Damned stubborn Chinese woman!

[griz326]

My gal's a great cook and loves mushrooms. Today, she's picking all sorts of mushrooms. She wasn't happy with the shaggy mane she found so she picked a bunch of nice looking white ones.

 

She's smelling them and saying "good eata" ... she just doesn't want to believe wild mushrooms are dangerous unless you REALLY KNOW mushrooms.

 

I think I'm going to shoot my buddy for giving her his mushroom book.

[RobertH]

Been signing any life insurance papers latly?

[Sam and Fen]

Have fun. If we dont hear from you again at least we will know why.

[dnoblett]

http://americanmushrooms.com/deathcap.htm

 

The Death Cap

Amanita phalloides

The World's Most Dangerous Mushroom

 

http://americanmushrooms.com/graphics/deathcap.jpg

 

Introduction

 

NO MUSHROOM is worthier of fear than the terribly poisonous Death Cap (Amanita phalloides). This single, widespread species of mushroom is solely responsible for the majority of fatal and otherwise serious mushroom poisoning cases, worldwide as well as in North America. Indeed, one might argue that the Death Cap's notorious, relatively frequent victimization of Homo sapiens is far and away the best explanation (or rationalization) for the widespread fear of edible wild mushrooms.

 

Google Translation:

 

除了可怕的死亡第氧化氮有毒蘑菇有价值的恐惧（毒鹅膏）。这种单一的，普遍种蘑菇完全是负责和其他严重的致命蘑菇中毒多数情况下，全球以及在北美。事实上，人们可能认为，死亡第声名狼藉的，比较频繁的智人受害是遥遥领先的最好的解释（或合理化的食用野生蘑菇普遍恐惧）。

 

Most victims of life-threatening mushroom poisoning in North America are people from Southeast Asia—Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam. They apparently mistake Death Caps for edible "Paddy-Straw" (Volvariella volvacea) mushrooms. The two are similar in several ways—cap color, size, and the white "cup" around the base of the stalk—but different in others (for example, the Paddy-Straw has a pink spore print, the Death Cap a white spore print; and the Death Cap has a partial veil). The Paddy Straw mushroom occurs in tropical and temperate areas worldwide, and is especially common in Southeast Asia; the Death Cap, alas, does not occur in Southeast Asia, so folks from that part of the world are unaware of the lethal "look-alike."

 

In North America, Death Cap poisonings have been reported from California, Oregon, and New York. In New York, the only known victims to date were natives of Laos. In California and in Oregon, most reported Death Cap poisonings have also involved Southeast Asian immigrants.

 

The poisoning cases typically involve several victims—often including children—who "enjoyed" the mushrooms as a group. One or two deaths per case are common. The treatment of choice is often liver transplantation. Especially with early diagnosis, other effective treatments include massive doses of penicillin, which stimulates the liver's defenses.

 

The Death Cap should be sought in every part of North America where Norway spruce or cork trees have been cultivated. If found, its presence should be publicized locally, regionally, and nationally to reduce the risk of further tragedies. It is especially vital to educate communities of Southeast Asian immigrants about this lethal mushroom.

Edited September 14, 2009 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[maxsalvo]

She is flirting with death. Not only death but one that can be very miserable.

[warpedbored]

You are right to be concerned Griz. Unless you really know what you are doing It is risky to pick mushrooms by comparing them to a book.

Is Mushroom Identification Easy?

The problem is that there are just so many mushroom species that no easy-to-use field guide can cover them all. The problem is compounded by the fact that mushroom spores can travel for hundreds, even thousands, of miles on wind currents, so any truly comprehensive mushroom field guide would have to include species usually found only far away.

 

If you know of a local expert you might take the mushrooms she picks to be identified before eating them.

[Jaseball]

Yeah, saving a few bucks is good, but the it doesn't seem wise to be risking your health on wild mushrooms.

[Guest Pommey]

could be a wild trip or a slow painful death B)

 

try them on the dog first

[Stepbrow]

I like Pommey's idea But seriously put your foot down unless you have expert advice.

[Jeikun]

Let me concur. There are a couple of species fairly readily identifiable, but going beyond these especially relying on a book only and not being taught by someone directly with experience is asking for death. A whole Korean family died in Virginia when I was a kid for this reason. Seems Asian immigrants tend to die this way more than other groups. They say "choose you battles wisely", and this might be one of those.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Jeikun (see edit history)

[NewDay2006]

try them on the dog first

 

Careful, PETA could be reading this site and you might die a terrible death!

[dnoblett]

try them on the dog first

 

Careful, PETA could be reading this site and you might die a terrible death!

I thought PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals.

[Sam and Fen]

try them on the dog first

 

Careful, PETA could be reading this site and you might die a terrible death!

I thought PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals.

[knloregon]

With all the rain, as one might suspect----Oregon is a GREAT place to collect wild mushrooms, and I've been doing it for 30 years----

 

YOU ARE LITERALLY RISKING YOUR LIVES-----EVERY TIME--- YOU ARE EATING ANY MUSHROOM YOU CAN'T POSITIVELY IDENTIFY!!!!!

 

Even with considerable experience, its just not worth the risk to take iffy mushrooms..... Particularly, any cap like mushroom, with normal gills. some can only be correctly identified by spore prints, and others, which normally are easy to identify as good and edible----such as puff-balls can also be baby Amanita, many---if not most of which are poisonous.

 

You have chosen a particularly good mushroom to eat---shaggy mane, since its very good, and easy to identify, and has no similar poison look-alikes.

 

Set her straight in no uncertain terms, and make sure she isn't stopping just to please you, but genuinely understands the huge risk she's taking.

[knloregon]

and btw, Steve, apparently, according to those poisoned, the mushrooms smelled----and tasted GREAT ! (famous last words...)