Foraging Wild Shaggy Mane Mushrooms

I went on a Wild food & Herbs Foraging walk. Here is an edible mushroom I learned about. Shaggy Manes (Coprinus Comatus). Look at this great big patch of shrooms! The second photo shows one turning inky. The third photo show them at their prime edible stage.

Shaggy Mane Mushrooms have tall caps that are somewhat pointed oval, and covered with frilly, lacy scales. They are normally off-white and oval shaped when fresh, which is when they are edible, then aging quickly to gray and black, often releasing a blackish, ink-like substance that you will not want to get on you.  I've heard of paintings which used shaggy mane ink as the medium!

Shaggy Manes deteriorate very quickly, so if you gather them for the table, choose only truly prime specimens, refrigerate them as quickly as possible, and serve them that day.  Otherwise they will almost surely have started to ink.

Shaggy Manes are among several members of the family called “Inky Caps” and share a family resemblance, though, only one of this family is called Inky Cap, and that is Coprinus Atramentarius.  It starts out dusky gray, and like the Shaggy Mane, ages quickly. Why this should interest you is that Inky Caps (C. Atramentarius) are used in the making of antabuse, a powerful drug sometimes used in the treatment of alcoholism, that sickens people who then consume alcohol. A similar (but milder) reaction has been reported by some who have eaten Shaggy Manes with alcohol, so caution is advised the first time you eat this mushroom in combination with your favorite adult beverage.

Another caution:  Shaggy Manes often grow beside roads. It is always wise to think about where you are picking a mushroom you intend to eat.  Well-travelled roads are likely to have had all kinds of stuff (oil, transmission fluid, and anti-freeze, salt) leaked or spread onto their surface and when it rains, these pollutants get washed to the shoulders, where it can sink in and become a part of what you are thinking about picking.  Areas that are likely to be sprayed with herbicides are another consideration. 

Don't be scared off eating a fine edible that is considered choice by most people, just remember to always be thoughtful in your mushroom gathering and eating!

NOTE- Forage Only When Necessary: Do Not over harvest wild foods. Foraging is fun, but remember that as a human, you have the ability to source your food in your natural environment - wildlife does not. If you must forage for food or herbs for an ailment, only harvest 5% -10% of what you see of any plant or patch you find, so it has a good chance to keep growing and come back next year. Remember that other lives depend on it. 

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Covered Bridges Of Vermont

 

Autumn Framed 

by Gates Farm Covered Bridge in Cambridge, Vermont. Until 1950 this bridge was in a different location and was called the Little Bridge. It was moved here when the Seymour River was diverted and crossed the Gates family farm. Built in 1897 by George W. Holmes, it is last bridge to be built during the historic period of covered bridge construction with the Burr arch design, and is one of only nine surviving Burr trusses in the state.. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1994, after years of neglect, and with its new location in a flood plain, the bridge suffered deterioration and was removed from its abutments. In 1995 it was restored, in the process, making the interior clearance 18 inches (0.46 m) higher to allow larger farm equipment to pass through.

The Mills Riverside Park covered bridge, Jericho, Vermont.

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Anise Hyssop

Bees and I share a love of Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), which is also called Licorice Mint, Korean Mint/huo xiang, Giant Blue Hyssop, and Patchouli Mint to name a few. These names point to some of the qualities of this plant, as well as the valued use in Traditional and Classical Chinese Medicine. Both the leaves and the flowers of Anise hyssop can be used fresh or dried. With a natural sweetness and a mild anise flavor, it’s best harvested while in flower, and dries readily for teas and other preparations.

THANKS FOR YOUR VISITS, FAVS AND COMMENTS. AS ALWAYS, APPRECIATED VERY MUCH!  © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY ELISE T. MARKS. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS IMAGE ON WEBSITES, BLOGS OR ANY OTHER MEDIA WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Bunnies

Bunny In Someone Else's Yard

Bunny In My Yard

Bunny In My Yard

 Pretty Bunny Visiting A Garden

A Pair Of Bunnies Behind My Dentist's Office

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THANKS FOR YOUR VISITS, FAVS AND COMMENTS. AS ALWAYS, APPRECIATED VERY MUCH!

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY ELISE T. MARKS. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS IMAGE ON WEBSITES, BLOGS OR ANY OTHER MEDIA WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Driftwood

Driftwood Reflections

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DragonFly Extravaganza

Green Dragonfly

Green Darner Dragonfly on Hibiscus

This dragonfly was so big that when it flew across the yarn, it's wings sounded like cellophane flapping in the wind.

Green Darner Dragonfly on Hibiscus

Green darners are the biggest darner in North America and also the most widespread. They have a green thorax and a blue (male) or brownish (female) abdomen.

Green Darner Dragonfly

Anax Junius on Sedum

Green Darner Dragonfly on Sedum

with a bumble bee.

This Red Dragonfly 

landed on my finger while I was photographing the Green Darner on the Hibiscus, so I shifted the camera to photograph this one too.

Visit From An Old Friend

DragonFly On Mullein

 Dragonfly symbolizes change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization. 

There are more than 5,000 known species of dragonflies, all of which (along with damselflies) belong to the order Odonata, which means “toothed one” in Greek and refers to the dragonfly’s serrated teeth.

Dragonflies were some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Modern dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five inches, but fossil dragonflies have been found with wingspans of up to two feet.

Dragonflies are expert fliers. They can fly straight up and down, hover like a helicopter and even mate mid-air. Between the speed, distance and flexibility when hunting, dragonflies are one of the most exceptional fliers on the planet.
Nearly all of the dragonfly’s head is eye, so they have incredible vision that encompasses almost every angle except right behind them. They not only have an exceptional field of vision, but they can see the world in colors we can't even imagine. 

Dragonflies, which eat insects as adults, are a great control on the mosquito population. A single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day. They catch their insect prey by grabbing it with their feet. 

Dragonflies can't bite humans. The vast majority of species don't have mandibles strong enough to break the skin. Only a small handful of large species are capable of actually biting, but this only occurs as a defensive strategy. 

Mullein is a valued medicinal herb, especially in treating diseases of the lungs. A wash prepared  from the leaves, flowers, and roots soothed sprains, reduced  inflammations, and heals wounds. The leaves can also be used as a poultice for swollen glands, bruises, insect bites, for treating sprains, swelling, and wounds. It makes a good addition to an herbal salve. The flowers infused in oil were used to cure hemorrhoids and as a specific cure for earache.

                                                                Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

Damselflies are fellow members of Odonata, though they’re distinct from dragonflies, which have thicker bodies and bigger eyes. A handy way to tell them apart is to look at their wings at rest—dragonflies sit with their wings splayed flat, while resting damselflies close their wings back together over their body.

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© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY ELISE T. MARKS. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS IMAGE ON WEBSITES, BLOGS OR ANY OTHER MEDIA WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Summer Garden Flowers

Snap Dragons & Queen Anne's Lace

Anemone.

Also known as the Grecian windflower.

Kirigami
Columbine In Red & White

Hibiscus Loveliness

THANKS FOR YOUR VISITS, FAVS AND COMMENTS. AS ALWAYS, APPRECIATED VERY MUCH!  © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY ELISE T. MARKS. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS IMAGE ON WEBSITES, BLOGS OR ANY OTHER MEDIA WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION.