Although the Law and its interpretation is rather complex, and no prosecutions have yet been brought, it is clear that deliberately and knowingly collecting magic mushrooms is illegal unless you intend immediately to destroy them or pass them to someone who is licensed to hold them. Licences are held by such bodies as the two Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Edinburgh but are unlikely to be issued to individuals. If you collect magic mushrooms without knowing what they are, it appears you will only commit an offence if you retain them once they have been identified. You will not be committing an offence of possession if magic mushrooms are growing uncultivated on your premises. The appearance of the gill margin (its lower edge) is especially important in some genera. It may be described as undulating or wavy in the same way as the edge of the cap itself, but quite commonly gills are found that appear toothed or minutely ragged. Sometimes the gill edge is of a different colour to the remainder of the gill whereas overall gill colour, especially the difference between immature and mature gills, is very important in some groups. Surface features of gills are not as important in identification as the surface features of the cap, although in a few groups the relative waxiness or pubescence (minute hairiness, like the surface of a peach) is used as a diagnostic criterion. From mould to yeast, fungi are a diverse kingdom with over 15,000 species in the UK. Fungi are made up of different microscopic thread like bodies called hyphae, and collectively hyphae form mycelium. Mushrooms or toadstools are the reproductive, umbrella shaped fruiting bodies of certain fungi. These organisms can be found in almost every natural habitat, but more kinds of macro-fungi tend to be found in woodlands, as they provide a rich and continuing nutrient source and a wide range of microhabitats.

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Collect only specimens in good condition; old or rotten specimens will not make a good meal and can cause serious stomach upsets. Remove the specimens carefully from the substrate, noting especially if the stem base is rooting (inserted deeply into the ground, rather like a carrot root). Make a record of any features that are immediately obvious and striking (a hairy cap, a smell of almonds or a bright red colour for example) and also those characters that change on handling (such as a colour change similar to bruising where the tissues have been touched, or an aroma that becomes suddenly apparent). Whenever possible, try to take at least one immature fruit body but remember that without some fully mature individuals identification will usually be impossible. It is much better to place only one collection in each container for bringing home; many toadstools look remarkably similar, especially when seen apart from their habitat, and trying to relate a mixed collection to one species can cause endless frustration. The need not to mix collections is even more important when collecting fungi to eat because an inedible or poisonous species can so easily be tossed into the pan along with the edible ones. Although practically everyone realises that the mushrooms they see in the supermarket are fungi, relatively few shoppers know how they fit into the overall scheme of living things, and how they are related to the fruit and vegetables nearby on the same shelf or to the animal carcasses on the butchery and fish counters. The truth is that mushrooms are not related to either, although there has been a tradition of teaching what little is taught about fungi in plant science rather than animal science courses – largely because, like plants, they often grow from the soil and do not move. It is now recognised, however, that living things can no longer be placed in two simple Kingdoms of plants and animals. Over the past fifty years, others have been added, and for some time Fungi have been referred to as the Fifth Kingdom, although some of the latest scientific thinking recognises six or even more to accommodate the wide range of microscopic organisms now known to exist. Nonetheless plants and animals are still the major groups with which most people are familiar.

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Collins Fungi Guide by Stefan Buczacki, Chris - Scribd Collins Fungi Guide by Stefan Buczacki, Chris - Scribd

Collect the minimum amount of material or number of specimens required for a proper description and reliable identification. Identification: Has a blue to violet tinged cap and gills when young, however older caps turn tan or grey from the centre. Gills are crowded and grow into the stalk and fade to brown as the mushroom matures. The cap is roughly 5-15 cm across, and the stem 5-10 cm tall. Identification: Are cup-shaped and scarlet, however can also be bright orange. Stems attach to the leaf litter making them appear as hollow bowls lying on the woodland floors. Cups are roughly 4cm across.Do not collect ‘buttons’ (mushrooms that have not expanded). Giving buttons time to expand will allow spores to be discharged and will give you a bigger mushroom to eat. Marginal characters. The margin of the cap may differ significantly from the remainder in colour or surface texture, and the edge may be either perfectly smooth (entire) or more or less wavy, split or eroded. There are often small radial lines around the circumference associated with the gill attachment but some caps are lined radially as a separate marginal feature. Over much of Britain, mixed broad-leaved woodland, containing greater or lesser numbers of oaks, beech, limes, hornbeam, elms, birches, ash and alder, is the native vegetation type. Many fungi are associated with particular types of broad-leaved tree, and some tend to occur only in more or less pure woodland of individual species – Russula fellea, for example, occurs almost exclusively in old beech woods. Others, like Leccinum scabrum, which is always found with birch, noticeably goes wherever the tree goes, whether in pure or mixed woodland, in copses or as isolated individuals in parkland. Birch woodland and birch trees in general have quite characteristic fungal associates and there are perhaps more common species invariably associated with birches than with any other single tree genus or species. Other fungi by contrast are found in company with any of a range of broad-leaved trees. Many kinds, for instance, occur commonly with both beech and oaks; old broad-leaved woodland, such as that in the New Forest, Hampshire, which contains both these types of tree, probably supports the richest diversity of fungal species to be found in any British habitat. Nearly 2400 species are illustrated in full colour, with detailed notes on how to correctly identify them, including details of similar, confusing species.

Collins fungi guide : the most complete field guide to the

For fungi an x20 magnification hand lens is useful. At some point the dedicated forayer will need a microscope, but that, as they say, is a whole new ball park. Or playing field, as they are also known.An up-to-date, comprehensive and brilliantly illustrated book on fungi foraging in Britain and Europe. It covers every known edible species, and all the poisonous groups, as well as a few other extremely common ones.