365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
To Eat Or Not To Eat
Day 361: Hypomyces lactifluorum ("Lobster mushroom") shown on the right is a parasitic fungus which occurs on various species of Russula (left) and Lactarius, forming an overgrowth of vivid orange often even before the host species emerges from the soil. It is reputedly edible, but since some of the hosts may cause gastric upset, I have always been reluctant to try it. This philosophy of "better safe than sorry" was confirmed when I asked a Parkie friend if she ate it. "Not any more," she told me and added "I think I've developed a sensitivity to it," patting her tummy by way of elaboration. Other consumers have reported that not all "Lobsters" taste alike. Some are good, but others leave a distinctly fishy and unpleasant aftertaste. That said, the woods are full of Lobsters right now, and that's where I plan to leave them.
Labels:
Hypomyces lactifluorum,
Lobster Mushroom,
MORA,
Russula sp.,
yard
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