Saturday, 5 November 2011

Fairy Rings

Cro over at http://magnonsmeanderings.blogspot.com/2011/11/autumns-bounty.html  recently posted a brilliant post on Autumn's Bounty. It poured down during the night here too. The sun was out in force again this morning. Doesn't everything look fresh and clean after the rain and a warmth even in November that  makes you feel good just to be here. Part of our land consists of an old mill pool, quite near to the house. It's only a small area and at one time fed the larger (now been filled in) pool further down which at one time ran the old corn mill. It's not actually a pool any longer and has also been filled in long since.


These suddenly appeared under the willow tree over night in an almost perfect fairy ring.


I know practically nothing about wild mushrooms and had a look on Google to try to identify them.
As far as I can see they're Ink Caps - pretty to look at but definitely NOT for eating.

Can anybody out there tell me what they are and am I right?





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18 comments:

  1. Unknown5 November 2011 at 13:11

    Wouldn't even dare to try Molly..dangerous territory...consult The Cro!

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  2. carole johnston5 November 2011 at 13:34

    Lol same for me I only know the ones in the shops..isn't that sad....

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  3. Razmataz5 November 2011 at 13:48

    I think you should ask Tom. He has this mushroom book......

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  4. Chris5 November 2011 at 14:07

    They are lovely looking shrooms especially amongst the beautiful colours of those (willow?) leaves.

    Best way to learn about mushroom picking is to go out on a field tip with someone who really knows thier stuff. Don't take any chances Molly.x

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  5. Amy Saia5 November 2011 at 14:16

    I love to see a fairy ring--so pretty. Wish I could help you find out if they are edible. They probably aren't. I wouldn't risk it.

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  6. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe5 November 2011 at 14:32

    Very unique looking fungi. I would imagine that they are probably dangerous to ingest. I get many interesting looking orange mushrooms in my yard after a wet spell but hubby might get suspicious if he saw them in his soup.

    Very cool pictures Molly. You have such a good eye for picking out great scenes.

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  7. Tom Stephenson5 November 2011 at 15:40

    They're not ink caps, Moll - neither are they fairy ring mushrooms. I don't know the name without consulting a book (in the car) but do not eat them! There are hundreds of them around at the moment, but I have never bothered to learn their name because you can't eat them.

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  8. Tom Stephenson5 November 2011 at 15:42

    Hang on - are they inky? If so they may be smooth ink caps, which must never be eaten with alcohol, as this turns them poisonous - sometimes! AS Cro says, if in doubt, don't touch them.

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  9. Donna5 November 2011 at 19:35

    Don't know the names of them Molly, but I don't eat mushrooms that aren't in the grocery. I had three patients once that had eaten mushrooms their father picked. They were small children. The parents were ill too but did OK. Two of the children had to go on kidney dialysis for several days and were critically ill. The thrid child died.
    But then again, Cro's with garlic did sound delicious, didn't they??

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  10. Cro Magnon5 November 2011 at 23:16

    Don't eat them. They're NOT Shaggy Ink Caps, but they could be Glistening Ink Caps. As I said in my posting, I only eat varieties that I instantly recognise.... and I don't recognise these. When in doubt, leave well alone.

    p.s. Glistening Ink Caps ARE edible, but best be safe!!!

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  11. jane6 November 2011 at 02:57

    Molly it is a while since I saw a fairy ring - that header pic is brilliant -methinks best to gaze at them in awe and forget the cooking pot x

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  12. Friko6 November 2011 at 10:06

    When in doubt, don't!

    Just enjoy looking at them and see what happens to them as they get eaten or decay naturally.

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  13. John Going Gently6 November 2011 at 15:37

    fairy rings?
    I thought you were being very rude for a moment

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  14. Victoria7 November 2011 at 06:32

    'Fairies are invisible and inaudible like angels. But their magic sparkles in nature' - Lynn Holland

    I found that quote a while ago Molly, Lynne Holland was my eldest sisters name, although she spelt Lynn with an 'e'. She didn't write that quote - or did she...a bit of faerie magic maybe!

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  15. Molly7 November 2011 at 13:12

    Thanks so much for your advice(s). Guess what they've disappeared today - nowhere to be seen. The only mushrooms I eat are the ordinary field mushrooms - I love them fried with bacon and egg.
    Donna - how tragic for that little family for that to happen.
    John - nooooo - you're top of my Christmas tree.

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  16. Ms. Becky8 November 2011 at 14:50

    I know nothing about mushrooms other than I love looking at them and photographing them. I'm glad you haven't tasted them Molly. happy day to you!

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  17. Melissah12 November 2011 at 22:31

    Isn't nature amazing - what a great discovery! I just stumbled across your lovely blog & I look forward to popping back for some more inspiration!
    x
    Melissah from Scrapbook

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  18. Elephant's Child14 November 2011 at 17:03

    Hi, I followed you home from mybabyjohn/Delores. If the shrooms disappeared over night, then they were in a fairy ring. Who knows where they will re-appear. I understand that in rural France you can take mushrooms to a pharmacist who will pronounce them safe or otherwise. For the moment I am happy to just look.

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