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1Fall - 2005 No. 3www.wildmushrooms.ws
(The Leccinum boreale...continued on page 3)
2005 No. 3
FEATUREMUSHROOMThe Leccinumboreale... pg 1
Recipe... pg 4
PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE
Our Society hasbeen busy andthere is more tocome.... pg 2
NAMA 2005.. pg 4
PAST EVENTS
Ashland,Devonian andWhitemud ... pg5,8, & 11
Leccinum BorealeCommon Names:Northern Roughstem, Red CapsFamily: BoletaceaeSeason: August to September (thisyear we found the first one onJune 18th)
If you want a good ediblemushroom that doesn’t have anydangerous ‘look-alikes’, grows for along time period, repeatedly growsin the same area and can be foundin deciduous trees, conifers andgrass, then this family ofmushrooms is for you. TheLeccinum boreale was pickedthrough a lengthy process byPAWMA (Pick a Wild MushroomAlberta) as the representativemushroom of Alberta.
As many Boletaceae areedible, Leccinum, Suillus andBoletus alike, people are notparticular as to which species theypick. As one reference states “Thiscommon and wide spread boletehas a number of look-alikes, all ofwhich, so far as is known, areedible.” There are, however,differences. As you move fromdelight in finding something youknow is edible and celebrating the
harvest of three mushrooms, youwill also find yourself wanting todifferentiate between varieties.
The first check is to makesure that the underside of the caphas tubes rather than gills orpores. If you cut a sample acrossthe cap you will see the elongatedtubes that form the bottom spongymatter. The second step is to checkthe stalk. All Leccinum varietieshave tufted hairs or small scales
called ‘scabers’ on the stalk. If youcan find the tubes but not thescabers you likely have a differentmember of the Boletaceae family.It might still be edible but it is nota Leccinum boreale.
The Leccinum boreale has anorange-red cap, which can grow upto 16 cm across, with off-whitepores and a rough stem. The stalk
Leccinum boreale is one member of the Boletaceae family that includes many choice edibles.In a good year you can see their distinctive tops from a distance in a variety of areas.
PHOTO CONTESTClick before youpick...pg 6& 7
UPCOMINGEVENTS
... pg 5, 10 &11
CHANGES TOBYLAWYour input isneeded... pg 10
MUSHROOMENVIRONMENTS
...pg12
Paintingcourtesty ofHelen Engel
2 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws
President’s Message 2005 ExecutiveEdmonton Mycological Society
President: Markus Thormann(780) 432-1392
Past President: Peter Arabchuk(780) 479-6630
1st Vice President: Mike Schulz(780) 939-2106
Membership: Alan Fleming(780) 463-8540
Treasurer: Loretta Puckrin(780) 458-9889
Secretary: Melanie Fjoser(780) 987-4412
Foray Coordinator: Bill Richards(780) 998-3507
Program Director: Martin Osis(780) 987-4412
Newsletter Editor: Geri Kolacz(780) 475-7927
Mailing: Diane Murray
Directors-at-large:Pieter Van Der Schoot
(780) 696-2436
Robert Rogers(780) 433-7882
MAILING ADDRESS:
Edmonton Mycological Society1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue
Standard Life BuildingEdmonton, AB T5J 3S2
WEBSITE ADDRESS:www.wildmushrooms.ws
Markus Thormann, president of theEdmonton Mycological Society
The past few weeks have beenexciting and encouraging frommany perspectives. First, ourannual “City of Champignons”Mushroom Exposition was a hugesuccess. Under the leadership ofPieter, we once again hosted thisevent at the Pine Pavilion at theDevonian Botanic Garden. Thisyear’s event featured an array ofmany different fungi from varioushabitats on large display tables, asoup kitchen, display tables ofedible and medicinal mushrooms,educational materials, mushroomart, fresh and dried mushrooms forsale, a Powerpoint slide show aboutlocal fungi, mini-mushrooms foraysthrough the Devonian BotanicGarden, a kids corner, and ourusual membership and book saletable. Many, many thanks go outto the volunteers who helped makethis event another winner. Have alook at our web site(www.wildmushrooms.ws) for someimages from this event.
Second, speaking of our website, I re-designed our web site withthe assistance of Jon Elofson inmid-July. Jon, who designs web
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
pages professionally, is a friend andco-worker at the Northern ForestryCentre. The EMS provided himwith a small honorarium for his(continuing) time involvement andeffort. I am in the process oflearning how to manage our website and hope it is informative andeasy to navigate. I have a few moreideas for web content, but pleaselet me know if you would like tosee something on it that isn’t thereyet. All comments are welcome.
Third, we will be hosting aNAMA foray at William SwitzerProvincial Park in August 2006.This park is located about 20 kmnorthwest of Hinton on Highway40 and is situated in a transitionzone between the boreal forest andthe Rocky Mountains. Louisestablished official contact betweenthe EMS and NAMA over twoyears ago and did a lot of the earlylegwork on this project. Morerecently, Martin, Melanie, Bill, andDiane participated at the 2005annual NAMA foray in La Crosse,WI, U.S.A. While there, thefoursome continued negotiationswith the NAMA executive and weresuccessful in bringing thisprestigious foray to Alberta in2006. We are currently assistingthe NAMA executive with the forayprogram and are organizing someof the details associated with thisevent.
We are now looking forward toour first annual Alberta Foray nearRocky Mountain House in earlySeptember. It, too, will be a veryexciting and promising event. This3-day event will feature numerousmushroom forays into thesurrounding habitats and will giveus a taste of what is to come nextyear at the NAMA foray.
Last but not least, I am in theprocess of organizing our annualPresident’s Dinner. As in previousyears, it will once again bescheduled in November. I havebeen in contact with Sorrentino’sBistro and Bare, who areinterested in hosting us this year.More details will be forthcoming inthe next Spore Print and on ourweb site in the near future.
Until then, cheers to all, Markus
3Fall - 2005 No. 3www.wildmushrooms.ws
The Leccinum(continued from page 1)
is white and solid varying betweena few centimetres to almost 15 cmin height depending on the growingconditions. Normally it is 10 cm inheight and 3 cm in width, generallywider at the bottom than at the topbut without a veil or volva. Thespore print is yellow-brown to dullcinnamon or medium brown. Whengrowing in the forest the Leccinumboreale likes clearer areas wherethe undergrowth is minimal but italso grows quite contentedly inknee high grass!
With the Boletaceae family,the staining colour is often one ofthe major ways of tellingthese varieties apartas the cap colourcan be difficult todefine and willoften overlapfrom species tospecies. TheLeccinum borealestains dark whencut. For this reasonmany pickers choose not toclean their mushrooms until theyget home. Other people insist oncleaning the harvest, mushroom bymushroom, as they are picked.Why the big difference? One groupdoes not like the staining colourand if the mushrooms are cookedvery soon after cutting thediscolouration is minimal. Cookinginhibits the discolouration process.The second group cleans on sitebecause they feel that the stainingis secondary to removing maggotsfrom the mushroom. Yes, theinsects, and even squirrels, enjoythis mushroom as much as people.By cleaning the mushrooms andremoving all intruders you don’tgive the ‘wildlife’ time to eat moreof your harvest. This does,however, give your harvest the lookof paper leaves and sticks ratherthan mushrooms.
Whether you clean on site or
at home it is importantto know where theinsects are most likelyto be. You can’tassume that because itis a young mushroomit will be clean. Therehave been times whena mature species wasclean and a youngspecimen just beside itwas full of insects. Thefirst step is to cut offthe stalk. The maggotsgenerally travel up thestalk to freedom at thetop of the cap. Oftenthe path will be along
the centre of the stalk. Cutthe stalk horizontally
to checkinfestation. Ifthe damage isalong the centreyou can oftenremove the
centre portionleaving the majority
of the stalk for you toenjoy. If you get the idea that
the stalk is a treasured part of themushroom you are right! With thecap, often the infestations arelimited to the spongy pores on theunderside of the cap andmarginally the cap itself. Cleaningoff the spongy layer will often besufficient to prepare the cap forcooking. The centre of the cap canbe infested while the outside edgesare clean. You need to check all the
Do you ever wonder
where they get the official names
for the mushrooms?
In this case the ‘leccinum’
is from Italian meaning
mushroom while the ‘boreale’
is Latin for ‘of the north’.
parts carefully if you don’t want ahigh protein content in your dish.
This variety of mushroom canbe dried or cooked and then frozen.The dried mushrooms are easy touse and can later be crushed to apowder. The frozen mushrooms, iffrozen in an ice cube tray, areready to use and don’t need re-hydrating. The choice is personalbut most people agree that the bestway, as with all wild mushrooms, isto eat them fresh.
Loretta Puckrin
Leccinum boreale as well as other members of the familyoften grow to large sizes. The trick is to find them and pickthem before the other members of the forest do.
The rough stem of theLeccinum boreale isvery distinctive (top).The photo on the leftshows oneenvironment that thesemushrooms love.
Photos inthisarticle byLorettaPuckrin
4 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws
Memories of NAMA 2005Four members of the
Edmonton Mycological Society (BillRichards, Diane Murray, MartinOsis, and myself) ventured forth tothe North AmericanMycological Association’sNational Foray on June 21-24.Events were held at the Universityof Wisconsin - La Crosse. Our hostwas the colourful Dr. Tom Volk,who instructs his students in:Mycology, Medical Mycology, PlantBiology, Plant-MicrobeInteractions, and Latin & Greek forScientists. For your interest, checkout Tom’s website:TomVolkFungi.net , where you cansee an article on the Foray in theLaCrosse paper, as well as manyother interesting items on fungi.
Martin & I arrived early, asMartin was invited to take part inthe Trustee’s Meeting, which tookplace one day before otherregistrants began arriving. Thismeeting included ExecutiveDirectors, Trustees, CommitteeChairs and RegionalRepresentatives from all overNorth America, who conducted thebusiness portion of NAMA’s annualmeeting.
Once the Foray officiallybegan, participants were offered avariety of instructional programseach day, ranging from mycologytopics at the molecular level, totours of fungi in other countries, todyeing wool with mushrooms, andeverything in between. Scientificdisplays were arranged amid atrade fair, where one couldpurchase all manner of items to dowith mycology. One specialhighlight was the Mycophagysession, where the edibles weretransformed into delicious morselsthat we all gathered around tosample.
We enjoyed a choice of severalforays each day, being bused tosome, car pooled to others. At the
end of each foray, we sorted andlabelled each specimen, which thenwent to be verified by a mycologist,recorded in a database, andreturned to display tables. Thiswas a huge undertakingaccomplished very efficiently by themany scientists and volunteers inattendance. In the end, thespecimens were dried and will go tothe NAMA herbarium.
At mealtimes, all joinedtogether to mingle and nourish.Every evening a banquet was held,followed by a program of speakers,including the NAMA Photo Contestwinning photos presentation. Ourlast evening included a raffle,where our Edmonton groupmanaged to clean up on prizesnicely, followed by a jazz band anddancing.
Following evening activities,many folks gathered in thedormitory lounges, enjoyingbeverages and discussing (what
else?) mushrooms, and everythingabout mushrooms. The eveningswere very warm, and othersgathered outside singing, reciting,eating, drinking, and talking about– mushrooms!
The very best aspect about thisforay was the warm welcome weCanadians received. Once it wasannounced that the NAMA 2006National Foray is to beEdmonton-based, we wereinundated with remarks on howexcited people are to come toAlberta! Based on how smoothlythe Wisconsin foray ran, we haveour work cut out for us to put on atop-notch foray and welcome theastute scientists and otherattendees by treating them to thebest of Alberta mycology andhospitality.
(Details of the NAMA Foray2006 will be released as they becomeavailable).
Melanie Fjoser
RecipeWild Mushroom, Leek, Cheese and Walnut Risotto
1 tbsp olive oil2 cups arborio rice (short-grained)1/2 cup dry white wine4 cups chicken or vegetable broth1 tbsp butter (or olive Oil)2 cups sliced leeks1 tbsp minced garlic2 tbsp fresh thyme
1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, add oil and rice.Toss well to coat the grains and cook until rice turns opaque and starts tostick to the bottom. Add wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeatwith stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and adding more liquid as itis absorbed. The process should take about 20 minutes, or until grains aretender but still firm to the bite.2. Meanwhile, in a non-stick skillet, heat butter over high heat for 30seconds. Add the leeks, garlic, thyme and mushrooms. Saute for 5-6minutes, or until the leeks and mushrooms are dry and beginning to brown.De-glaze the pan with 2 tbsp of wine, and add vegetables to the risotto.3. Fold in the cheese, parsley, walnuts and Parmesan. Add a little additionalstock to make a soft, moist risotto. To serve, mound risotto in the centre ofserving plates and garnish with additional parmesan cheese, fresh pepperand a sprig of parsley.
1/2 lb wild mushrooms(chanterelles, boletes, hedgehogs,morels)1/2 cup crumbled cheese (goatpreferred – any strong cheeseworks well)3 tbsp Italian parsley, minced1/2 cup freshly toasted walnuts2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
5Fall - 2005 No. 3www.wildmushrooms.ws
City of Champignons -Mushroom Exposition
I had never been to theDevonian Gardens before – so whenmy friend Geri invited me to cometo the Mycological Society’s“mushroom fair” to be held atDevonian, it seemed a good idea –I’d get a double deal: mushroomsand the gardens.
I was not disappointed. TheDevonian Gardens were lovely – butthe highlight of the day was mostcertainly the “mushroom tent”.There I discovered more kinds ofmushrooms than I ever knew
Martin Osis and Pieter van derSchoot explaining the identifyingfeatures of various mushrooms tosome of the visitors to the PinePavilion. (Pictures of theDevonian Exposition are postedon our website atwww.wildmushrooms.ws) Photo:Markus Thormann
Rememberthe AlbertaForay
September 2,3,4 & 5, 2005at Crimson Lake. See thesummer issue of Spore Print fordetails or log on to our website atwww.wildmushrooms.ws.
Leonard Hutchison, adistinguished mycologist, hasagreed to join our Alberta Foray.
If you are still planning toattend any/or all the days, pleaseregister immediately so that theorganizers can obtain enoughgroceries for all the meals.
existed. And not just pictures ofmushrooms – but the real thing.
The mushroom fair was a realfeast for the senses. There werevery colourful and informativeposters of mushrooms, a silentauction of mushroom artwork, agreat slideshow about mushrooms,and the chance to taste somewonderful soup made frommushrooms.
The best part of all, however,was the people – the members ofthe Mycological Society. I met
many delightful, friendly,and helpful people, all ofwhom share a passion formushrooms!
As a result of myDevonian mushroom
Some of the approximately 400 people that came to the Pine Pavilion at the DevonianGardens on August 7 to see the displays, watch the slide presentations, enjoy somedelicious mushroom soup and/or mushrooms on toast and learn about mushrooms - bothedible and non-edible. Photo: Markus Thormann
excursion I have now become amember of the Mycological Society.I look forward to many mushroom-hunting missions, and I eagerlyanticipate a myriad of marvellousmushroom meals.
Lyn Boire
One of the many mushrooms featured at thePine Pavilion, the Russula is a favourite ofsome mushroomers and left alone byothers. The line between edibles and non-edibles is sometimes blurred. Photo: JohnThompson
6 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws
Click Before You Pick
All of us have been new tomushroom picking at one point intime. We all felt the frustration ofnot being able to find our varietiesin the books that dealt withmushrooms from all across NorthAmerica (or even European basedvolumes). The descriptionssometimes can leave you confusedand uncertain. Whoever coined thephrase ‘a picture is worth athousand words’ must have beenthinking about mushrooms!
You can now do somethingabout this!
Whether you know themushroom or not, take a
photograph. This will help youdetermine characteristics after thesample has been picked. Next senda copy of that photo to EMS(Edmonton Mycological Society) forthe photo contest. The goal of thecontest is to create a resourcelibrary of photos for educationaluse by the EMS club and itsmembers and presenters. The morephotographs we get the more futurepresentations can show you what itmeans when you read that the gillsare “attached ” or “closely spaced.”
All photography formats areacceptable but digital images arepreferred. Please ensure that the
files are .jpg or .tiff rather than aformat specific to your camera. Thiswill enable all systems to see thephotos.
EligibilityThe contest is open to EMS
members and friends (in otherwords, everyone with an interest inmushrooms and/or naturephotography)
Closing dateOctober 15, 2005. We
encourage entries to be submittedthroughout the summer as theybecome available.
Subject MatterAny member of the fungi
kingdom.
Categories1. Best overall mushroom
photo.2. Best photo of the Provincial
mushroom (Leccinum boreale).3. Best mushroom
identification series
Judges Criteria1. Best overall mushroom
photo. The objective is to find asingle photo suitable for display orillustration in a book or calendar.This requires that the species beidentifiable and show thecharacteristics common to thatmushroom. Criteria will includeboth technical (focus, depth of field,exposure, lighting, colour) andartistic appeal (composition, colour,background, lighting) aspects.
2. Best photo of the Provincialmushroom (Leccinum boreale): Theobjective is to find a single photosuitable for use in our bookmark,poster, and calendar. Criteria willinclude both technical (focus, depth
This sample of a mushroom shot has a number of good charateristics. The photograph istechnically correct - the mushroom is in focus, the lighting is even and bright enough. Italso shows not only the gills but the cap of the mushroom. Although the environment isartistically out of focus it would be easy to determine where this mushroom grows due tothe angle of the shot. Photo: Martin Osis.
7Fall - 2005 No. 3www.wildmushrooms.ws
EMS Entry Form
Annual Mushroom Photo Contest
Closing Date: October 15, 2005
Name: __________________________________
Address: ________________________________
City: _______________ Postal Code: ________
Phone: __________________________________
E-mail:__________________________________
Competition Categories
1. Best overall mushroom photo.
2. Best photo of the Provincial mushroom(Leccinum boreale).
3. Best mushroom identification series
Every entry should have a photo number, orname (if you are submitting more than one)and the date taken.
Entry Fees:
Registration fee –covers the 1st photo $ 5.00
Additional entries ___ X $1.00 $___________
Total $_________________
Submit entry fee by mail toEdmonton Mycological Society,1921 – 10405 Jasper Avenue ,
Standard Life Building,Edmonton, AB, T5J 3S2.
Payment should accompany entries. Anyentry not paid in full by October 15th isdisqualified for the competition.
Entries may be submitted by mail toaddress above or email [email protected].
of field, exposure, lighting, colour) and artistic appeal(composition, colour, background, lighting) aspects.
3. Best mushroom photo series. Photo series willinclude 3 to 5 photos displaying the following:Fruiting body, growth habits (i.e. in rings, on wood,under or with spruce, etc), gills or fertile surface, cutthrough of mushroom, important ID details (i.e. ringor veil, volva, bulbous base, etc.). The series photoswill be judged based on the visual images showingcritical identification features. Emphasis is placed onkey visual characteristics being present to be able toidentify the mushroom at least to genus. Subjectsmay be shot in the field or studio. While bothtechnical and artistic consideration will be given tothe judging, the main criteria will be on theidentifiability of the subject.
Ownership of imagesAll copyrights will remain with the
photographer. The entrants consent to allow theEMS to use the photos as they see fit, both in EMSpublications as well as part of our digital imagelibrary and educational programming.
Entry FeeAll entrants must fill out the entry form and
submit it with the fee of $5.00. This is for the firstimage. An entrant can submit as many entries as theywish for an additional cost of $1.00 per image.Remember, the more the entries the larger the prizes.
Loretta Puckrin & Martin Osis
A Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) photograph that as well as beingtechnically correct shows both the cap on the lower growth and the gills onthe upper samples. The environment (growing on the side of a tree as well asthe forest) is evident in the shot. Photo: Martin Osis
8 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws
As new members of theEdmonton Mycological Society weweren’t quite sure what to expectfrom the July 9/10 foray to AshlandDam, although its billing as aBoletus edulis habitat certainlyincreased our anticipation. Campingand mushrooming for two dayssounded like a whole lot of fun. Our7 year-old son insisted on a bit ofbug collecting and fishing as well.What better way to spend a couple ofsummer afternoons, especially witha communal mushroom feast tofollow the foraging.
As these things sometimes go,the mushrooms were fairlyuncooperative but the mushroomerswere superb. It took a while foreveryone to find the site andintroduce themselves before thebusiness of the foray began. Peopledispersed to pick mushrooms in thewoods before lunch, bringing backspecimens for more experiencedfolks to sort and classify for thedemonstration table. The AshlandDam area offers diverse woodlands,largely aspen parkland interspersed
Ashland Dam Foray and Campout - July 9/10, 2005
with a few spruceand pines. Thesite looked verypromising and themushrooms foundwere quite diversebut theabundance of anyparticularmushroom waslow. The king ofmushrooms,Boletus edulis,chose not toappear at all!
After a picniclunch, with lots ofsharing food backand forth between
participants, Martin Osisintroduced his “Key to AlbertaEdible Mushrooms” and talkedabout what mushrooms andmushrooming are like in Alberta.Everyone had an opportunity towork through Martin’s key withselected species from thedemonstration table. Heemphasized that his key is notintended to work as a stand-alonereference but provided usefulshortcuts when used in tandemwith a more comprehensivereference such as “Mushrooms ofWestern Canada”. Working insmall groups we keyed out at least2 or 3 different mushrooms. Thatwas enough science – back to thewoods for more foraging this timeto get enough mushrooms for thebig pot of communal mushroomsoup!
Few mushrooms were found inthe afternoon but everyonemanaged to gather enough forsoup. Dinner was a lot like lunch,with more people there to share.Nobody really knows what all wentinto that soup but it sure tastedgood, especially when athunderstorm hit the camp just in
time for dinner. Thank goodnessAshland Dam site had a shelter bigenough to accommodate everyonewho wanted to stay out of the rainwhile eating their potluck supper.We were happy we had pitched ourtent before the storm began! Eventhough the rain didn’t last verylong it encouraged many folks to gohome early. We enjoyed our firsttrip with members of theEdmonton Mycological Society verymuch and look forward to manyfuture forays.
Deb Moon
Ashland Dam Foray List
Agaricus sylvaticusChalcipterus piperatus – Pepper boleteClavicorona pyxidataClitocybe gibbaCortinarius alboviolaciousFomes fomentarius – Tinder conkFomitopsis pinicola – Red belted conkGanoderma applanatum – Artists conkGeastrum c.f. pectinumGomphus clavatus – Pigs earHericium ramosum – Coral toothHydnum repandum – HedgehogHypomyces lutoevirens – green lobsterInocybe sororia- Corn silk inocybeLactarius deliciosus – delicious milk capLeccinum boreale – Red top groupLeccinum insigni– Red top groupLeccinum snellii– Red top groupLepista nuda - BlewitLeucopaxillus giganteusLycoperdon perlatumLycoperdon pyriformeLyophyllum decastes – chicken of thewoodsMelanoleuca cognataPeziza anthracophilaPeziza repandaPhellinus tremulaePhilitopsis nidulans – stinky oysterPholiota squarrosaPiptoporus betulinus – Birch polyporePluteus cervinus – Deer mushroomPolyporus badeusRussula aeruginea – green russulaRussula borealis – northern russulaRussula brevipes – short stalked russulaRussula chamaleontina – small yellowrussulaRussula decolorans – greying russulaRussula fragilis – Fragile russulaRussula subfoetens – Stinking russulaRamaria abietina – green staining ramariaRamaria sp.Scutellinia sculellata – eyelash cupTrichaptum sp.Tricholoma flavovirens – man on horseback
Everyone brought their precious finds andthen we all tried our hand at identifyingthe various mushrooms using Martin’s key.Photo: Loretta Puckrin
9Fall - 2005 No. 3www.wildmushrooms.ws
What’s “up” with all thosemushrooms poking up through thelawn? A couple of days of rain andthen it seems overnight they arepopping up here and there singly orin groups, in a variety of shapes,sizes and colours.
The mushrooms that wetypically know are actually thefruiting bodies of a fungal organism.These organisms live in our grass oron a piece of buried wood debris yearafter year. When all theconditions are right, thefungus shoots out a fruitingbody and this usuallyhappens after a goodsoaking rain. Fungiconsist mostly of water,so they require a goodlyamount to be able toproduce the mushroom,which in turn producesspores to continue its lifecycle.
Fungi are the greatrecyclers of the world and they playan essential role in returningnutrients for all types of life, bothplant and animal. Different thanplants, and more like us, they do notproduce chlorophyll but usually relyon plants for their energy source. Inthis process they exude enzymes,breaking down dead plant materialreleasing nutrients for use by bothplants and animals.
Fairy Rings – Love ‘em or Leave ‘em
One of the bestrecognized of thesefungi is the “fairyring mushroom”. Itmust be noted thatthere are a lot ofdifferent fungi thatgrow in rings andmost (not all) ofthese fungi growingin rings on yourlawn are recyclingdead grass. Thefungal organismitself grows in theground as a mass of
tiny threadlike structures, calledmycelium. Some have been knownto be 800 years old. The ancientsbelieved that at night, tiny fairiescame out and danced around in acircle. When they needed a restthey would sit down on themushroom. In the forest, ringswith different but largermushrooms grew providing a reststop for larger fairies who, beingbolder, were not afraid of theforest.
The “fairy ring” hasbeen rated by some as a
choice edible, so oneof the most efficientways of getting ridof them is to eatthem! But makesure that what youhave is a true“fairy ring
mushroom”. (seeidentifying
features) There aremany “little brown mushrooms”or LBM’s that grow on lawns andshould be avoided. Regretfully, notall these LBM’s, which arenotoriously difficult to identify, arelittle nor are they all brown.Mushrooms picked for the tablemust always be positivelyidentified, and when eating thesepositively identified mushroomsfor the first time try them in small
amounts as there is always apossibility of an allergic reaction.
If you observe the fairy ring,you will notice greener and fastergrowing grass on the outside of thering. This is from the nutrientsbeing released by the fungus. Thereason that often the grass dies inthe centre is that the root work ormycelium of the fungus is slightlygreasy and grows so densely that itchokes off the water supply to thegrass. If you want your grass to lookgood, aerate the ring with a gardenfork, breaking up the fungus toallow water penetration to thegrass. An application of soapy wateralso helps break down the greasy oroily mycelium. This works bestwhen the ring is still young,allowing both the mushrooms andthe grass to thrive. With properfertilization the rest of the grasslooks like the greener grass growingon the edge of the ring, making thering hardly noticeable.
Healthy grass, deliciousmushrooms, sometimes, you canhave your cake and eat it too!
Martin Osis
The “Fairy Ring” mushroomMarasmius oreades
Habitat: The fairy ringmushroom grows on lawns inpartial rings.Cap: The cap is bell-shaped whenyoung, flattening out as it ages,often with a small bump on top.Ivory coloured to light brownafter it has been rained on.Stalk: The stalk is tough and a bitdarker in colour than the cap.Gills: Gill colour similar to thecap. The gills are widely spacedwith shorter intermediate gillsbetween. The gills are barelytouching the stalk.Spore colour: White or very lightcream.
10 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws
EMS Calendar of Events for 2005September
Long Weekend Foray -First Annual AlbertaWide Foray
Mushroom: Leccinum, Russula,Lactarius and other agarics
Weekend Foray to theFoothills - Campout
Mushroom:Hedgehog and Honey MushroomsLocation: Foothills - TBA
MEETING
- Topic TBA
General Member MeetingsFourth Wednesday of every month.
Time: 7:00 pm Location: Riverbend Library
Please Join Us!!All forays are undertaken at your ownrisk. You are responsible for transpor-tation and accommodation.
3-5
10/11
28
26 TBA
22
OctoberMEETING - AGM
NovemberPresident’s Dinner:
See President’s message onpage two for some details.
Mushrooms in our world- by Markus N.Thormann
Location: Riverbend PublicLibrary, 7:00-8:45 pm
**The date for ourannual general
meeting may change.See NOTICE belowregarding Changes
to the EMS Bylaws**
Proposed Changeto the EMS Bylaws
The executive of the Edmonton Mycological Society (EMS)proposes to hold the annual general meeting (AGM) in February ofeach year.
Members in good standing, who are in attendance at theregularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, September 28, 2005, willbe able to vote on this proposed change of the bylaws. If you haveany questions in the meantime, please contact me via e-mail [email protected]
Thank you,Markus ThormannPresident, Edmonton Mycological Society
Our September 10-11Foray and Campout has notbeen finalized at the time ofprinting. Please check youremail or contact our ForayDirector Bill Richards(contact
information on page 2 of Spore Print).
The President’s Dinnerslated for November is still inthe works. Please watch forfurther details as they develop.Remember we do have anexcellent website that is full ofinformation. Log on atwww.wildmushrooms.ws andcheck it out.
11Fall - 2005 No. 3www.wildmushrooms.ws
Foray at Whitemud Creek Ravine
Mushroom Walk & Dinner
Looking out my office windowon the morning of August 17, I waswondering how many brave soulswould show up for the foray at theWhitemud Creek ravine thatevening. It had been raining forthree days straight, and thereseemed to be no end in sight.Thankfully the weather forecast wasright on! It did stop raining early inthe afternoon and began to clearthereafter. By the time the foraystarted around 7 p.m., 12 of us hadgathered at the Whitemud Creekravine parking lot, ready to searchfor fungi. Among them, several newmembers of the EdmontonMycological Society came toexperience their first foray.
As we started to walk along themulti-use trail, encounteringjoggers, hikers, and dog-walkers, itquickly became apparent that all therain had done wonders for the localmushroom “flora”. Many differentspecies of “little brown mushrooms”,or LBMs, had sprung up from the
leaf litter, defying identification dueto their lack of easily identifiablecharacters. In addition to thisubiquitous group of fungi, wecollected numerous puffballs,bracket fungi, coral fungi, andmany different wood decay fungi.
Approaching 8:45 p.m., wedecided to return to the parking lotto start the identification process ofthe bounty in our baskets. Most ofthe fungi we collected werebasidiomycetes; however, we alsocame across a few ascomycetes, ajelly fungus, and a couple of slimemolds, which are not true fungi.After identifying as many fungi aswe could on the nearby campingtables and chatting about some ofthe more interesting specimens, weleft most of the fruiting bodies forthe chatty squirrels and chipmunksthat had accompanied us on ourforay that evening. Overall, it hadbeen a very successful andenjoyable foray for all.
Markus Thormann
Species list forWhitemud Ravine Foray
Agaricus silvicola
Apiosporina collinsii
Apiosporina morbosa
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa
Clavicorona pyxidata
Fomes fomentarius
cf. Fomitopsis cajanderi
Ganoderma applanatum
Helvella crispa
Hericium ramosum
Laccaria amethystea
Laetiporus sulphureus
Lycogala epidendrum
Lycoperdon perlatum
Lycoperdon pyriforme
Marasmius palladicephalus
Peziza repanda
Pholiota destruens
Pholiota squarrosa
Pleurotus ostreatus
Ramaria abietina
Ramaria stricta
Sepultaria pellita
Trametes pubescens
Tremella mesenterica
Trichaptum biforme
The Annual Mushroom Harvest begins in September at Sorrentino’s. Each location will behaving a feature mushroom menu and cooking classes will be offered.
Mushroom Walk & DinnerSorrentino’s West6867 - 170 Street, just south of
Whitemud
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Martin Osis will lead us on alittle walk through the nearby ravineto see what wild mushrooms aregrowing in our neighbourhoods. Thiswill include many interesting tidbitson wild mushrooms with a chance toask questions. After a short stroll, wewill be back at Sorrentino’s West
where chef Garrett will haveprepared a three course mushroompasta dinner which we will enjoywith a glass of wine. (If weatherdoesn’t permit, we will have a wideselection of wild mushrooms to seeand talk about at the restaurant.)
Cost: $40.00 per guest. Pleasereserve early by calling ArleighStockwell at 474-6466 or email to:[email protected].
Space is limited so ReserveEarly!!
Other happeningsat Sorrentino’s
On Monday, September 12Global TV host LorraineMansbridge will be on site atSorrentino’s from 6:30-9:00 am.Melanie and Martin will bebringing mushrooms and talkingabout the photo contest and updateviewers on the provincialmushroom.
October will feature a TruffleDinner with proceeds going toCompassion House.
12 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws
Mushroom Environments“Mushroom hunting is not
simply a matter of traipsing throughthe woods after it rains. It is an art,a skill, a meditation and a process.If you proceed at a careful,deliberate rate, you’ll enjoy muchmore success than if you rusharound frantically picking whatevermushrooms you see, then stuff themin your basket, bring thewhole mess home anddump it on your table,”states David Arora inMushrooms Demystified.
Knowing whatenvironment is preferredby a particular mushroom,or conversely whichmushrooms you can expectto find in a givenenvironment, is a criticalfactor in successfully concludingyour ‘mushroom hunt.’ It is equallyimportant for you to know what youare seeing when you look for thatenvironment.
It is easy to differentiatebetween deciduous and coniferousenvironments and you can learn thevarious trees so you know whichpoplar is most likely to grow oystermushrooms. But when a mushroomis found do you take the time tonotice where exactly it is growing?
With some mushrooms it iseasy to see that they are growing inan open field. That means theygrow on grass right? Notnecessarily. Tree roots extend farbeyond the edge of the leaf canopyand branches can fall to the groundto be hidden by the rapid growth ofgrass.
It is hard to discipline yourselfto stop and check out why thatmushroom is growing in oneparticular area but not a foot away.Could it be possible that there issome wood buried that it needs forits growth? Could it be getting
shade from the strongafternoon sun? Is it at thebottom of a rise or hillwhere it would get the waterthat runs off the high slope?
Often it is not possibleto categorically state whichis the case unless you havehad some experience with
that species of mushroom and knowits habits. When you are trying toidentify a new species you can’tjudge by a single specimen. Beaware that many descriptionscontain wordings such as “iscommonly found”, “may bepresent” or “has been known to”.These are all ways to say that amushroom follows its own rules,which we understand, to a limiteddegree. Those ways are alwayschanging to adapt to changes in theenvironment.
Another important factor ishow the mushroom grows inrelation to others. Do they clusterin a group but stand separately? Dothey cluster and appear to originatefrom a common point? Do theygrow in a circular pattern? Do youfind one, and then walk a bit beforeyou find another? These are allclues as to the mushroom variety aswell as being important toremember if the species is afavourite edible.
In addition to all theinformation about the environment
Sometimes it is evident what substrate themushroom is using for food but other timeslooks can be deceiving. Shown in thephotographs are a happy grouping growingon wood chips; the field mushroom hiding inthe grass and a mushroom poking up throughthe litter of pine cones. Photos: LorettaPuckrin
of a particular mushroom species isthe nomenclature of describing themushroom itself. Most texts aboutmushrooms have a brief outline ofthe shapes and gill attachmentsthat are commonly used in theidentification of mushrooms. Youcan’t use a key to determine whichmushroom you have in hand if youdon’t understand the names givento the various features. To help youunderstand the terms and showyou what they mean will be theobjective of a new series of articlesstarting with the next Spore Printpublication.
Loretta Puckrin
