How Do You Identify Fungi Mushrooms In The Wild?
The mushroom is the “fruit” of certain fungi, having evolved to enable the fungi to produce spores (the fungal equivalent of seeds) in large numbers. According to David Fischer, author of “Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America,” there are at least 10,000 species of mushrooms in North America, with 250 known to be edible. Accurately identifying mushrooms involves a careful and thorough investigation, especially if you plan on eating them. Purchase a comprehensive mushroom field guide such as the “National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms” or “Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America: a Field-to-kitchen Guide.” Plan your mushroom hunt shortly after a heavy rainfall when mushrooms will be growing in abundance. Collect responsibly and take only a fourth to half of the mushrooms you find, leaving the rest for animals and reproduction. Study each specimen thoroughly, noting its size, color, odor, form of growth, habitat and the time of year. Consider all of these detail
