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	Hi all I found three of these last Autumn, now I'm 99% sure what they are but the shape is different to other pictures I have seen. (I think it may b
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Date

8th Sep 08

Forager Trip Info:

Wild Mushroom Foraging Trip - Headley Down and Haslemere. 8th September 2008

Well I am pleased to tell you about a truly extraordinary foraging trip today - the trip was not full of the wonderful Ceps or even very many nice mushrooms but it did have some nice variety but what was incredible about it was the breathtakingly HUGE cep I found BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!!!!

The images below are of some of the fungi on my trip - but first, here it is - possibly the largest Cep in Hampshire, or even the country.... if you have found one bigger, please do tell me. I will be investigating what the UK record is as I would imagine this would come close on length if nothing else!

So - here is a little background as to where I found it. My daughter goes to the local nursury in Haslemere and I was planning to do todays foraging trip around Headley Down and perhaps out in the woods in Haslemere. So you can imagine my surprise to see this enormous beauty almost outside the gates of the nursery, It is almost untouched - a few slugs more is too old to be really edible, had I seen it 24 hours before it could have been very edible.

The Monster Cep!

Here is a side view

My daughter wanted to play with it!

Here it is split open to reveal lovely white flesh - it did not discolour

It was over 15inches long

It was 10 inches across the cap

Weight: 4lb exactly

So - after that excitement, I did go back and go round Headley Down - I found a good mix of fungi - below is what I have found, with names where I know them

Here is (I am 99% sure-it was a bit far gone) a Boletus Calopus - or Scarlet Stemmed Bolete. I have cut the cap in half to demonstrate how some types of cep

will turn blue when cut. This one is not edible and is found mainly on sandy coniferous soil - as was the case here. This one should not be eaten at all.

This type generally has a redish tem which is straight and then a brown dry top. It gives olive brown spore prints and I think is very common in lower britain:

This is the underside of the mushroom above - as youc an see it has been largely eaten by slugs:

This wild mushroom is either a Poisonous Knightcap or a Dark Scaled Knight Cap. They are both very similar but one is OK to eat the other - as the names says

- will make you very ill. The poisonous one is suppoed to smell meatyish and the other more spicy but this one smells like a cross between a mushroom and a pair of my old wellies in the potting shed - so I just do not know for sure which it is. The two shots below are of the cap and the underside

I am 99% sure that this mushroom is a member of the Enteloma family - although they tend to be spring/summer in peak season. It has a little milk deposit

from teh gills which is making me think it could be something else but all other evidence points to Enteloma - please tell me if you have a positive ID of this - they are quite common but are hard to ID as you tend to get it in many variances depending on where it grows

Here is a nice photo of a Roof Nailed Bonnet

When going foraging you need some (well it helps) basic equipment - you need a hat with a peak, ideally a wide brimmed hat, they are nicer than baseball caps

and stop the rain going down your neck if raining. The peak helps shield you eyes to make spotting fungi easier. You also should take a cane or stick as it

help you move undergrowth without keep bending down, a basket for collecting. No plastic bags please- it needs to be an open basket so that the fungi do not sweat and brown off. And lastly, a small knife and brush for cutting cleaning the fungi - mine is attached to my belt.

Here is a Common Earth Ball - these are poisonous

I liked this shot - it is a rotting stump with what looks like a Waxcap slowly decaying

Here are some images of Luddshot common (headley down section) where many of these mushrooms were found on this trip

It has some loverly wooded sections - quite ancient in parts

It is an incredibly old heath land

Here is a great shot of a common Bracket fungus

Topside

Underside

Here is a nice little Russula - This is the Beechwood Sickener. Poisonous but is very peppery and hot if bitten

How about this for a great specimen! It is a Green and Pink Fibre Cap (I think)

YOUR HELP NEEDED - Please send me photos and a short not on your forgaing trips - hundreds of people every day read these stories and your contribution will

keep this site interesting and informative - do not worry if you are a beginner. All stories are welcome! - your stories will be a great contribution to other readers.

Lastly - I also saw these lovely Cyclamen so thought I would share - There is lots of beauty to be found when out foraging:...

PLEASE READ:

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU EAT WILD MUSHROOMS IDENTIFIED ON THIS SITE OR ANY WEBSITE. YOU MUST HAVE 1ST HAND POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION. YOU USE THIS CONTENT AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT POSTED ON THIS SITE. BY READING OR POSTING CONTENT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS.

Wild Mushroom Identification - Recommended Books for All Skill Levels:
Every amateur mycologist should have a decent library of books, here are the top five books I highly recommend for wild mushroom identification:

1) Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of Britain and Europe - Great layout with superb images - Peter Jordan

2) Mushroom Picker's Foolproof Field Guide - A good all round book - Peter Jordan

3) The Mushroom Book - This one is a proper belter with loads and loads of good technical data - Thomas Laessoe

4) Complete Mushroom Book: The Quiet Hunt - A lovely book by a lovely man. Antonio Carluccio

5) The River Cottage Handbook - Mushrooms - Always a favourite from Hugh's fungi specialist friend, John Wright

It is important to have at least 3 books so you can cross reference and cover as many species as possible

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