I’ve recently realized I really enjoy searching for mushrooms on hikes. Been doing it for a few weeks now and have seen dozens of different kinds of mushrooms, it’s been amazing! But a lot of the areas I’m in have no cell reception and am not able to upload photos to inaturalist for identification. Is there an offline app or should get some books on mushroom identification? Also is inaturalist the best app for online identification, and is a topside and underside image enough for an accurate identification?

  • Coolkidbozzy [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    2·
    13 days ago

    I love inat but DO NOT use it to identify mushrooms, I don’t know how it’s algorithm works but it certainly is not more accurate than a good guidebook. Idk if it looks at both the top and underside, but if you’re trying to be 100% thorough oftentimes you also need to look at the spores a mushroom gives off, which inat can not help you with

    Depending on where you live there are guidebooks for your region, or at least east vs west coast

    • ashenone@lemmy.mlOP
      2·
      13 days ago

      Good to know about inaturalist, I didn’t have a good feeling about the identifications it gave me. OK I’ll get a guidebook for my area. Any author you’d reccomend?