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Project Noah Nature School
Mushroom? Toadstool?
Found in a grassy area of a local playground. Nearby are some large oak trees. Several different types of mushrooms/toadstools appear to be growing all within about 12 feet of each other, in a grassy area between area between a concrete path and the brick wall of the schoolhouse. The ground is moist from recent rains, but sloped gently away from the building, so it is not entirely "muddy"
I wonder about these. Are they toxic? Should school officials/parents be concerned about their presence in a play area fr small children?
I don't think there is any way to permanently de-shroom an area of ground once the mycelium has set in. I think you would have to pick and toss them as they crop up.
But wouldn't they just resurface year after year if the mycelium is left intact? Plus, if the mushrooms have matured already and released spores, chances are greater that they'll just come back, or am I wrong?
I don't think that it would be a bad idea to get rid of them, if they are in a high-traffic play area. They appear to be common types, and have a very short fruiting period anyway.
The second and third ones appear to be boletes of some variety. Again, these aren't likely to kill you, but some varieties are not classified as edible.
Thank you Sarah, you reminded me of something; while this might not appear to be "deadly," they don't need to be to cause a bad case of poisoning. A mushroom like the Green-gilled parasol will sometimes only harm an adult but can prove to be fatal to children, so just bear that in mind. What are you guys planning to do with them so far?
The first one definitely looks like a Russula (possibly R. amoenolens or a relative). From what I understand, these won't kill you, but a lot of them smell and taste really bad, and can cause gastrointestinal upset. I wouldn't consider it edible.
Wild mushrooms and "toadstools" are pretty much the same thing. I don't mind the term "toadstool" being used interchangably with "mushroom", but a lot of people don't like it, or use it to describe only poisonous fungi.
I was starting to get worried that one mushroom appeared to be gilled and the other a bolete! It might be a good idea to make separate spottings for each, or just focus on one, etc. The first one is a Russula, to my novice knowledge; the last two appear to have pores and with the third one being a bolete. These three fungi do not appear to be similair to any deadly mushrooms that I KNOW OF, that is to say, don't go thinking they're safe to eat because I've never seen deadly mushrooms like those!! If there were any truly bad mushrooms growing in your area, I'm sure there'd be a sign or two somewhere saying so, and if worst come to worst, you can just remove them.
Spotted on Sep 26, 2011
Submitted on Sep 26, 2011
