Fungi’s varied looks make observation different from food identification
BBC UK reports that experts recommend recording autumn fungi without picking them. Their colors, shapes or rarity are not a food-safety test: identification requires knowing the species, and some UK mushrooms can cause severe illness or death.
)
Finding a striking mushroom and deciding whether it is safe to eat are separate questions, BBC UK reports. Autumn examples in the West Midlands range from the red-and-white fly agaric to bird’s nest fungi and the vivid red cage fungus. These appearances make fungi distinctive to observe, but do not establish whether any mushroom is edible.
James Benwell of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust said a red cage fungus found in Cannon Hill Park last year was only the second recorded sighting in Birmingham and the Black Country. He said there have been only hundreds of records across the UK. Rarity describes how seldom it has been recorded; it does not determine food safety.
Lucas Large, chairman of the West Midlands Fungus Group, said people need to know a mushroom’s species, or be certain of its identity, to judge whether it is poisonous. Several species found in the UK can cause severe illness or death. The Woodland Trust says the death cap is responsible for most fungus-related fatalities. Benwell advises people without specialist knowledge not to pick wild mushrooms. Experts instead encourage people to photograph and document fungi where they find them.