Missouri’s Mushroom Bounty

Chanterelle mushrooms are shaped like small funnels or trumpets with wavy cap edges. Most are bright orange or yellow, although one type is a reddish-orange color. Some fresh chanterelles have a pleasant, fruity fragrance. To make sure you have a chanterelle, cut the mushroom in half lengthwise to reveal the center part of the mushroom. Chanterelles will be completely white in the center. They do not have true gills. Instead, they have a network of wrinkles or gill-like ridges running down the stem. The ridges have many forks and cross veins and are always blunt-edged, unlike true gills, which are sharp-edged and knifelike. They range in size from ½–6 inches wide and from ½–6 inches tall.

Chanterelles are found growing on the ground in grass or leaf litter in hardwood forests during the summer and fall (May to September). They are never found on decaying wood or trees and grow as scattered individuals rather than densely compacted clumps. Chanterelles are especially common when the weather has been hot and humid.

All chanterelle mushrooms are edible. However, there are some poisonous mushrooms that look similar. Jack-o’-lantern mushrooms (Omphalotus illudens) and big laughing gym (Gymnopilus spectabilis) are two poisonous mushrooms that can be mistaken for chanterelles. These look-alikes have true gills, orange inner flesh, and usually grow in tightly compacted clusters instead of scattered individuals. Chanterelles are susceptible to overharvest, so don’t pick more than half or you might not find many in that location again.

There are two species of mushrooms commonly referred to as chicken of the woods. They both have bright orange overlapping caps that can grow up to 12 inches wide, making them one of the easiest mushrooms to spot. The caps do not have a stalk, and are flat and shelflike, with a fleshy texture. Young mushrooms have vibrant color but fade to a peach or salmon color with age. If you were to lay one of the caps on a black piece of paper for about one day and gently lift it up, the white or yellow spores will appear like powder on the paper.

Chicken of the woods is found on dead or dying hardwood trees, stumps, buried roots, or living trees. They can be found in Missouri from May to November, although they most commonly occur in the fall.

The distinctive color and growth pattern of chicken of the woods makes it difficult to mistake them for any other poisonous mushroom. They can cause a mild allergic reaction (swollen lips) in some people. If you’re eating them for the first time, cook and try a small amount to determine if they will cause an allergic reaction.

Cook only the tender outer edges of the caps because the inner portions are tough and woody. Be sure to gather only the young, fresh mushrooms with vibrant color. As the mushroom ages and the color fades, the flavor and texture become less favorable. When cooked, this mushroom has the texture and often the taste of chicken and can be used as a chicken substitute in casseroles, enchiladas, and more.

Look at the underside color of the caps to identify the particular species — Laetiporus sulphureus has a sulfur-yellow color while the underside of L. cincinnatus will be white.

Lion’s mane is a round, beardlike mushroom that is an unbranched mass of long, hanging, toothlike spines. They may grow quite large, as much as a foot across with each spine ½ to 2 inches long. Also known as bearded tooth, this mushroom is white when young but yellows with age. They are found growing on trunks of living hardwood trees and on fallen trees and logs in Missouri from August to November.

Only young, white specimens should be eaten; older, yellowed ones are sour. Although they are a distinctive mushroom, comb tooth (Hericium coralloides) is a closely related and similar looking species but is more open, with branched spines. Fortunately, comb tooth is also a good edible when young and white.

Two species are referred to as oyster mushroom and both are edible. Pleurotus ostreatus is pale to dark brown and favors cooler weather in the spring and fall, while P. pulmonarius is white to pale tan and appears in the warm summer months. They are gilled mushrooms with a stubby, off-center stalk. The cap is 1 to 8 inches wide, semicircular to elongated like an oyster and is smooth, sometimes wavy on the edges. The gills are narrow, and their attachment descends along a short, thick stalk.

Oyster mushrooms are always found growing on wood in overlapping clusters. They sometimes appear to be growing out of the ground but are attached to tree roots beneath the soil surface.

Because there are several similar-looking species that grow on wood, confirm the identification of oyster mushrooms by making a spore print. Place the cap on a white piece of paper for about one day, gently lift the cap and the grayish-lilac spores will look like powder on the paper. Most species that get misidentified as oyster mushrooms are not dangerous, but they may be woody or unpleasant tasting. Watch out for the small black beetles that sometimes infest this mushroom.

Green-Spored Lepiota

These large, common mushrooms often appear in fairy rings on suburban lawns and cattle pastures. Perhaps due to their similar appearance to the mushrooms sold in grocery stores, they are one of the most commonly eaten poisonous mushrooms. Green-spored lepiotas cause violent gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhea severe enough to require hospitalization.

False Morels

False morels have also been called red morels, elephant ears, Arkansas morels, and elfin saddles. They should be considered poisonous, although many people have enjoyed eating them and some even consider them a favorite edible wild mushroom. However, false morels can cause serious illness and death. They contain various levels of gyromitrin, a toxin that when consumed, is hydrolyzed into the toxic compound monomethylhydrazine (MMH). This compound causes diarrhea, vomiting, severe headaches, and can occasionally be fatal. Because of different cooking techniques, level of toxicity, and individual sensitivities, false morels sicken some people but leave others seemingly unaffected. However, the toxin is known to accumulate in the body over time, perhaps delaying effects of the toxin.