Hello everyone,
I have read somewhere that fungi are very suseptable to absorbing toxins out of the air or what not when they grow by the roadside so they should not be eaten near a busy road. Same goes for plants as well i think. So if fungi can absorb them like that, what would you all think about something similar happening when they grow under a toxic tree such as a Yew tree, that drops its leaves which poison the ground or a rhodohendron that actually emits a poison into the ground.
I have had a look at old threads and i cant seem to find anything on this subject.
Any thoughts would be useful
Thanks Matthew
This isn't exactly scientific as its only my personal opinion but as pretty much every part of a Yew tree is poisonous I just wouldn't eat any fungus that had grown on it, same reason I would pick a mushroom that had been growing off a big old steamy dog egg and eat it.
Now apparently the thing about busy roads isn't really a problem for picking berries, unless the road is full of standing traffic. Up here in sunny Cumbria we don't get much in the way of standing traffic and I believe the relatively well documented scientific results that say its not a problem if its occasional vehicles.
Most commercial mushrooms are grown in horse poo, and some of the best eaters in the wild are copraphilous [poo lovers], but normally by the time the fungi has fruited the poo and most of its bacteria have gone. I have only ever really see fungi like pin molds and some little brown 'shrooms on fresh stuff, which if eaten should be suitable prepared for safety sake.
Fungi are very good at absorbing heavy metals. hense why if they are near busy roads [within a few metres] there is measurable increase in platinum and other metals. However they may be some research that eating some wild fungi can help our body get rid of heavy metals, certainly the mayor of chernobyl swears by eating wild fungi to keep cancer away. There may be other factors in fungi that counter act the metal uptake issue.
As for fungi growing on a yew, a bit iffy and eat at your own risk. I would eat fungi growing on the ground around yew personally, i have eaten parasols from the ground near yew without really worrying about it. i have certainly eaten fungi from around roddys and i am still here. I might pass on a meal with the mayor of chernobyl. Glowing in the dark might be a useful super power though.
Hmmm, i have never got why glowing in the dark would be an advantage to a supr hero as wouldnt he be an easier target for the baddies???
But anyway, it was just really a thought i had and wondered people opinions. I personally wouldnt eat one from around a yew tree or laburnum only cause i was brought up to be very weary of toxic plants. But interesting stuff about that mayor, each unto thir own i guess
Thanks Matt
Fungi absorbing toxins
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