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Safety First Handling fungi There is little or no risk of being poisoned by touching or handling fungi, although rarely some people develop minor skin allergies. For hygiene purposes, wash your hands after handling fungi. Scratching and digging around for fungi in soil, and turning over bits of wood or litter can sometimes disturb some poisonous animals such as scorpions. Old bits of potentially tetanus-infested metal can be uncovered. Hence some people wear gloves when collecting fungi. Have a first aid kit handy to treat minor cuts and abrasions.
Poisonous and hallucinogenic fungi Any normally harmless fungus, including the cultivated white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), is able to cause an upset stomach if eaten in excess, due to the indigestible chitinous composition of its cell walls. Only a low proportion of fungi world-wide are dangerously poisonous, and although relatively little is known about Australian fungi this is probably also the case here. A few Australian fungi also produce hallucinogenic effects. Information about poisonous and hallucinogenic Australian fungi and their toxins is provided in most of the books and web sites on Australian fungi listed in the additional resources section.
Recognising and eating edible fungi There are no reliable rules for recognising edible, poisonous, or hallucinogenic species of fungi. Fungi with a neat, clean appearance are not necessarily edible, and ugly or messy fungi are not necessarily poisonous. The edibility of a fungus is not necessarily revealed by observing animals feeding on it.
As a general rule, if there is the slightest doubt, a cautious approach is recommended, and only small amounts of the fungus should be sampled on the first occasion. Also remember to keep a sample of the fungus to help identify it, in case it causes illness. Immediately seek medical attention if poisoning is suspected.
The best way to try and distinguish between edible and poisonous fungi is to either consult a professional mycologist who might be capable and willing to provide an identification or, more wisely, learn to reliably recognise and identify species of fungi.
This is the End of this Section: "Finding & Collecting"
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