From: riburr@shentel.net   
      
   Snag wrote:   
   > riburr wrote:   
   >> Snag wrote:   
   >>> Steve Peek wrote:   
   >>>> Snag wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> mostly oak forest , with a few cedars , some vines , blueberries   
   >>>>> and dogwoods . Basically untouched upland hardwood forest . I'm not   
   >>>>> even sure   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> morels grow around here , but it's a good excuse to go tramping   
   >>>>> around in   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> the trees .   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> --   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Snag   
   >>>>   
   >>>> There are morels in your state, but an oak forest is not the place   
   >>>> to look. Look for areas with ash, elm and tulip poplar. Check rich   
   >>>> stream drainages, They should start in the next 1-3 weeks. When   
   >>>> you've had 5 consecuative nights with the temperature above 50 get   
   >>>> out and look.   
   >>>> Steve   
   >>>   
   >>>     Well , I don't really know of any areas around our place with ash   
   >>> and elm , much less tulip poplar ... I was hopeful though , cuz we   
   >>> love 'shrooms . And morels look like one of the safer types for   
   >>> beginners . Anything edible commonly grow in oak forests ?   
   >>>   
   >> Oh man, don't worry.  Boletes of all types grow with oak and are easy   
   >> to identify, and the vast majority are safe to eat (avoid the ones   
   >> with red or orange pores, or are too bitter to eat).  Really big,   
   >> meaty, parasitic polypores are found on oak, including   
   >> Chicken-of-the-Woods (Laetiporus), Berkeley's Polypore (Meripilus),   
   >> Maitake (Grifola), and Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis).  It's hard   
   >> to mistake these.  Many, many other edible species are mycorrhizal or   
   >> are otherwise associated with oak, and await your enjoyment once you   
   >> get better acquainted with them.   
   >   
   >    "Honey , I found these mushrooms out in the woods , I thuink they might be   
   > magic ..."   
   >    Thank you , I wasn't sure what might grow here in north central Arkansas .   
   > I'll check out the ones you named , hey I mighta already seen some and   
   > didn't know ...   
   >   
   I find Gymnopilus luteus on old oak stumps in late summer/early fall.   
   They are without a doubt magic, but very bitter.  It's probably best to   
   start with the easy-to-identify tasty edibles.  Learning the deadly and   
   toxic ones will help you avoid dangerous mistakes.  The deadliest   
   Amanitas grow with oak.  Cortinarius grows with oak, some of them will   
   take out your kidneys after a couple weeks.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)