The blusher. The one problem with this mushroom is that, whilst edible itself, it closely resembles others that are poisonous, including the death cap. It must be cooked as it contains a toxin which is destroyed by heat, like kidney beans. The most identifiable thing about it is that this reddish brown mushroom with pinkish grey scales and a white stem colours pink to red at sites of damage or bruising. The gills and flesh are white, also becoming red or pink on bruising. It is most commonly found in beech woods in summer to late autumn (US: fall). Also look closely at the ring on the stem. This should have lots of fine grooves on its upper side, unlike another poisonous mushroom which it closely resembles, the panther cap.
False morel mushrooms. They are deadly poisonous if not cooked, closely resembling real morel mushrooms, being wrinkled and brown in the same way. However, morel mushrooms are symmetrical while false morels are irregular in shape and look like a brown brain, while true morels are more like a sponge. True morels have hollow stems while those of false morels are solid. Be careful to check each of these features before attempting to eat one. They have a fine flavour and are generally parboiled. They are popular in Nordic countries and in Finland especially.
