~greysRDbest

those are either armillaria mellea or armillaria gallica <aka honey mushrooms>, edible....choice in the button stage...when the cap opens up they are not nearly as tasty. they freeze exceptionally well after a quick dip in boiling water. i consume a few "messes " of these fresh each year then im done. I do know other hunters that preserve pound after pound of them. armillaria require thorough cooking because of high levels of chitin.they are becoming to be known as the real cause of "abortive entoloma". tom volk from the U of Wisconsin has found that Entoloma Abortivum found in association with armillaria sp actually had armillaria dna inside the aborted form of the entoloma....aborted entolomas and unaborted form associated with it are edible and very good in my opinion....but there are poisonous forms of entoloma that mimic the unaborted form too well. ALSO IMPORTANT...gallerina autmnalis is a known poisoner that often mimics armillaria.....i can tell the difference easily....USE YOUR KEYS from your fieldguides and get sporeprint till you familiarize yourself with this mushroom. armillaria mellea fruits in huge quantities on live and dead wood in the fall usually from sept to october.