radically different a climate we have; a lot of the stuff that grows elsewhere doesn't occur here, and a lot of the stuff that grows here isn't found elsewhere. Dr. Kimbrough really knows his stuff, and has written at least one book that I know of dealing specifically with mushrooms of Florida.
One last word of advice: if you're going to harvest and eat wild mushrooms, pay careful attention to spoilage. A lot of people fall prey to what they think is mushroom poisoning, but actually turns out to be food poisoning (which, by the way, can also be fatal) from eating mushrooms that are past their prime
I would skip this idea altogether ...
BigB said:
Going to build a clean box? ... get out the tupperware, cut wrist holes, mount dish gloves in it like a sandblasting station, and some plexiglass ... spray the inside w/ dilute bleach mist or virahol ... take a print.
Make sure to have the A/C off in the house during it all ...
It's all a real PITA ... and not worth it, LOL ...
You can buy a pre-innoculated kit online in a bag, and just kick start it and let her rip ...
http://southeastmushroom.com/shop.htm
skullbiker
eXtreme
I just saw these out by my pepper patch just growing out of the sand. Anyone know what kind these are? I know nothing about mushrooms. These are in Minnesota.
skullbiker
eXtreme
????? I'll take a pic of the bottom side tonite when I get home. I saw about a half dozen of these around my property.
An old thread, but I found some mushrooms and this guy found some cover from the rain.
(That's my Panicky Smurf. Spitting image of me.)
I'm always hunting for mushrooms. I have loads of pics of different species. Any other Mycologically-minded folks on here? I'm not good AT ALL with ID. But I love the hunt.
(That's my Panicky Smurf. Spitting image of me.)
I'm always hunting for mushrooms. I have loads of pics of different species. Any other Mycologically-minded folks on here? I'm not good AT ALL with ID. But I love the hunt.
Ive grown my own and unless your 100% absolute identified, I would not touch it, see lots of tree oysters around that make my mouth drool but its just ot worth it unless you know someone old lol.
You can grow easy enough in a container, and by just washing store bought mushrooms in a bag of water then pour the water on some sawdust.
Some past grows.
Lions Main
Kink Oyster
Pearl Oyster
You can grow easy enough in a container, and by just washing store bought mushrooms in a bag of water then pour the water on some sawdust.
Some past grows.
Lions Main
Kink Oyster
Pearl Oyster
skullbiker said:I just saw these out by my pepper patch just growing out of the sand. Anyone know what kind these are? I know nothing about mushrooms. These are in Minnesota.
These look like giant puffball to me as well
however i am NOT a mycologist.
While i have collected and eaten several wild mushrooms; mostly morels
i do NOT feel qualified as an old mushroom forager to even be an educated 2nd guess yet.
I always ask at least one other opinion from a mushroom forager older than I.
even if i think i am already certain, 'usually my buddies dad' confirms for me first.
my casual opinion is that those look like puffballs from this picture.
i enjoy looking for and at wild mushrooms all the time, but mostly just for amateur pictures.
Very nice, DF! I've grown Oysters before on wheat straw. It pretty cool to see them grow out of the holes in the bag. Found these. I believe they are Gymnopus Luxurians.dragonsfire said:Ive grown my own and unless your 100% absolute identified, I would not touch it, see lots of tree oysters around that make my mouth drool but its just ot worth it unless you know someone old lol.
You can grow easy enough in a container, and by just washing store bought mushrooms in a bag of water then pour the water on some sawdust.
Some past grows.
Lions Main
Kink Oyster
Pearl Oyster
With a cricket photobombing.
Not sure on this one. Field mushroom? Agaricus maybe.
Another unknown
These Coprinus (I'm guessing) are abundant in just one yard up the street.
