Day 17: The Latin name of this attractive mushroom is descriptive and yet intentionally vague. Stropharia ambigua's edibility is subject to debate, further explaining its common name of Questionable Stropharia. It is one of our most common Stropharias here in the Pacific Northwest, and my yard sprouts them by the dozen. Given that many members of the genus are poisonous in some degree, the term "questionable" settles the matter for me right on the spot. I belong to the school of "If you're not 105% sure of a mushroom's identity, don't eat it." Nor do I experiment with hallucinogenic species whose toxins may provide a delirious "high" at the moment, followed by severe liver or kidney damage further down the pike. I'm sure I bypass many edible species when I'm out foraging, but as my mother always said, "Better safe than sorry." For me, Stropharia ambigua is not "questionable." It's a definite "No."
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