What is it and can I eat it ?
Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 12:25 pm
Found this growing at the side of an existing pot for something else and measures about an inch and a half - can I eat it ?
Although the cap looks like a verdigris mushroom (poisonous) the stipe doesn't look thick enough or with enough texture. If it smells strongly of aniseed it could be a young aniseed toadstool (edible, used as a flavouring). It's difficult to say from the photo Rob but check out the gill spacing and patern and place the cap gill-side down on a piece of paper to get a spore print. Note as well the stipe characteristics (any pattern, colour or textutre, the shape and whether or not it's hollow) also what it's growing on/under/near, everything must check out with references from books/internet etc. before considering the edibility. You could try Rogers Mushrooms http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/ . If there's only the one fruitbody it might be wiser to use it for identification purposes only, some fungi have a confusing habit of changing appearance as they grow so it helps to be able to see young and old specimens for comparison as well.
Sorry I can't offer more help, let us know what it is if you get a positive ID