Agnes A. Sieger, Editor
Tuesday, October 10, at7:30 PM at the Centerfor Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle.
The genus Agaricus is wellrepresented in the Northwest. We find delicious buttons in grocerystores, lovely specimens on forest floors, and insolent individualsin emergency rooms. Each species seems to have a unique combinationof distinct features. Why, then, are they so hard toidentify?
Margaret Dilly willenlighten us when she talks about ``Northwest Agaricus.''Margaret has been our Agaricus specialist for decades andwrote the Pacific Northwest Key Council key to the genus. Margaretwas president of PSMS from 1984 to 1986 and is a life member. Sheand Claude went into exile in Oak Harbor a few years ago and arenow active members of the Northwest Mushroomers Association inBellingham. They don't come to Seattle as often as we'd like themto, so it will be a pleasure to see them at the Octobermeeting.
Would members with last namesbeginning with the letters A-D pleasebring a plate of refreshments for the social hour?
CALENDAR
Oct. 7 field trip
Oct. 10 Membership meeting, 7:30
Oct. 14-15 AnnualExhibit, Sand Point Brig
Oct. 16 PSMS Board meeting, 7:30
Oct. 21 field trip
Oct. 26-29 BreitenbushForay
Oct. 28-29 The Mountaineers/PSMSweekend
Nov. 11-13 Lake Quinault Foray
HOW TO COLLECT FOR THESHOW
Mushroom hunting for the AnnualExhibit is fun, since no identification skills are necessary. Justgo out the Thursday and Friday before the show and pick some primeexamples of anything you see. People collect from Mt. Adams to Mt.Baker, from the coast to the Cascades and beyond. However, youdon't have to go on a safari to contribute. Sometimes the onlyexamples of certain species at the show were found in a neighbor'slawn or the grocery store planting strip.
Remember, these mushrooms aremeant for display, and therefore should be as attractive andinformative as possible. This means you need to take some specialcare in collecting and transporting them.
1. Ignore mushrooms inquestionable condition. If it's questionable today, it will berotten tomorrow.
2. Do not cut the stem. Carefullydig up the whole mushroom, large or small, with a trowel orbig knife. Look for specimens in all stages ofdevelopment.
3. Gather up some surroundingmaterial or part of the substrate to accompany thespecimen.
4. Don't grab it by the stem;that may bruise it or rub off features. Wrap it in foil or put itin a container so it isn't injured.
5. Carefully place the wrappedspecimen on a rack or in a hefty cardboard box with otherspecimens.
6. Try to keep the specimensupright. Some mushrooms are geotropic and respond to gravity. Manya stately Amanita laid gently on it's side in the eveninghas been discovered with a 90° bend in the stem in themorning.
7. Keep it under cool conditionsif storing it overnight.
8. Drive in the 74th and SandPoint Way entrance to Warren Magnuson Park and follow the signs tothe old Navy brig. Mushroom receiving is on the back side (underthe white canopy). Mushroom receivers should be on hand from about5 PM to approximatelymidnight Thursday and Friday. If no one is there, just leave yourboxes.
FAIRYRINGS
SporesIllustrated, Connecticut Westchester Mycological Society,August 1997, via Mycelium, Mycological Society ofToronto
The name fairy ring comes from anold folk-tale. People once believed that mushrooms growing in acircle followed the path made by fairies dancing in a ring. Fairyrings are found in open grassy places and in forests.
In grass, the best known fairyring fungus is Marasmiusoreades. The body of this fungus, its mycelium, isunderground. It grows outward in a circle. As it grows, themycelium uses up all the nutrients in the soil, starving the grass.This is the reason a fairy ring has dead grass over the growingedge of the mycelium. Umbrella-shaped fruiting bodies, calledmushrooms, spring up from just behind the outer edge of themycelium.
Large rings are created when theolder mycelium in the center finally exhausts the soil nutrientsand dies. On the death of the central mycelium, the nutrients arereturned to the soil and grass can grow again.
The living edge of the myceliumcontinues to grow outward. As it grows, it secretes chemicals intothe ground ahead. These chemicals break down the organic matter,releasing nutrients so that the mycelium will have food when itreaches this area. For a brief time, the grass at the outer edge ofthe ring also benefits. The extra nutrients make the grass darkergreen, taller, and thicker than the rest of the lawn or pasture.This lush grass dies when the mycelium grows under it and stealsthe nutrients.
Fairy rings made by fungi likeMarasmius oreades are called ``free'' rings. They willcontinue to grow outward until a barrier is reached. Sometimes thebarrier is another fairy ring! Rings can grow into each other'sterritory and die as each reaches the other's ``dead zone.'' Ifthere are no barriers, free rings can grow outward up to 8 inches(20 cm) per year. They can reach a diameter of over 30 feet (10 m).One ring formed in France by the fungus Clitocybe geotropais almost a half mile (600 m) in diameter. This ring is thought tobe 700 years old.
Mycorrhizal fungi, which live insymbiotic partnership with trees, also form fairy rings. Theirrings are called ``tethered'' rings. A tether is like a leash. Thefungus and its mycorrhizal partner tree need each other to survive.The mycelium of these fungi always remain joined to the tree'sroots. Roots are the ``tether'' that keeps the fairy rings ofmycorrhizal fungi from growing too far from their tree.
MUSHROOMFONDUE
Fondue is back in style, asPatrice demonstrated at the September meeting. Her recipe went overso well that we thought we'd repeat it here. Patrice usedchanterelles, which are plentiful this year and can be picked upfor a low as 3 lb for $10 at the Pike Place Market. However, therecipe works well with any mushroom and is particularly good withmorels. So dig out your old fondue pots, and dig into thisgreat-tasting dip.
1 lb shredded cheese
(8 oz. Emmenthaler, 4 oz. Gruyère, 4 oz. Norwegian Jarlsbergor any other combination. Gruyère has the strongestflavor.)
1 Tbs corn starch
3 C dry white wine
1 clove garlic
1 lb mushrooms (morels,chanterelles, or store bought)
1 shallot
2 Tbs butter or oil
Sauté mushrooms (leavethem in large pieces or whole if they are small) in butter or oil,adding shallot after liquid has boiled off. Set mushrooms asideafter shallot has become transparent. Rub inside of heavy pot withgarlic. Heat the wine in the pot until simmering. Toss cheese withcornstarch and add slowly to the wine, stirring constantly butslowly. When the cheese is melted and smooth, add the mushrooms.Keep the fondue over a heat source at all times to preventgumminess. Serve immediately with large cubes of bread. This won'treheat well, so eat it all before it gets cold. This is a good mealto plan for mushrooming trips because you can eat it with orwithout mushrooms.
My FootFungus unknown
from http://dechar.tripod.com/p-fungus-project.html
via Fungifama, So. Vancouver Island Myco. Soc., May2000
I'm growing fungus on my feet.
To tell the truth, it's kinda neat.
I grew it for my science class.
It's got so big, I'm bound to pass.
But it's not easy growing mold.
You must keep it dark and from the cold.
Put your socks on when they're wet,
And feed your fungus lots of sweat
It's been a month since I last showered,
And because of this, it's truly flowered.
It's amazing just how fast it grows.
You've never seen such fuzzy toes!
It has the most delightful hue.
It's sorta green and sorta blue.
But there are drawbacks to its fungal riches.
You won't believe how much it itches.
And the smell is gross, I have to say.
But it's worth it all to get an ``A.''
LAKE QUINAULT FORAYKarin Mendell
Contact Karin Mendell, (425)868-7918 or infoman@evergo.net, to reserve yourplace now at the PSMS Fall Foray November 11 -13. The foray mycologist will be PSMS ScientificAdvisor Dr. Joseph Ammirati, who will share mycologist duties withMichelle Seidl and Brandon Matheny. Meals will be provided by WayneElston, PSMS member and chef extraordinaire, with help from PSMSmembers. Marilyn Droege will provide an opportunity for artisticexpression. The setting is Kamp Kiwanis on the north shore of LakeQuinault surrounded by the Olympic National Park. There is adequateparking for cars, trailers, and campers; no hookups. Bring your ownair mattress and sleeping bag. Price is approximately $50 perperson.
UPCOMINGFIELD TRIPS MikeLovelady
The chanterelles are out inforce. Can the boletes be far behind? We have three field tripsleft this season. We could still use hosts. To volunteer call FieldTrip Chair Mike Lovelady, (206) 937-3857, or e-mail loveladymike@hotmail.com.
Please see the Members'Calendar for the field trip schedule.
Lip-smacking smut George W.Hudler
Magical Mushrooms,Mischievous Molds, Princeton Univ. Press, 1998, viaFungifama, So. Vancouver Island Myco. Soc., May2000
Not all plant pathogenic fungiare associated with tales of woe. In fact, when left to the devicesof the right spin doctor, some of the most grotesque diseases aregrist for some of the best stories.
Take bunt or stinking smut ofwheat, for instance. This disease is caused by Tilletiafoetida, a fungus that spends the winter as dormant sporeson the surface of the previous year's seeds. In the spring, thespores germinate to produce secondary infectious spores, and theseattack wheat flowers just as pollination is occurring. Not onlydoes each infected flower become a site for fungus growth ratherthan the desired seed growth, but, what's worse, the infectedplants smell like rotted fish.
Legend has it that a miller inEngland (some say France) received a shipment of gray,foul-smelling flour made from smutted wheat, and he experimentedwith ways to save his investment. The fruit of his labor is stillwith us today. By adding molasses to darken the flour (thus maskingthe ``smut gray''), and a pungent new spice from India to cover thefishy odor, he produced the first generation of gingersnaps.
RUSSIANSARE LITERALLY DYING FOR FUNGI Jan Lindgren
MushRumors,
Several of our members passed onto me an article from the LA Times about the large number ofRussians and Ukrainians dying after eating Amanitaphalloides.
To make a long story short, 95people have died since the beginning of their mushroom season thissummer. Sixty-six of these were in the Ukraine. This number is muchhigher than normal, according to the chief doctor in charge oftreating epidemics and sanitary problems in the city of Voronezh,where 19 people have died. No figure was given for how many weremade sick but lived. According to the writer, mushroom hunting is anational obsession and the Russians call it ``quiet hunting.'' Manywander the forests picking wild strawberries, hazelnuts, andmushrooms during their short summer season.
Voronezh police are nowpatrolling the forests, stopping mushroom foragers and checkingtheir baskets. (I wonder if all the police have a degree inmycology.)
Most of the victims were said tobe elderly, with failing eyesight. Others have becomeoverconfident, and even pride themselves on their expertise. Healthauthorities have rejected the idea that environmental contaminationhas caused the mushrooms to mutate and become deadly. Also, thepoisonings have nothing to do with industrial poisons, salts, acid,or radiation. The authorities are convinced that people in Russiaare extremely undereducated about mushrooms and the situation hasto be addressed before more people die.
Many of the victims did not seektreatment until more than 48 hours passed after eating themushrooms, and that delay was another reason they didn't recover.Liver transplants are not available, and prompt treatment of thesymptoms is most important.
I would like to suggest that allOMS members read the section on mushroom toxins in MushroomsDemystified by David Arora. Become familiar with the toxicmushrooms in this area and be sure of your identification beforeeating any wild mushrooms.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE JoanneYoung
After such a beautiful, drysummer it's time to do our rain dances. October is here! This isour busiest month. Most important is our Annual Exhibit, October 14and 15 at Sand Point. Other upcoming activities are the membershipmeeting October 10, weekend field trips, classes, the Meany Lodgeovernight field trip with The Mountaineers, and, for those who wantto head south, the mushroom conference at Breitenbush Hot Springsin Oregon.
The Annual Exhibit is our mostimportant event of the year. It provides a major source of incomefor PSMS and is a great way to learn about mushrooms, to meetothers who share your interest, and to serve the community. Besidesthat, it's a lot of fun. Show chairmen Ben Woo and Ron Post aremaking the last-minute preparations. As usual there is need forvolunteers to help with all aspects of the show. If you can get theday free on Friday, it's wonderful to go out collecting for theexhibit. Friday night set-up is also a great pleasure¾but you'll have to come to see why foryourself. Most of the jobs do not require vast knowledge of fungi.If don't know how you could best help, call or write the ShowChairs Ben Woo, (206) 722-6109 benruwoo@msn.com, or Ron Post, (206)783-1244 ronp46@hotmail.com, or sign up atthe meeting on October 10.
It's not too early to registerfor the Veteran's Day foray (Nov. 11-13)at Lake Quinault. Foray Chair Karin Mendell is hard at work and hasmany bright ideas which promise make this foray a greatone.
VOLUNTEERWISH LIST Joanne Young
Meeting Hospitality. PSMSneeds one or more people to take care of setting out the cookiesand snacks and making punch and coffee at our monthly membershipmeetings.
Membership List/Mailing.We need a volunteer to maintain the data base of membership names,addresses, etc., and to print the mailing labels once a month.Thanks to Ramona Owen for already offering to do the SporePrints mailing each month! Call Joanne Young, or DickSieger.
COUPLEGUILTY OF MAKING ILLEGAL MUSHROOM PICKS Michael Jamison
condensed from The Missoulian
Two mushroom pickers have beenconvicted of committing fungi felonies in Glacier National Park,where munching morels could land you six months in jail.
On June 29, 2000, 43-year-oldTerry Doss, of Trinidad, CA, and 39-year-old Phyllis Doss, ofUnity, OR, were nabbed with what park officials say was a``substantial quantity of morel mushrooms that they had harvestednear Anaconda Creek,'' the site of a large forest fire lastsummer.
The burned-over landscape hassprouted in tasty morels in this season following the blaze. Justas the morels were sprouting, however, up popped a new park rulebanning mushroom harvest. On May 23, Park Superintendent SuzanneLewis laid down the law against ``the picking of mushrooms (orother edible fungi such as morels) for personal use,'' threateningfines of up to $500 and six months in jail.
A month later, the Dosses werecaught with several bagfuls of ``edible fungi.'' According to parkofficials, the couple had been harvesting morels in the area forsome time and had been selling them commercially. Both have pleadedguilty in federal court, and were fined $200 and banned from thepark for two years
articlecontributed by John Goldman