Natural History Wanderings

EarthSky writes about learning to ID poison mushrooms and it isn’t that easy

There’s no simple way to tell if a wild mushroom is a poison mushroom. To know for sure, you have to identify it and learn about it. Many mushrooms are not poisonous and some are edible. The number of edible species varies by location. For instance, the Alabama Mushroom Society has 18 common edible mushroom species listed on its website. But beware. A few edible species have poisonous lookalikes. Take extra care in scrutinizing wild mushrooms for subtle details. It can make the difference between a close call and a trip to the emergency room – or the morgue!

Read more EarthSky | Poison mushrooms: How to tell