Agnes A. Sieger, Editor
Dick Sieger, HTML Editor
BOARD NEWS Agnes Sieger
Income and expenses for the March Survivors’ Banquet areexpected to be about even. Judy Roger will present a microscopyclass some weekend in July. The classes will be held for 4 hourseach day. The date is as yet undetermined. Fall workshops areplanned on topics other than the general ID classes. EducationChair Lisa Bellefond would appreciate some suggestions regardingpossible areas of interest. We are still in need of someone tochair the annual exhibit. Identifiers and co-hosts are still neededfor a few of the field trips. The need for a field trip chair wasdiscussed. We are in need of an editor for the electronic versionof Spore Prints. Colin Meyer offered suggestions for improving theWeb site. Another volunteer is needed to handle PSMS voice mail andidentifier referrals.
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Tuesday, May 11, at 7:30 PM at the Center for Urban Horticulture,3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
It’s May, and the height of morel season—and we aregoing to learn all about matsutake. Our featured speaker this monthis matsutake expert, Professor and Chair of Biological Sciences atCentral Washington University, Dr. David R. Hosford. His topic willbe “Matsutake.”
Dr. Hosford studied and received his Ph.D. in 1972, under thesupervision of Daniel E. Stuntz at the University of Washington.The period of 1965–69 was the highlight of his student yearsbecause of Dr. Stuntz (an unequaled scholar, teacher, and friend).Before coming to the U.W. Hosford worked under the supervision ofDr. James M. Trappe, studying mycorrhizae at the regional forestscience lab. in Portland. It was then that he began to appreciatefungi, and it was Dr. Trappe who put him in touch with Dr. Stuntzfor graduate work. Since 1969 his first love has been teaching,e.g., mushrooms, general mycology, plant pathology, algology, and avariety of botany and biology courses.
His research has centered on the systematics and ecology ofGasteromycetes and Hymenomycetes. His Ph.D. thesis was a taxonomicstudy of Rhizopogon. He has conducted field studies in CentralMexico, participated in a research expedition to the Amazonian rainforest, and conducted research in Japan on matsutake and falsetruffles.
A 1997 publication, “Ecology and Management of theCommercially Harvested American Matsutake Mushroom,” is aculmination of these studies in Japan and in Central WashingtonState.
Would persons with last names beginning with the letters A–Eplease bring refreshments for the social hour?
MUSHROOM MISSIONARIES
Dick Sieger presented “Mushroom Neighbors” to theAndover Park Garden Club in Kent on February 22. He also spoke tothe Olympic Peninsula Mycological Society on March 10 about“How to Identify Morchellaceae and StalkedGyromitra.”
FUNGUS MENACES GARLIC CROP Maria A. Gaura,
The Spore Print, LA Myco. Soc., Oct. 1998
via The Arizona Fun-Gi, Spring 1999
When tens of thousands of people visit Gilroy’s garlicfestival this weekend, there’s one thing they won’tnotice while sampling the garlic cheesecake and 40-clovepizzas—California’s garlic crop is fighting for itslife.
An orange-colored fungus, Puccinia porri, never before considered aserious threat to the pungent bulb, reproduced madly during thedamp El Niño spring and cast countless spores to thewinds.
“You could see it spread like wildfire through the CentralValley, from field to field,” said Kris Van Elswyk, a garlicindustry representative based near Fresno. “One dayyou’d see small spots of it, and 3 days later it looked likethe field was on fire.”
Known to plant pathologists as “garlic rust disease,”the ruddy invader is a cousin to the disfiguring smut frequentlyfound on rosebushes, snapdragons, and peaches. But even thoughgarlic rust disease was first found in California in the 1930s, ithas not attacked the crop on a large scale for at least 58years.
In 1934, Californians farmed only about 300 acres of garlic, andthe economic damage from the rust was small. Today, garlic is amajor crop, covering 37,000 acres and valued at $262 million lastyear. The precise extent of the damage to this year’s cropwill not be known until after the harvest is completed, as late asOctober. But in some areas, it appears that half to two-thirds ofthe yield has been lost. Because of the rust, much ofCalifornia’s fresh garlic supply this year will have to beimported from Mexico and Argentina, Christopher said. Only the bestof California’s crop will be served at the garlic festival,he pledged.
The rapidity of the rust’s spread and the thoroughness of theinfection have jolted the garlic industry, which has been enjoyinga comfortable expansion in recent years. This year’s crop hadbeen in the ground for 6 months before the rust problem emerged,but by May, scientists found it in almost every field theychecked.
A BIRD’S NEST IN THE HAND Dick Grimm
Although many of us are familiar with the “Bird NestFungi” we perhaps don’t realize the complexity of thissmall mushroom.
This interesting little mushroom is considered a Gastromycetebecause it has its spores encased inside of a pouch much like thefamiliar and larger puffballs. In effect, the tiny eggs thatone sees resting at the bottom of the small nest could be likenedto miniature puffballs. I personally like to refer to them aslentils or eggs.
There are two generally encountered genera—Crucibulum andCyathus. Crucibulum has a shallow “nest” whichcontains white eggs. Cyathus, on the other hand, has a longerand deeper nest that could be likened to an inverted bell orperhaps a vase. The “eggs” in Cyathus are blackor at least not white. They vary in deeper colors, cream,gray, black, etc.
We find these oddities typically on wood chips, mulch, or deadpacked leaf mold, They show themselves usually in clusters ofseveral or many. Before they open and exhibit their eggs,they are simply “blips” of hard whitish mini-mushroomswith very tiny, hard caps. When these caps break open, thelittle lentils exhibit themselves.
This is only the tip of the iceberg regarding these interestingfungi, however. Actually it is the dispersal of spores thatmakes them truly a wonder. The spores, which reside withinthe little egg, are disseminated in a unique way. The nestthat holds these little eggs is shaped in a manner (wide at the topdiminishing to a smaller base) that a single drop of rain,splashing into the nest, ejects the egg with enough force to firethe projectile as far as 3 or 4 feet. Whereas this in itselfis a unique concept, there is an even more surprising ending to thestory. As the projectile (egg) is splashed from the nest, itreleases an umbilical (funicular) cord which can reach a length of4 to 6 in. This cord has a “gooey,” glue-likestickum on the end that grasps the first thing it comes in contactwith. Actually, the entire event is much like the throwing ofa Mexican bolo. If the sticky end (the hapteron) slaps into aplant, for instance, it sticks fast and the lenticle wraps itselfaround the plant stem in the bolo-style action. The egg,being heavier than any part of the overall device, ends up hangingdown vertically so that when it opens the spores may bedisseminated much like those from the gills of an agaric which areoriented so that the spores drop downward.
If you have these unusual fruitings along your driveway and parkwithin range of this fungal cannon, the exposed exterior of thevehicle could become “goo” coated with mycosplotches,so don’t always blame the flies.
The next time you admire the unique style of the little eggswithin their nest, you might realize that this is not necessarily asweet and innocent view of Mother Nature’s artistic work.This fungal cannon is a weapon, perhaps not of mass destruction,but a good missile launcher unique among its more glamorous andlarger fungi compatriots.
TOP TEN LIES TOLD BY MUSHROOM HUNTERS
Fungifama, South Vancouver Is. Myco Soc., March 1999
from http://www.morelheaven.com/talltales/
10. They taste terrible. It’s the fried butter I like.
9. Yes, as a matter of fact, I do own this property.
8. No, I’m not mushroom hunting. I love crawlingthrough briar patches.
7. I don’t know any good spots. Let’scheck yours.
6. Sure, I’ll tell you where I found ‘em.
5. No. I didn’t find any.
4. Of course I have permission to hunt here.
3. It’s too early for morels.
2. I think those are poisonous—better give themto me for proper disposal.
1. The biggest mushroom I ever found had a shadow thatweighed 3 lb.
A NOTE ON MYXOMYCETES Dick Grimm
The Mushroom Log, Ohio Mushroom Society, Jan./Feb., 1999
Did you ever know that the Myxomycetes were for many yearsconsidered to be members of the animal kingdom? They were classed aprotozoa. This is not so far-fetched considering they do moveabout. They would obviously cross the finish line well after thehare, and even well in arrears of the tortoise. One would need todraw a chalk line in front of the movement, if, in fact one coulddetermine which direction they were moving, and observe when thesomatic body edges across the mark. I would suggest you bring alonga good book. There will be no tires squealing here.
Myxomycetes in motion contain flagellate cells (like sperm cellsand rather twinlike in structure) which cause movement in the mass.This mass of plasmodium millimeters along, eating bacteria as itroams over its habitat like amoebae.
Eventually the cells conjugate to form a resting fruit body. Thuswhen one discovers this fruiting structure, whatever form it maytake, it is usually accompanied by a transparent slime mass ofvarying thickness and dimensions. Look up such fruitings such asLycogala epidendron and Fuligo septica to witness the long andshort of it—Fuligo is a “biggie” and Lycogala asmaller one.
FORAYS, CLASSES, CONFERENCES
Fungi of the Sierra Nevada Field Course, June 6–11, at theSierra Nevada Field Campus of San Francisco State University.Information is available on the following World Wide Website: http://thecity.sfsu.edu/snfc
1999 NAMA Foray, August 12–15, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Formembers of NAMA only. For registration information, write BradBomanz, 909 Woodside Village Lane, Ballwin, MO 63021, phone (314)225-0555, or e-mail brad_bromanz@yahoo.com
Telluride Mushroom Conference, August 26–29, TellurideColorado. For further information write Fungophile, P.O. Box480503, Denver, Colorado 80248-0503 or phone (303) 296-9359.
Uinta Mountain Foray, Francis, Utah, August 27–29. For moreinformation phone Don Johnson, (801) 942-0637, visit the Web sitehttp://www.users.uswest.net/~dwjohnston, or e-mail dwjohnston@uswest.net
Fifth Annual Samuel Ristich Foray September 3–6 in centralMaine at Sugarloaf Mountain Resort. Write Linda and Clayton Clarke,56 Quebec St., Portland, ME 04101, phone (207) 772-4014, or e-mailCClarke1@maine.rr.com
We are saddened to report the death of long-time member BethSchnarre, winner of the PSMS Golden Mushroom Award. Remembrancescan be sent to the American Diabetes Association(www.diabetes.org/ada/mem.asp) or to St. Peter by the Sea LutheranChurch in Edmonds.
COLORFUL NAMES Richard Aaron
Mycelium, Mycological Society of Toronto, Jan.–March1999
Grays and browns may not be nature’s most exciting hues, buttry telling that to the majority of the higher fungi.
Grey
While it may not be the cheeriest of colors, gray certainlydoesn’t deserve its gloomy reputation. Yet despite leaping tothis color’s defense, I could find no examples in the Audubonguide to help dispel this notion. Consider the following: Clitocybe nebularis (nebula = mist, cloud, fog), i.e., mist-gray incolor; Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus (plumbeus = leaden gray); Amanitacinereo-pannosa (cinereus = ash-colored, gray); Mycorrhaphiumadustum (adustus = blackened, scorched), cap bruises smoky gray;Naematoloma capnoides (capno = smoke), referring to color of themature gills; Lactarius lignyotus (lignys = thick smoke), referringto sooty color of the cap
Kinda makes you want to pull the covers over your head and stayin bed the whole day, doesn’t it? Don’t despair though,these mushrooms are vastly more exciting than their namesimply.
Brown
To the mushroomer, this is surely the most frustrating of allcolors, summed up in that defeatist acronym, LBM (little brownmushroom). Even after discovering that not all browns are alike,they still all seem to be. Despite the apparent sameness, there aremany color terms employed to describe the various fungal shades ofbrown.
Our friends the amanitas provide us with two of these terms.Amanita brunnescens means “the Amanita that becomesbrown,” from the Latin brunneus (brown) and escens(becoming), owing to its tendency to discolor reddish-brown.Amanita fulva is fulvous (tawny), which color is variouslydescribed as yellowish-gray, yellowish-brown, or reddish-yellow.With all this variability, no wonder brown drives most amateurmycologists to distraction.
At the darker end of the brown scale is where you will find theLatin fuscus (very dark blackish brown), which pops up from time totime in names like Inocybe fuscodisca, with its dark-centered cap,and the genus Fuscoboletinus, with its dark vinaceous brown sporedeposit. There is nothing “bad” about Boletus badiusand Polyporus badius. Badius is simply Latin for reddish-brown,dull brown, or chocolate-brown.
A number of color terms are drawn from other parts of thenatural world. Take Gloeophyllum sepiarium for instance, a commonpolypore. If you are familiar with the warm brownish tones inphotographs of yesteryear, then you should instantly recognize thespecies name, which refers to the zones of sepia color on the cap.Sepia is a brown pigment obtained from drying and grinding ink fromthe ink bladders of cuttlefish and squid in the family Sepiidae.The ink is a brownish-black fluid that these creatures eject tocloud the water as a defensive maneuver. The word comes from theLatin sepia, meaning cuttlefish. Clitocybe avellaneialba, on theother hand, has a nut-brown cap and stalk. Fittingly, its speciesname is based on the Latin avellaneus (hazel or nut-brown), whichin turn comes from avellana (a hazelnut). Then there is Gyroporuscastaneus, which the Audubon guide calls the Chestnut Bolete. Andwouldn’t you know it, castaneus means “of the color ofchestnuts,” from castanea (chestnut).
As you can see, colors are a major component of mushroom names. Whynot learn a color a week. Not only will it enable you to understandand remember mushroom names much more easily, it is also aguaranteed way to make you a more, ahem, colorful individual.
FRENCH ONION, SHALLOT, GARLIC AND CEP SOUP Patrick Hamilton
Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming, Spring 1999
¾ lb yellow onions (4 med.), 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
sliced 3/16-inch thick 2¼ TBS flour
3 each shallots (large) 1½ qt. bolete stock, boiling
sliced 3/16-inch thick (see notebelow)
6 cloves garlic (large ½ cup white wine, dry
chopped small Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups dried bolete pieces, 2¼ TBS brandy
rehydrated & chopped small 6 French breadslices,
2 TBS butter 1 cup Gruyere or Emmentaler
2 tsp olive oil Swiss cheese
1½ tsp salt
Note: Bolete stock can be made by reducing down stock madefrom the tubes of older boletes, or from dried boletes pureed withtheir soaking water, or from reduced soaking water, etc. Obviouslythe stronger the stock is, the more pronounced the flavor of thesoup will be.
1. Cook the onions, shallots, garlic, bolete pieces, and thymeslowly in the butter and oil in a heavy covered pan for 20minutes.
2. Uncover, raise the heat a bit, stir in the salt, and cook for 45minutes more.
3. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until all thevisible flour is mixed in.
4. Remove from heat and slowly add the boiling stock. Add the wine,salt, and pep-per, and cook covered for 30 minutes. Correct theseasoning. If the soup has become too thick, simply add any hotstock, milk, or cream.
5. Just before serving, stir in the brandy. Allow to cook for aminute, then pour in individual cups over the bread. Pass thecheese. Serves 6.
MISPERCEPTIONS New York Mycological SocietyNewsletter
via NJMAnews, New Jersey Myco. Assoc., March/April 1999
The editor of the New York Mycological Society newsletter thought that the photo in the New York Times being read by thewoman across the way on the subway was of two succulent mushroomsand was dying of curiosity as to the content of the accompanyingarticle. It turned out that the photo was of two silicon breastimplants!
But she needn’t have been embarrassed. The instructions forthe NEMF foray in Canada suggest that everyone bring a kit of“Boules de petanque (traditional CMMtournament).” Boules de petanque are the heavy metalballs used in Southern France town parks. Gary Lincoff thought theitem said to bring a snakebite kit, probably because he mistook theword tournament for tourniquet!
When colors come to be taught in the schools as they should be,both the prism or the rainbow and these fungi should be used by wayof illustration and if the pupil does not learn colors, he may atleast learn mushrooms, which is perhaps better.
Henry David Thoreau