Day 363: The Pholiotas are a good example of why one area mycological society holds a "Survivors' Banquet" every year. Some members of the genus are edible. Others are poisonous, and unless you have an exceptionally complete field guide and are very good at using the keys, or unless you have a close and trusted friend who is also a trained mycologist to help you with identifications, you are strongly advised to take no chances. Mushroom poisoning can be as simple as making you sick to your stomach, or it can be deadly in either the short or long term. Many toxins can linger in the body for years, particularly in the liver. "Better safe than sorry," as my mother always said.
NB: I stand corrected. Apparently this is a species of Armillaria, which just goes to show how easy it is to make a mistake when identifying mushrooms.
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