By Sharon Omahen


University of Georgia

Mushrooms are cropping up everywhere as a result of last month’s
rainfall. Many look just like the ones you buy in the grocery
store. But University of Georgia experts warn that they may not
be safe to eat.

In fact, chlorophyllum, a mushroom commonly seen in yards and on
golf courses, looks very similar to some edible mushrooms, said
Charles Mims, a plant pathologist with the UGA College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

But chlorophyllum is highly toxic and causes severe upset
stomach.

“It’s one that will definitely make you sick to the point that
you might even wish you were dead,” Mims said.

To be safe, people should not eat
wild mushrooms unless they are
skilled in mushroom identification.

“I would never suggest anyone go out and randomly collect wild
mushrooms to eat,” Mims said. “You have to know what you’re
picking.”

Optimum conditions

Conditions are ideal for mushrooms to reproduce right now.

“They pop up when the environmental conditions are right and this
is usually triggered by moisture or temperature,” Mims said. This
is why certain species are only seen in the fall of the year and
others only in the spring.

“The drought conditions we’ve experienced over the past few
months have kept us from seeing [many] mushrooms, but the body of
the mushroom, known as the mycelium is present year-round in the
soil.”

Mycelium grows unseen usually alongside tree roots before forming
mushrooms.

Fungus among us

Mushrooms belong to the group of organisms known as fungi which
includes the molds and mildews found on our foods and in our
homes.

“Pathogenic forms cause diseases in plants and animals including
humans,” Mims said. The yeast we use for baking bread and
producing alcohol are also fungi.”

According to Mims, other types of yeast may cause infection in
humans. Ringworm is another type of fungus infection that is
harmful to humans.

The domestic mushrooms we now find in grocery stores and
restaurant dishes were once wild mushrooms, he said.

“Agaricus, the mushroom commonly found on pizzas, came from
nature back in 1760s in France,” he said. “Shiitake mushrooms
were first domesticated in China in 500 A.D.”

Call of the wild [mushroom]

Mims says some cultures in Europe and Southeast Asia commonly
collect and eat wild mushrooms, but he doesn’t recommend amateurs
do the same.

“Collecting mushrooms is a big part of these cultures and it’s a
skill that is taught from one generation to the next,” he said.

Mims recommends buying a good mushroom identification book or
joining a mushroom club to learn which ones are edible.

“There are a number of excellent books available on mushrooms,”
Mims said. “And there are a lot of people out there who do
collect and eat wild mushrooms. There’s a group in Athens that
takes mushrooms walks and then meets to identify the samples they
collect.”

If you do harvest wild mushrooms, Mims suggests that you first
have them identified by someone who knows about edible and
poisonous species and that you consume only a very small portion
the first time you eat a new find.

“There are a lot of wild mushrooms that are good to eat,” he
said. “And there are some that will kill you. The most poisonous
mushrooms in the world belong to the genus amanita. Their poison
can destroy your liver and there is no good treatment available.”

If you don’t want to risk getting a stomachache, Mims suggests
dining out.

“You can always play it safe and go to a restaurant that serves
wild mushrooms,” he said. “Then you get the experience without
the risk.”