From: rusty.hinge@foobar.girolle.co.uk   
      
   On 31/08/18 13:02, real_grizz_adams@yahoo.co.uk wrote:   
   > Hi All   
   >   
   > Not sure how many (if any) are on here   
   >   
   > We here in the South East UK have been seeing rather good mushroom growths   
   >   
   > In past years even the good old standbys were absent or riddled with maggots   
   > before they were even open   
   >   
   > So now my question, does anyone have (or know of) a good "Binary Tree   
   > Identification" for edible / poisonous mushrooms?   
   >   
   > I have googled for same but the best (design wise) I found ruled almost all   
   the   
   > common edible mushrooms I know of (Field, Horse, Parasol & both Ink Caps) as   
   > poisonous   
   >   
   > Any pointers gratefully received   
   >   
   > I can programme the tree once I have some reliable data to work from, this   
   will   
   > be for my own use and "IF" it is taken further full credit (blame :->) will   
   be   
   > given to any helpers   
   >   
   The trouble is that folk are unwilling to say 'edible' to species such   
   as Clitocybe nebularis, Lepiota rhacodes, etc as they upset some people,   
   usually around 1:10, allegedly, and some with challenged understanding   
   or ability to identify species are apt to leap into litigation when they   
   make a mistake. Others, such as some ink caps shouldn't be eaten   
   anywhere near drinking alcohol, and thet means several days... Also, you   
   can't be too careful about allergies.   
      
   I regularly eat one that is regarded as poisonous by almost every book I   
   have that mentions them (and I have well over a metre/yard of books),   
   that is, Lactarius torminosus. They are a useful mushroom if parboiled   
   for at least ten minutes before use: the problem with them is that most   
   people now seem to think that 'parboil' means part, or lightly boil.   
   Indeed, it means quite the opposite: they must be vigorously boiled for   
   at least that time, and the water discarded.   
      
   One answer to your dilemma would be to (carefully) construct a   
   moderated blog to which interested people can contribute, and build-up   
   your own database. One of the problems with this though, is that   
   identification of species can be difficult, and the overconfident novice   
   can be heartened to try say, Amanita spissa, or A. rubescens, and cook a   
   dsh of A. pantherina. (True, there has only been one confirmed fatality   
   from this species, but...).   
      
   You will then need a range of chemicals for testing specimens, and if   
   possible, a good microscope with 1,000 x magnification so you can   
   observe the spores - some poisonous species have edible lookalikes.   
      
   Get a copy of Roger Phillips' excellent book: Mushrooms and Other Fungi   
   of the British Isles and Europe. Around 1,000 photographs and   
   descriptions, recommended to me, years ago, byr the Dept. of Mycology at   
   the British Museum of Natural History.   
      
   --   
   Rusty Hinge   
   To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer and the BOFH.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)