Mushroom season in B.C: 5 types you should know

It's mushroom season in British Columbia, and the fungi in the province range from delicious to poisonous.

"When trying to learn about them and identify them,know how they look,"said AndyMacKinnon, member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Association.

"For alot of them, smell is very important.For somegroups, taste is very important."

• Mushroom foraging: 5 tips for picking the best crop

MacKinnonwill be one of the speakers attheannual Mushroom Showin Victoria, B.C., which takes place on Sunday.

He suggests going out with someone who knows what they're doing, and getting a guidebook to the world of mushrooms.

Here are thefive mushrooms he thinks British Columbians should know about.

Hedgehog mushrooms

Hydnum repandum
Edible
This mushroom has little teeth hanging from its undersides instead of gills.It has a pleasant smell and a spicy or bitter taste.

Fly agaricmushrooms

Amanita muscaria
Not edible
The caterpillarin Alice in Wonderlandsits atop a similar type of mushroom. In some populationsit's a hallucinogen, but most of the ones in B.C. are not.

Poisonous mushroom

Cortinarius mushroom
Not edible
Includes over 2,000 species.

Pine mushrooms

Matsutakemushroom
Edible
They have a very distinctive smella mix of cinnamon hearts and smelly socks.

Hawks wing mushrooms

Sarcodon imbricatus
Edible
These are best to pick when they are youngthey have a neat smokey taste.But as they get older, they get tougher and more bitter.They also have teeth on the underside instead of gills.

The Mushroom Showat theSwan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary in Victoriatakes place on Sundayfrom10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT. Admission is by donation.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelledMushroom season is here, but be careful what you pickon CBC's On The Island.