Mushroom identification
These remarks are from Dr. Kathie T. Hodge
Director, Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium
The article below, in a Schenectady newspaper, suggests county extension agents as go-to people for mushroom identification.
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/aug/15/0815_deadlyshrooms/
I know that some of you are experts. If you are not, don’t get drawn in to helping someone decide whether a mushroom is safe to eat.
Ordinary people CAN learn to identify mushrooms, but I’d suggest they spend some time hanging out with a club or an expert, and learn the poisonous ones before they start eating anything. Beginners often key in on the wrong characteristics, which can lead to bad mistakes like mistaking destroying angels for edible inky caps. But mushroom hunting is actually a pretty rewarding hobby, so long as one is careful and knows the limits of one’s skills.
There’s a decent list of NY mushroom clubs here:
http://www.mykoweb.com/na_mycos.html#NY
Cornell does not offer services for routine mushroom identifications.
In poisoning cases the Poison Control Center should be the first call (1-800-222-1222).
And by the way, the article also suggests plastic bags for storing mushrooms, but plastic is like kryptonite for mushrooms. It is better for them to dry out in a paper bag than to turn into mush in plastic. Dried mushrooms can still be identified–often more reliably than a photo alone.
regards,
Kathie
–
Dr. Kathie T. Hodge
Associate Professor of Mycology
Director, Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium
334 Plant Science Bldg.
Dept. of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
http://www.plantpath.cornell.edu/Labs/Hodge/index.html
Have you seen the Cornell Mushroom Blog?
http://blog.mycology.cornell.edu