Suffolk, England

John Cooper · Administrator

Fungi

Admiral Wormbones · Veteran Member

That looks like a Russula sanguinea, what is known as a large agaric and grow to about six inches across. They are totally inedible so dont try it. I am no expert John so I may be totally wrong, if I am maybe someone will put me right then we will both know what it is for sure.
The law on-- is it all right to eat is as follows--watch someone eat it first, if you see them the next day and they are fine then you can be half sure it's ok to eat. If they are around in a weeks time and have had no ill affects then go on and make a pig of yourself. If you never see them again then leave well alone and tell folks that you used to know a chap that ate one of those.
Sorry I can't be of more help

Roger Kistruck · Newbie

That big orange fungus doesn't look like a russula to me. Almost all russulas have a cylindrical stem, I think, and this one seems to have a biggish bulb at the bottom.

I have seen Amanita Muscaria looking very much like this after heavy rain. They start off bright scarlet, with white flakes over the cap, but the flakes fall off and the red fades to orange. Check the base of the stem; is it growing out of a kind of cup or sheath? If so, almost certainly one of the Amanitas. Check the trees around it; if birch is there, it is very likely to be A.muscaria.

Russulas have a characteristic brittle flesh. It crumbles, rather than tearing when you break a bit off the edge of the cap.

A few russulas are edible, but they are not very easy to identify, and lots and lots of other russulas are pretty nasty; make you sick etc. I would never eat any of them myself.

Amanitas are definitely dangerous. A few very attractive-looking species are 'you can eat this, but only once!' i.e. you won't eat anything ever again. There are some others (e.g. A. citrina) which are edible, but I wouldn't even think of eating any of that group.

John Cooper · Administrator

Fungi DSC_8176.jpg

John Cooper · Administrator

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