Sports Afield: Mushroom roulette

Wild-mushroom enthusiasts like to remind more timid foragers that only six of the several thousand types of fungi on this continent are deadly. While this is essentially true, it's only part of the story

Let's not forget that there are also at least 70 species linked to "gastrointestinal irritation," which can be severe to fatal; 18 known to contain the toxin muscarine, which can disrupt bodily functions; and 30 others that cause hallucinations ranging from distressing to outright dangerous. (One does not want to be running rapids or free-climbing when the psilocybin lacks in.)

Add the fact that both the deadly few and the toxic many are widely distributed-and in many cases may bear at least superficial resemblance to certain edible species-and a fuller perspective begins to emerge. One should proceed with deliberate and even painstaking caution. A little fear of fungi may not be such a bad thing, if it leads to safe and careful foraging.

Contrary to some beliefs fungus is not good survival food; it is perhaps the last thing a hungry or starving lostor-stranded person should look for partly because mushrooms have little nutrient value, but also because the danger of eating a toxic fungus is simply not worth the risk.

Undoubtedly, the best way to break into mushroom hunting is to apprentice under a knowledgeable forager. But be careful in your choice of mentors. Most of the 10,000 to 15,000 cases of mushroom poisoning recorded each year in this country involve people who thought they knew their 'shrooms. Trust as a guide only someone who has years of experience foraging the region; and even then, proceed carefully.

Death Caps: With or without a mentor, you should first learn the mushrooms that can hurt or kill you. Topping the list is the deadly Amanita threesome: A. phalloides, commonly known as the death cap; A. virosa and A. ocreata, or the destroying angels-names that should provide a clue to their poisonous nature. Eat even a small amount of these mushrooms (which are said to be deceptively delicious) and you will probably die, though symptoms generally don't appear until six to 24 hours after ingestion.

Unless you are a skilled mycologist, it's also wise to avoid what are known as LBMs-little brown mushrooms-of which there are dozens of species found growing ubiquitously in a variety of moist habitats. These small fungi, which range from beige to bright brown to slightly gray, have button caps and thin stems, and are extremely difficult to identify with certainty. Many are toxic.

Another one to learn is the false morel, Gyomitra, which has a brainlike cap that careless foragers have confused, sometimes fatally, with edible species.

Also keep in mind that gills beneath the cap are not indicative of toxicity-many edible species possess them. Nor are vivid colors necessarily a warning. Chanterelles, for instance, can be a beautiful orange to yellow-orange.

Good Eating: Chanterelles, puffballs, morels, oysters, lawyer's wigs, shaggy manes and many other finetasting mushrooms are actually easy to identify, once you really learn them. Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora may still be the best general guide to the subject (Ten Speed Press: 800/841-2665; $39.95).

A knowledgeable instructor can teach you more about wild fungi in one day than you can leam in months of selfstudy. Check with local botany or natural history groups (often college-affiliated) to participate in nearby mushroom walks. Or try the North American Mycological Association (Dept. SA, 3556 Oakwood, Ann Arbor, MI 48104), which may be able to direct you to a local chapter of fungus fanatics.