![\"mushrooms\"](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mushrooms.jpg\")
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One thing you will find among the serious explorers of the world is an ardent interest in identifying the things they come across in their adventures. \u00a0Among foragers, \u00a0identification of things they might ingest becomes of critical importance. \u00a0Whether you are an explorer, a forager or just someone with an interest in mushrooms, \u00a0you will want to identify the mushrooms you find. \u00a0In this post I’ll discuss some tools that can help you do that.<\/p>\n
First of all, \u00a0there is no tool that can absolutely identify every mushroom you might find. \u00a0If you plan to eat a mushroom you MUST be absolutely certain what it is you are eating. \u00a0While there are only a few deadly\u00a0poisonous mushrooms, \u00a0there are many that can make you wish you were dead. \u00a0There are a few, like the morel mushroom<\/a> that are prized edibles and\u00a0easy to identify. \u00a0Still if you decide to eat a raw morel, \u00a0you are likely to get quite ill \u00a0\u2013 they need to be cooked to remove the\u00a0volatile compounds that won’t do you any good. You often need more knowledge than some tools provide.<\/p>\n While there are some books that are small enough to carry around, a smartphone app can get a lot more\u00a0information and some easier ways to identify mushrooms into \u00a0device you are already carrying. \u00a0I did a search though the iTunes App Store to focus in on serious mushroom identification apps that got good ratings and reviews from those that are using it. I then looked at the frequency that they have been updated. This is important because some developers put out an app and ignore it while others provide frequent updates that improve the operation of the app and add more information.<\/p>\n I decided to buy Sunbird<\/em>:\u00a0Mushroom ID North America<\/em> by Mullen & Poland GbR for $4.99 (iPhone<\/a>, Android<\/a>). \u00a0They offer similar apps for Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n Today the app includes 175 species and the developers continue to add\u00a0more. \u00a0That’s a good number and suggests the developers are serious about creating a useful guide. \u00a0Still, \u00a0it’s a tiny percentage of the thousands of mushrooms out there. \u00a0There are many LBMs (little brown mushrooms) that require some significant study to properly identify. \u00a0Those\u00a0in this app are much easier to identify and more likely to be of interest to an amateur.<\/p>\n It opens with a page displaying families as in the screen shot above. \u00a0These are not families in the taxonomic sense, \u00a0but more like groupings of similar species that are designed to help you find a specific species. \u00a0I decided to tap the oyster mushroom icon that listed only one species (Pleurotus\u00a0ostreatus<\/em>).<\/p>\n I also did a search for oyster and found two species (oyster and false oyster). \u00a0With that search I learned that there is another mushroom that looks sort of like an oyster mushroom \u2013 it is reported to be “inedible.” \u00a0The oyster mushroom, that is a fine edible and can be found in grocery stores is listed as “Edible according to some sources, seek expert advice.” \u00a0It seems that the app developers are afraid to give serious edibility information. \u00a0Arora’s books will give you that expert advice.<\/p>\nBooks<\/h1>\n
![\"All](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/alltherainpromises-164x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The most thorough information on mushrooms comes from identification books. \u00a0There are good ones like the Audubon Society Field Guide to North \u00a0American Mushrooms<\/a><\/em> and others that aren’t so good. \u00a0For the most complete documentation on a huge range of mushrooms, you will want a copy of Mushrooms Demystified<\/em> by David Arora<\/a>. \u00a0It’s a large book and certainly not something you would want to carry in your backpack for long, but if you want the details, this is the book for you. \u00a0Arora has also published a smaller tome called All That the Rain Promises and More<\/em><\/a>. \u00a0It will fit in your pocket and offers a fun way to identify mushrooms.<\/p>\nMushroom ID App<\/h1>\n
How Many Mushrooms<\/h2>\n
App Layout<\/h2>\n
![\"Families\"](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ID-Families-169x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The app has a menu system like this:<\/p>\n\n
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Families and Species<\/h2>\n
![\"Species](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ID-Species-169x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Other families have more than once species and will provide\u00a0photos of all the species in that group. Tap on one of the species\u00a0that looks like what you have in hand, will bring you to the species page. \u00a0The species page gets you most of\u00a0the information the app has about that species, but you need to use the sub-menu items (Anatomy, Detail, and Gallery) to discover everything the app knows about the mushroom.<\/p>\n![\"Compare\"](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ID-Compare-169x300.png\")
<\/a>As a good explorer, you will want to record your sightings. \u00a0On your first use, \u00a0you will see a map showing no sightings. \u00a0Click “My Sightings List” then “Add Sighting” to add the species you found. First, take a picture of your mushroom using the camera icon on the page. \u00a0Then, type in the name of the species and any comments and click “Add.” \u00a0Your phone automatically records your GPS coordinates, the date and the time and the app adds a tiny mushroom icon to your map. \u00a0The blue dot on the map is your current location and will cover the icon until you move away from your find. I could not find a way to add more than one photo, so get a good one!<\/p>\n