Fruitful Fungi Forage

[jonnie drake]

Got out of work early than expected so headed up the woods with the camera in search of a few fungi given the recent rains I was hopefull.

Sorry about the quality of the pics!!! the camera started off well but I think the moisture and low light affected it badly.

No idea what these are so any help would be appreciated!!! oh apart from the jews ear.

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G2.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G8.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G9.jpg

I also found loads of birch polypore but the pics came out really naff on those.

Now this next one was a bit special- it was a good 9ft up an old beech tree, that had been cut at about 20ft, but had plenty of new growth on it. As you can see it is quite large and colourful, wondered if it was any use. There were two on the same tree;

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G4.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G3.jpg

any ideas what this plant is? plenty of it growing about.

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G10.jpg

also found a lot of what im sure is beechmast.

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G6.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G7.jpg

from a woodpecker??

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G5.jpg

'golf ball fungus' :D

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/G11.jpg

cheers J

[Asa Samuel]

I'll bet that golf ball fungus is tasty, relative of the puffball maybe? :p

[Harvestman]

The flower is Herb Bennett. I don't know of any uses for it though.

[jonnie drake]

haha would go nicely in a club sandwich :p

cheers harvestman, just had a look on google.... the big one I was interested in is a chicken of the woods!!!! good eating I hear!

[Ryecroft]

You could eat it for 'tee'
[sorry!]

[jonnie drake]

ryecroft that was pretty appauling!!! your coat is well zipped up and you are already half way home in the taxi!!!

[Bardster]

Chicken of the woods is fantastic eating - but only try a small bit first. 1 in 10 people are unfortunately allergic to it.

[jonnie drake]

thanks for the warning bardster- I went back to the spot and cut a few 'leaves' of it, good to know its good eating! its smells amazing.

[Hugo]

That reminds me, it's time for my ramble up the downs to to pick a couple of puffball mushrooms.
Got the taste for them in Dartmoor, a bit nutty, I like mine with bacon and egg.

[chickenofthewoods]

Wood Avens (Geum urbanum) has a common name of clove-root. The thin base roots small and taste like cloves with a hint of cinnamon and were used as a subsitute for the spice. They are fiddy and time consuming to prep. though, so as you can imagine they lost favour when real cloves began to be imported cheaply. The young leaves can be cooked & eaten too (not tried that yet). Herbally it seems to be used for its astringent properties. You can find more info on Pfaf : http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Geum+urbanum

[redneck]

The 3rd picture down is jews ear, edible but no great flavour and quite chewy..

[jonnie drake]

thanks guys :D

[jonnie drake]

a few more from today :)

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/I28.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/I24.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/I20.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/I19.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/I9.jpg
http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/jonnied17-2008/I8.jpg

[Fungalpunk]

1st one Dryads Saddle is apparently edible although some books claim it to be poisonous. The soft outer edges are the bits to try but I would be hesitant and take the advice of the literature. A walk in Dorset did have one couple happily taking for the pot but whether they survived is another thing. Always be 100% sure.

The second photo is Bjerkandera adusta (Smoky Bracket) - very common but a bit variable.

Jews Ear fungus of course and one that needs a lot of cooking to make edible and one I have yet to try. Just doesn't look that appealing.

Next I reckon Chondrostereum purpureum but alas I wouldn't wager a bet.

Chicken of the Woods of course and the advice about taking only a bit due to possible allergic reaction is sound.

From the other batch the first one is another Stereum I suspect and if scored with a knife should bleed. Again it would need to be examined more closely.

The last one - mmmm - a dried little brown job - a load and proud pass from me then.

Fungalpunk Dave - www.fungalpunknature.co.uk

[jonnie drake]

thanks dave very informative :)