So far it has been a disappointing year for wild edible mushrooms. But here at last is an exciting find (exciting for me, that is). I do believe that this is Amanita crocea (the saffron ringless amanita). Growing under old beech trees near Palace “Het Loo”. If so, then it should be edible but not recommended because easy to confuse with some very poisonous Amanita‘s, see Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_crocea.
The photographs do not do justice to the colour. The underside was in fact perfectly white. The upper side pale yellow and almost greenish reminding me of that most deadly of amanitas, the death cap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides which is rather common in these parts. But: the middle of the cap is depressed and pinkish or peach-coloured.
Other recent finds have been: numerous russulas. Often rather dried out and/or slug eaten. There are so few of them that the slugs got terribly hungry. Also a few Red Cracking Bolete. Similarly, hungrily attacked by the slugs.
By the way: … meanwhile in Manchester, the jury is still deliberating on the 22 charges against Lucy Letby. Part of the reason for this mushroom blog post was so that my previous post – on the LL case – would not be “on top”. I changed the homepage on my Twitter profile from my old Leiden University home page, to my blog page. But I did not want people who check out my Twitter profile to find out, too easily, what I have been writing about LL. It could be construed as contempt of court and Cheshire Police have threatened to have me arrested next time I visit the UK.
Heeding their request, I have removed all links by me on social media to blog posts and other internet sites where the actual science which should have been brought to bear on the case, but wasn’t, is expounded. By law, the jury has to make up their minds using only what was told them and what they saw in the courtroom during the nine month plus trial. A load of codswallop, in my opinion.
Ceteram senseo Lucia innocens est.