I’ve gone from cover to cover in my copy of David Arora’s “All That the Rain Promises and More – a hip pocket guide to western mushrooms” and this substantial mushroom I found in the woods is either a Parasol – one of the best tasting mushrooms, or it is a Green-Spored Parasol – poisonous to many people, causing severe gastrointestinal distress.
The guide says that in Western North America it is only known in southern Arizona, so it must be something else.
After more research I am leaning toward it being a Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum olivieri), which is common in the conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest, and is good eating though some people are allergic to it
The anemones are nearing their end for this year. Their flower stems drag the ground, but they are still too beautiful to cut down.
