'shrooms

Judgeneo · 5 Aug 2013 at 14:43

Since we got our garden revamped and the lawn laid, we have seen a large amount of mushrooms growing through the grass.

I'm told that this is because we used compost to even out the ground, and they feed of the decomposition? In any case, the quantity of them is a bit ridiculous, I 'harvested' close to 100g of them today, and get about 40-50g worth a day.

What can I do to stop new ones growing?
Are they safe to eat and tasty? Hallucinogenic? Are they of any possible use? I'm wary about putting them into the compost bin as I know the spores can live for a long time.

Cheers

inogen · 5 Aug 2013 at 14:58

I know little about wild mushrooms other than they ain't Liberty Caps. Which are the common "magic mushroom". Although they look a little like them.

Yaayuh! · 5 Aug 2013 at 15:01

First of all confirm non of them are one of these: http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Death-Cap-Mushroom

Here's a guide: http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/visualkey.asp

Judgeneo · 5 Aug 2013 at 16:49

Rossi~ said:
Here's a guide: http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/visualkey.asp

Cheers dude, I think they might be this type

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panaeolus_cinctulus

So yes they are magic

icyshore · 5 Aug 2013 at 16:58

If the 2005 drugs act hasn't been changed then they are a class 1 substance, you dont want to get caught with them.

Ephemera · 5 Aug 2013 at 17:11

IIRC it's only when the mushrooms are in a dried state that it becomes an issue.
The thin white stemmed mushrooms in your picture that have the pointy tops are 'magic' mushrooms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_semilanceata
Not sure on the others but the mushroom with the rounded tops which are similar to the magic ones are best avoided.

pitchfork · 5 Aug 2013 at 17:57

Some of them certainly look like the best kind of mushrooms, which for personal use, eh, grey area I think, others might disagree.

If you aren't sure, just throw them out. No use messing round trying to eat mushrooms if you don't know what they are.

inogen · 5 Aug 2013 at 18:17

Ephemera said:
IIRC it's only when the mushrooms are in a dried state that it becomes an issue.
The thin white stemmed mushrooms in your picture that have the pointy tops are 'magic' mushrooms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_semilanceata
Not sure on the others but the mushroom with the rounded tops which are similar to the magic ones are best avoided.

Nah, they aint. They look like them, but they're not them. There's not enough "nipple" and the heads are too flat. Besides, they'd be very early. Which is unlikely considering the recent weather.

Not that I'm a connoisseur or anything

One · 5 Aug 2013 at 18:21

Ephemera said:
IIRC it's only when the mushrooms are in a dried state that it becomes an issue.
The thin white stemmed mushrooms in your picture that have the pointy tops are 'magic' mushrooms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_semilanceata
Not sure on the others but the mushroom with the rounded tops which are similar to the magic ones are best avoided.

I think they changed that law a little while ago to make having them in any form illegal.

edit:

Wiki said:
As of 18 July 2005,[32] both fresh and "prepared" (that is, dried, cooked or made into a tea) psilocybin mushrooms were made illegal in the United Kingdom. Prior to this date, fresh mushrooms were widely available (even in city centre shops), but section 21 of the Drugs Act 2005 made fresh psychedelic mushrooms ("fungi containing psilocybin"), a Class A drug.[33] Prior to these laws being passed, possession and use of psilocybin and psilocin was prohibited, but courts had ruled the law did not apply to naturally-occurring substances containing these compounds, and for a brief period Psilocybe cubensis and other psilocybin mushrooms were sold in farmers markets. Mushrooms spores are not illegal, due to the fact they do not carry psilocybin until they are cultivated.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060928191945/http://www.release.org.uk/news/MMStmt.pdf