Tony has been lucky then never to encounter one of the really bad amanitas.
Some of these can be eaten symptomles for up to 12 hours. In the mean time
they destroy the liver of the consumer and after 12 hours one dies.
I think I know my deadly mushrooms enough to not make a mistake perhaps. :)
When in doubt we also try out mushrooms on our tame white mice who are quite
discerning towards culinary potential.
john
John you misunderstood me. The fungus taster in Africa was not Tony but an
expert mycologist, who would have certainly understood the possible dangers.
I am glad to know anyway you folks have such useful "tasters" to try
unknowns out on.
As to Amanitas, I think as it happens even Tony could recognise these .
Unfortunately
when early settlers brought with them both the edible Field and Horse
mushrooms they also managed to bring two of the European Amanitas (Probably
accidently on young trees), A.phalloides (Death Cap) and A muscari (Fly
agaric). Both these are mycorrhizal species, the former associated with oak
trees and the latter with pines. It seems many oak trees manage happily
without a companion or the mycorrhiza never actually fruits as I don't think
I have ever encountered the Death Cap in this country though I know a lot of
oaks. These trees can also sometimes make use of the Fly Agaric, as we have
seen fruiting bodies of this round a couple of red oaks at the front of our
next door neighbour's garden. On the other hand almost every pine tree in NZ
(of which there are even more than our sheep I believe) sports the red
"fairy toadstools" every Autumn and I have also occasionally seen them
around silver birches also, though birches in many gardens have their own
peculiar fungus which looks a bit like a large brown bun.(quite possibly a
Boletus though I am afraid I have never got down to trying to identify it.)
. There are several native Amanita speces as well as the imported ones, all
mycorrhizal companions of different native trees, whose edibility status is
not known but one is wisely advised not to try.
Mind you, there _are_ actually a couple of edible Amanitas, one species (A
cesaria) in Europe and North America, and a second in Japan, but it seems
A.ceasaria at least can occasionally be muddled with A.muscari if the
latter has lost its spots, so one should I feel only attempt these if one is
very well clued up (or has useful mice as you do!)
Moira.
