Tasty or toxic: Alison Pouliot examines a fungus.
By Michelle Herbison
THE REGION’S ideal autumn for poisonous mushrooms has prompted a warning from the state’s health chief.
Acting Victorian chief health officer Dr Michael Ackland warned poisonous mushrooms often appeared similar to edible varieties.
Two people died after accidentally ingesting “extremely toxic” death cap mushrooms in Canberra earlier this year.
The death cap was responsible for 90 per cent of mushroom deaths and could kill within 48 hours, Dr Ackland warned.
“Yellow staining mushrooms are often gathered and mixed with field mushrooms and can cause nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea in some people.”
Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens scientist Teresa Lebel said the death cap was widespread across Melbourne and regional Victoria between January and June, especially about a week after heavy rain.
Scientist Alison Pouliot, who runs mushroom education workshops in the Otways, said mushroom foraging required knowledge and skill.
“Folklore rules about edibility always have their toxic exceptions and are therefore not failsafe,” she warned.
Ms Pouliot said early rain had prompted mushroom growth around the region.
“Mushroom picking appears to be a favourite new autumn activity but in Australia knowledge about the edibility of mushrooms is scant relative to many European and Asian nations.”
