One of the worst and most dangerous experiences any person could go through is mushroom poisoning. That is why, the identification of poisonous mushroom is a forager’s must know.
What is mushroom poisoning?
Mushroom poisoning is the result of ingesting wild mushrooms. Usually, it is due to misidentifying toxic mushrooms as edible ones. The reason people usually make this mistake is the similarity in terms of shape and color between both species. To prevent making this mistake, you need to familiarize yourself with the mushrooms you intend to collect along with its toxic counterpart.
What are the symptoms of mushroom poisoning?
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning can appear just after eating it. Or they could appear several hours later. Symptoms that occur within 2 hours are less dangerous than those that appear later (after 6 hours). The most common symptoms are nausea, stomach cramps, headache, vomiting and dizziness. There could be more severe and serious symptoms such as seizures, hallucinations and even coma.
How to treat mushroom poisoning?
If you suspect you or someone else may have consumed poisonous mushrooms, do not wait for symptoms to occur and seek medical attention immediately. You can seek treatment through your doctor or the emergency department in the nearest hospital. It helps to have a sample of the mushroom in question. Or you can take a photo of the wild mushroom to help the medical staff identify the mushroom species and evaluate the risks, and choose the right treatment measures.
If you are alone or too far away from the nearest emergency room, experts suggest that activated charcoal can delay the absorption of most toxins. In this case, mushroom poisoning. Activated charcoal can be found at retail stores. That is why, we recommend packing some in your first aid kit. We also recommend having an inreach device and to keep your phone charged in case of emergencies like these.
Garmin eTrex 22x Inreach device.
How to identify Poisonous Mushrooms?
The key to keeping if safe with wild mushrooms is to not consume any unless you are 100 per cent sure of it. However, there are some characteristics that can help in identifying safe mushrooms from poisonous ones.
Using Odor
While edible mushrooms have pleasant aromas, poisonous species tend to have strong fishy repelling odors.
Using shape and color
You should avoid mushrooms that contain any red coloring on the cap or the stem. Also, we recommend staying away from mushrooms that contain any white gills or rings on the stem. This may rule out some edible species, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Using guides and resources
The best way to get to know more about wild mushrooms is to use topic related resources. You should read books, guides and even talk to an expert who has deep knowledge about wild edibles and mushrooms.
We recommend The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods. It is a valuable resource that contains tips on identifying wild plants with a huge collection of photos, maps and even recipes for wild edibles.
Using Photos
You should familiarize your self with a few edible wild mushrooms. You can use photos to memorize their shape in case you come in contact. That way, you won’t miss on the chance to try different species.
What are the most common edible wild mushrooms?
Hen of the woods
Hen of the woods if one the most common wild mushrooms. It is a type a fungus that usually grows on the base of trees. Oak and Maple in particular. This type of mushroom can be found in China, Japan and even North America. It often grows in the same place for several years in succession.
Hen of the woods can be easily identified. They grow in the fall and can be found at summer time as well. They have a grayish-brown color, no gills and tiny pores under the caps.
The best thing about this mushroom is they do not have toxic lookalikes which makes them a safe option for foragers. Hen-of-the-woods are very tasty and flavorful. They can be used in various dishes such as stir-fries and soups.
Oyster Mushroom
Oyster Mushrooms naming is due to its resemblance to oysters. This species can be found around the world including North America.
These mushrooms usually grow on dead trees. Beech and Oak to be precise. They grow in fall and spring months in North America and all year long in other areas around the world.
Oyster mushrooms range from white to grayish-brown color. They have oyster shaped caps and underneath the caps we find tightly spaced gills that run all the way down to the stem. Similar to Hen of the woods, Oyster mushroom is a flavorful addition to various recipes.
Sulphur Shelf Mushroom (Chicken of the woods)
The Sulfur Shelf Mushroom is often described as “Chicken of the woods” or “Chicken Fungus” because of the taste and texture which are similar to chicken meat.
This type of fungus is usually found on hardwood trees, especially Oak, Willow and Chestnut trees. They can be found in North America and Europe. It can be harvested during the Summer and Fall months.
Sulphur Shelf Mushrooms usually have a smooth texture with Yellow-Orange color. The caps have a semi-circular shape with tiny pores underneath and no gills.
What are the most poisonous types of mushrooms?
Death Cap (Amanita Phalloides)
The death cap is considered one of the deadliest mushrooms. It can be found in Europe. Most people mistake for edible Straw Mushrooms.
Conocybe filaris
The Conocybe could be fatal if eaten. Its effects are similar to those of the death cap. It can be found of the Pacific Northwest.
Webcaps (Cortinarius species)
The Webcaps are very similar in appearance to a number of edible varieties. These mushrooms feature a poison known as orellanin. The symptoms can lead to death if not treated.
Death angel (Amanita ocreata)
The death angel mushroom usually grows in the West Coast of the United States. This mushroom is mostly white and can cause severe illness and death if eaten.
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