AGARICUS ARVENSIS

Cap: from 5-15 cms in diameter, off white colour and nutty brown colour in the centre, fleshy, globular or hemispherical, then convex, finally flat with a protruding edge beyond the lamellae.

Lamellae: Dense, free, not adherent to the stem, a rosé colour which the becomes a flesh colour and finally when ripe a browny-black colour.

Stem: 3-7 cms, stumpy, full, cylindrical, a little enlarged at the base, white or sometimes pinky in colour; a white ring, thin, with a fringed edge.

Flesh: white, firm, with a pleasant smell and taste.

Habitat: it grows from may to october in the woods, fields, gardens and fertilized places.

Edibility: EXCELLENT (even raw).

AGARICUS BISPORUS

Cap: 4-9 cms in diameter, very white in colour with signs of flaking in older specimens .

Lamellae: pink in young specimens, browny-black as time goes by.

Stem: coloured, with white and streaked ring.

Flesh: white, becomes light pink when exposed to air.

Habitat: cultivation.

Edibility: EXCELLENT (even raw).

AGARICUS CAMPESTRIS

Cap: white, reddish or brownish, 6-10 cms, fleshy, hemispherical, then convex; covered in small scales with a pinkish background.

Lamellae at the beginning pink, then fleshy pink, dark brown, and finally black; free, very dense.

Stem: white; 3-7 x 1-3 cms, solid, cylindrical, smooth, a little enlarged at the base. Simple ring, membranous, white.

Flesh: white, when cut it becomes pink near the lamellae and at the bottom of the stem, it has a pleasant smell and taste.

Habitat:  summer - autumn; fields, gardens, pastures.

Edibility: EXCELLENT.

AMANITA CAESAREA

Cap: red-orange colour, or yellow orange; 8-20 cms, voluminous fleshy, at first spherical then egg-shaped, finally open; regular edge.

Lamellae: yellow-gold, very dense.

Stem: yellow-gold; 8-15 x 2-3 cms, fleshy, enlarged at the base, solid, then spongy; wide ring, drooping. White, dense volva.

Flesh: white, yellow under the cuticle of the cap soft; when it rots it smells of bad eggs.

Habitat: summer-autumn; in coppice woods and in the clearings.

Edibility: EXCELLENT (it is considered the most valuable).

AMANITA MUSCARIA

Cap: red, covered in white verrucae; 6-20 cms, hemispherical at the beginning, slimy; slightly streaked edges.

Lamellae: white or yellowy, very dense.

Stem: white or lightly yellow; 12-25 x 1-2,5 cms, cylindrical, full then hollow, a little enlarged at the base.

Flesh: white.

Habitat: summer-autumn; can grow anywhere (it’s one of the most diffused).

Edibility: TOXIC (provokes neurotropic intoxication).

AMANITA PHALLOIDES

Cap: variable in colour, but has a tendency towards green or olive colour, 4-15 cms, at first hemispherical, then flat, smooth edges.

Lamellae: white, dense, free from the stem and irregular.

Stem: off white colour; with brown rings 6-12 x 0,8-2 cms, cylindrical, full in young specimens, hollow in adult specimens. Wide and semi-free volva.

Flesh: white, lightly coloured under the cuticle, fibrous ,is odourless, but unpleasant when it rots. It is tasteless, lightly acid.

Habitat: summer-autumn under hardwood.

Edibility: DEADLY POISONOUS.

ARMILLARIA MELLEA

Cap: 3-6 cms in diameter, quite fleshy, at first hemispherical or conic, then convex and more or less open, nearly always with a slight protuberance honey-yellow colour more or less intense.

Lamellae: not very dense, irregular, not very large joined together, slightly running along the stem off white colour, yellowish or brownish, at the end stained reddish-briwn.

Stem: cylindrical, long, bent, bulbous at the base; tenacious, fibrous, then hollow, pale at the top, brownish at the centre, olive-coloured at the bottom, streaked on the ring and along the lamellae, fibrillious at the base.

Flesh: firm, off white, fibrous and tenacious is that of the stem, a fresh mushroom smell is perceptible bitter taste.

Habitat: it grows in autumn on stumps of trees or at the foot of live trees in both hardwood and conifer woods, the tufts are individual.

Edibility: GOOD (don’t eat the stem it’s too fibrous).

BOLETUS SATANAS

Cap: 8-20 cms, big and firm, at first nearly, spherical, opened only in adult specimens; at the beginning white, then grey-white, whitish-green colour; rounded edges.

Tubulus: attached to the stem; the same colour of the pores.

Pores: from yellow to pinky orange, small and round.

Stem: 4-15 x 3-10 cms, firm, short, stumpy, enlarged at the base; yellow on the top, reddish-violet in the centre; it becomes slightly blue when touched.

Flesh: whitish-grey with yellow shades. Slight smell and sweet taste.

Habitat: spring-summer; under hardwood, on time ground.

Edibility: POISONOUS (if eaten raw, it can provoice persistant vomiting. It is not in anycase very poisonous).

BOLETUS AEREUS

Cap: 6-20 cms, hemispherical, then convex, then opened when an adult specimen; in a young specimen nearly black; velvet-like surface.

Tubulus: white or light yellow; fine, long, nearly free.

Spores: brown-olive colour in heaps, fusiform 12-16 x 4-5 micron.

Stem: 7-15 x 3-6 cms, browny in colour, hard, thick; at first enlarged at the base, then cylindrical.

Flesh: white, hard, colourless under the cuticle of the cap. Pleasant smell and taste.

Habitat: summer-autumn, in oak woods or in mixed types of woods, above all in the centre-south of Italy.

Edibility: EXCELLENT.

BOLETUS EDULIS

Cap: 5-25 cms, fleshy and firm, at the beginning hemispherical, then convex, from white to chestnut colour.

Tubulus: long, simple, nearly free, at the beginning white in colour, then yellow.

Spores: brown-olive colour in heaps, fusiform 12-16 x 4-5 micron.

Stem: 5-12 x 3-6 cms, thich, full and firm; at the beginning thin at the top, enlarged at the base, then it becomes more and more cylindrical, pale colour.

Flesh: white, slightly brown, firm, mushrooms smell.

Habitat: summer-autumn; in hardwoods and firm-woods.

Edibility: EXCELLENT.

BOLETUS PINOPHILUS

Cap: 8-25 cms, from hemispherical to convex/flat, reddish o wine red colour.

Tubulus: adherent, long, white-grey in colour, then greenish; with very thin pores, first white then yellow-olive colour stained with rust.

Spores: browny-olive in a heap, fusiform, 13-17 x 4-6 micron.

Stem: large and firm, from off-white to ochre-pink, to browny-red, covered by quite an evident and extensive network, coloured.

Flesh: white, unchangable, browny-wine colour under the cuticle of the cap. Hardly any smell, but with a sweet and delicate taste.

Habitat: it grows in hardwood forests (beech, oak, etc.) and conifer forests (pine, etc.) above all in spring and late autumn.

Edibility: EXCELLENT.

BOLETUS AESTIVALIS

Cap: 8-15 cms, first hemispherical then convex/cushion-like, chestnut colour.

Tubulus: adherent or semifree, quite long, white then yellow-greenish; pores closed for a long time, small and coloured.

Spores: ochre-olivy colour in a heap, fusiform 12-16 x 4-5 micron.

Stem: firm, at first corolla-like and then a little more enlonged, cylindrical or enlarged at the base; coloured on the cap but of a lighter shade, covered by a very evident network of white then slowly darkening pattern.

Flesh: a little softer compared to other Porcini white without any different shade under the cuticle of the cap, unchangable. Very pleasant smell and taste.

Habitat: it grows in sunny hard woods, oak (above all) beech chestnut, and rarely under firs.

Edibility: EXCELLENT (even raw, good for drying).

CANTHARELLUS CIBARIUS

Cap: 1-12 cms, fleshy, firm, convex, then open and hollow, from yellow to orange in colour.

Lamellae: thickly ribbed, running along them, the same colour of the cap.

Stem: firm, full, nearly cylindrical; 3-7 x 0,7-2 cms, the same colour of the cap.

Flesh: from off white to yellow-firm; sweet taste.

Habitat: spring-autumn; in woods it can spring up enywhere.

Edibility: EXCELLENT.

HYDNUM REPANDUM

Cap: 5-15 cms in diameter, firm, variable in form, convex, flat, edges are often folded, wavy, fan-like. Cuticle is smooth, dry, yellow in colour or light browny-orange.

Aculeus: very dense, short towards the border of the cap, longer towards the stem, conic, not similar, fragile; they easily detach in adult specimens.

Stem: stumpy, full, tenacious, eccentric, off white colour with lighter shades than the cap.

Flesh: compact, tenacious, white, it becomes reddish when it comes into contact with air. The young specimens have a sweet taste, pleasant smell similar to ripe fruit.

Habitat: it grows in conifer woods and hardwoods from august to november.

Edibility: GOOD (the young specimens are the best).

LACTARIUS DELICIOSUS

Cap: 5-15 cms in diameter, more or less fleshy, convex often with a little depression in the centre and sometimes with a little protuberance. Reddish-orange in colour, orangy-red, with much darker central areas, becomes green when it matures, starting from the darker areas, smooth cuticle, humid, edges face down and can spread out.

Lamellae: dense, thin, not similar, tight, running along it orange colour, with reddish-orange reflexes, becomes green if touched or damaged.

Stem: cylindrical, short, firm, fibrous, becomes quickly hollow it breakc easily, light orange, salmon colour often with some stains, finely frosted over, with some more coloured depressions.

Flesh: hard, fragile, granulous, pale colour internally, but red carrot coloured due to the abbundant amount of lactic; it becomes greenish when it comes into contact with air, which then receeds, smells of fruit, has rather an acid taste.

Habitat: in pine woods and above all near juniper bushes; end of summer-autumn.

Edibility: GOOD.

MACROLEPIOTA PROCERA

Cap: browny colour; 10-25 cms, at first egg-shaped at end opened, with a protuberance in the centre.

Lamellae: white or yellow, with age browny-yellow; dense, irregular.

Stem: variegated by many bands; 20-40 x 1-2 cms, thin and long; cylindrical, hard hollow bulbous at the base, ring white on top and brown; noticable.

Flesh: white, becomes reddish when in contact with air; not very consistent has a tender cap but a fibrous stem; has a nutty smell and taste.

Habitat: summer-autumn, in woods and grassy places along forest paths.

Edibility: EXCELLENT (you only eat the cap).

MORCHELLA ESCULENTA

Cap: yellow colour, become grey, 3-4 cms, conic form, covered superficially by grouped ribs.

Stem: asymmetrical, it enlargens progressively towards the base; 3-5 x 1,2-2 cms; white in colour, wrinkled.

Flesh: white, delicate, slight smell; insignificant taste.

Habitat: in spring overall; in conifer woods.

Edibility: EXCELLENT.

PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS

Cap: 5-15 cms, very asymmetrical, shell-like shape brilliant; variable in colour, from blacky-violet to grey-brown.

Lamellae: creamy-white, then light ivory; dense and not large.

Stem: 6-12 x 1-1,4 cms; white, full, firm, short, oblique; enlarged on top, nude and hairy at the bottom.

Flesh: white, dense, tenacious; pleasant smell; sweet taste.

Habitat: autumn-winte; on broadleafs.

Edibility: GOOD.

RUSSULA INTEGRA

Cap: typical brown colour, variable from browny-yellow with darker stains or stains which go from olive coloured-purple or chocolate brown, winey-brown, browny-violet, browny-olive, etc.; 6-15 cms, hard and fleshy in young specimens to soft in older ones, at first rounded, then convex, irregular, and finally opened in a cup shape; cuticle radially separable in half; humid, brilliant, viscosa.

Lamellae: colour initially milky-white, then browny-yellow, and finally an intense yellow, with white reflexes on the warp dense and then widening, free at the stem.

Stem: white, then dirty brown or browny-yellow; 4-9 x 1,3-5 cms, firm, full, cylindrical and irregular, smooth, more or less wrinkled.

Flesh: white, which becomes slightly yellow, hard and firm. Light smell. Sweet taste.

Habitat: summer-beginning of autumn; under conifers and lime ground.

Edibility: GOOD.

RUSSULA AUREA

Cap: a lovely red-orange colour, often with lemon-yellow marks; 4-10 cms, fleshy, firm at the beginning, then convex and flat, cuticle attached, separable only at the edges, brilliant; rounded margins, tough, with slight depressions in old specimens.

Lamellae: pale, then lemon cream colour, finally achre, with goldy-yellow edges; dense or averagly spaced, quite large, free towards the stem.

Stem: white or tinted in light yellow, with some brown marks; 3-8 x 1,5-2,5 cms, fleshy, full, more or less wrinkled.

Flesh: white, firm, nearly always tinted lemon-yellow under the cuticle; almost odourless, sweet taste.

Habitat: from the end of spring to the end of the summer; in hardwoods.

Edibility: EXCELLENT.

RUSSULA VIRESCENS

Cap: 5-15 cms, fleshy, first of all rounded then convex, cuticle always scaly; greeny colour, sometimes pale.

Lamellae: creamy-white, very dense.

Stem: white, with dark stains, 2-9 x 1,5-5,5 cms, full then spongy, cylindrical.

Flesh: white, firm, heavy, sweet.

Habitat: summer-autumn, in hardwoods.

Edibility: GOOD.