San Diego County has been invaded by mushrooms, despite the fact this is not the season for them to appear, according to an article on the CBS8.com San Diego website.
In Scripps Ranch, Laurel Porter found small mushrooms in her yard, and watched as they grew larger than any she has ever seen, calling them “impressive.”
Les Braund is the president of the San Diego Mycological Society, and an expert on the fungi. He says mushrooms usually grow during the period November to March, but notes that they tend to grow in areas that receive a lot of watering, such as private yards. He also believes that San Diego’s recent weather could be one reason they’re growing now. Officials dealing with a widespread issue like this might turn to flyer printing to create a mailer to disseminate information to residents.
Braund says the mushrooms that are appearing go by the common name of the Green Spored Lepiota, although scientifically they are known as the Chloryphilm Molybites. He adds that if anyone is going to become ill in Southern California from eating mushrooms, this is the most likely culprit. He goes on to say that people should not eat these mushrooms, no matter how tempting they look. They are not deadly, he says, but can make people sick for a day or two, and are likely to have a similar effect on pets.
