Mushroom Monday - Pholiota squarrosa

Here are a few Pholiota squarrosa for #mushroommonday

Look at these spiky beauties.

This batch is still too young to show their gills. Eventually the skin underneath will peel away allowing the spores to escape the gills.

I usually find these in fall on deadwood.

Their caps will eventually grow up to a 5 inch diameter. So far they are all still just sprouting.

Here is another pholiota looking mushroom. I think this one may be related to pholiota but notice the flat scales vs the pointy scales.

Back to Pholiota squarrosa. These are listed as both edible and inedible. A compound in them can cause gastrointestinal upset.

But for the longest time these have been listed as edible. I suspect it all depends on how much you consume at one time. Perhaps this year I'll try a taste test to see if its worth the risk of a stomach ache.

This is the wild area where I found them. Happy #mushroommonday and happy hunting :-)