Do subaeruginosa have any poisonous lookalikes?

[Francois le Danque]

Yeah i pretty much covered it in my title, just so you know exactly what you're getting before you click.

if anyone can help me out here that would be great.

[ballzac]

The only poisonous species I've ever seen listed as a lookalike is Gallerina autumnalis. I don't think they look much alike, but as they contain the same toxins as deathcaps, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with this species.

[alkatrope]

Steer clear of light gills!

[ballzac]

I have actually seen subaeruginosa with very light gills, and a pixie I met ate them and said they were definately psilocybes. The main thing with the gills is that the darker they are, the greyer they are, whereas the Galerina gills are quite yellow. I think the bluing of the stem is a pretty good giveaway, I mean if everything else looks right, and you look at the stem and it has strong blue patches, then you should be safe. Mainly I just recognize them by the cap shape and colour, as this is the first this one sees when hunting, but they can vary quite a lot, and I have also been fooled by some other mushrooms until I pick them up and see that the stem is brown or something. The subaeruginosa stem is deathly white with grey flecks in it where it has no bluing.

I actually think the closest lookalike is the Hypholoma aurantiaca, but you'd have to be colour blind to get them confused. They are very orange rather than brown, and the stem also stains orange rather than blue. Besides, they're not particularly poisonous AFAIK, but don't take my word for it.

[botanika]

Follow your nose too. Im my R.E.M. dreamstate experience all common psilocybin mushrooms have a distinct odor and taste...but I guess you need to know that 'odor' first (you will never forget it). In Alcatrope's awesome pics you can see the lookalike mushroom's stem looses its whiteness when bruised and shows an undersurface brown colour. With Psilocybe mushrooms you can't scrub off that white silk (like a frigid chick's underwear) - it just bruises to the classic colurs already described...although I always feel 'blue' is often missguided a little... dont expect to see many psilocybin shrooms glowing Smurf bright blue (unless you've already munched 10 )... look for 'dark' blue (almost black at times) concentrated stains were touched or broken or purple or bottle green. If you wash them in water it often brings out a less concentrated classic 'blue' hue. Occassionally late season subs will display a strong oxidised blue colour depending on habitat but they are usually pretty weak, old and rusty by then. Hope this helps

[ballzac]

I disagree. They tend to bruise green or blackish on the caps and gills where it is mixing with the colour of the mushroom, but on the stems I have found fresh bruises to be invariably blue. Also another good indication is dark purple spores around the top of the stem.

[botanika]

If the bruises are mild for sure, otherwise the colour concentrates to a darker hue.

[spiders]

People get a lot of species mixed up with subaeruginosa - but as stated the main poisonous ones are galerina species and Stropharia aurantiaca. Some people have got them mixed up with poisonous Hypholoma species - but im not sure which it was.

I think bluing is a good indicator provided your not imagining bluing where there really isnt any. And there are species ive seen of Mycena that stain blue and probably arent active.

The things to look for are little or no annular ring compared to the persistant one in galerina, a different colour in the gills to the stem, rather than the same yellowish colour in galerina, and galerina's gills tend to be strongly attached to the stem, rather than ascending in subs.

Look for bluestainging on the stem and cap, and purple/brown spores prints.

[Fenris]

I have noticed in a patch I know in the South West that there are some non-subaeruginosa's that hang out in and around the greater patch they look very similar and can sometimes be mistaken. They have orange stems but otherwise are the same size and shape, although I think they might be orangish or white under the gills.

I don't know what they are but was warned that they were poisonous.

[alkatrope]

Sounds like a Galerina.

[spiders]

I know the one - also to be considered poisonous assuming its the one Im thinking of - a cortinarius or a dermocybe

[Francois le Danque]

Woah i completely forgot about starting this thread...it's good though. Thanks guys.