Gyromitra caroliniana everywhere! Courtesy W. May. While there are no reports of deaths from consumption of Gyromitra esculenta in North America, there have been numerous deaths from this species in Europe. Michael W. Beug, PhD and they propose five subgenera for [email protected] the genus Gyromitra. The subgenera are Gyromitra, Discina, Caroliniana, Discinaceae. No species are left in Michael W. Beug is the co-author of Pseudorhizina, and Melaleucoides. In Discina. Does the family name need to Ascomycete Fungi of North America North America, the subgenus Gyromitra change? Stay tuned. (2014; University of Texas Press) contains Gyromitra esculenta (Pers.) Fr., and serves on the North American Gyromitra infula (Schaeff.) Quél. and Mycological Association (NAMA) Gyromitra ambigua (P. Karst.) Harmaja; Toxicology Committee. The following Discina contains Gyromitra ancilis article was excerpted from The (Pers.) Kreisel, Gyromitra olympiana Mycophile (the NAMA newsletter) and (Kanouse) Harmaja, Gyromitra used here with permission of the author. leucoxantha (Bres.) Harmaja, Gyromitra Gyromitra esculenta is a poisonous montana Harmaja and Gyromitra mushroom with toxins that decompose korfii (Raitv.) Harmaja; Caroliniana upon heating. I want to make a brief contains Gyromitra caroliniana appeal not to try to detoxify and consume (Bosc) Fr. and Gyromitra brunnea Gyromitra esculenta. While there are no hile writing Ascomycete Underw.; Pseudorhizina contains reports of deaths from consumption of Fungi of North America with Gyromitra sphaerospora (Peck) Sacc. Gyromitra esculenta in North America, coauthors Alan and Arleen and Gyromitra californica (W. Phillips) there have been numerous deaths WBessette, we spent considerable time Sacc.; and Melaleucoides contains from this species in Europe. In North trying to sort out species concepts. For the distant basal species Gyromitra America, hospitalizations, even cases the Gyromitra-like fungi, of liver damage from we wondered whether there Gyromitra esculenta was any difference between consumption are not Gyromitra gigas, Gyromitra unusual. Gyromitra infula montana, and Gyromitra and Gyromitra ambigua, korfii. The three had been the other two North placed in synonymy by American members of some mycologists, but was Gyromitra subgenus that the correct decision? Gyromitra have caused Should Discina perlata be poisonings in Europe, called Discina ancilis or though there are no is it really a Gyromitra? reports in the NAMA (For a review, see Beug’s database involving either series of papers on the of these species. The toxin Ascomycetes in the last two in Gyromitra esculenta issues of FUNGI vol. 6, nos. is gyromitrin (N-methyl- 4 and 5.) After all, Discina N-formylhydrazine ancilis (= Discina perlata) acetaldehyde) which looks extremely similar to Gyromitra montana. Courtesy S. Trudell. quickly loses the Gyromitra melaleucoides. acetaldehyde group in the stomach, Alternatively, should Gyromitra melaleucoides (Seaver) Pfister. or on heating, and then more slowly melaleucoides really be in Discina? What Now we could settle on an answer. loses the formyl group, finally forming about Pseudorhizina californica and Based on the work of Methven et al. monomethylhydrazine. Pseudorhizina sphaerospora? They look (2013), all species formerly in Discina Monomethylhydrazine is a well-studied like a Gyromitra with a Helvella stalk. should be in Gyromitra and the accepted carcinogenic toxin that has been used as Where do they belong? Finally, what name for what we had learned as liquid rocket fuel. To my knowledge, the should be said about edibility of these Discina perlata should be Gyromitra toxins in Gyromitra infula and Gyromitra species? ancilis. The genusPseudorhizina also ambigua have never been studied, but Our nomenclatural questions were disappears and its two North American they are thought to be hydrazines, resolved, at least for now, by Methven, species move to Gyromitra. We are left probably gyromitrin. et al. (2013). Their DNA work shows with a very interesting situation. The While the NAMA database has Discina nested in with Gyromitra genus Gyromitra resides in the family FUNGI Volume 7:1 2014 29 The toxin forms monomethylhydrazine, a well-studied carcinogen that has been used as liquid rocket fuel.

Gyromitra ancilis (Discina perlata) Courtesy B. Bunyard.

numerous reports each year of Gyromitra esculenta poisoning, there have only been six reports in thirty years for poisoning by Gyromitra brunnea. Courtesy Gyromitra montana. My recent examination B. Bunyard of the six cases revealed not a single case where Gyromitra montana was positively identified. In at least one instance, I was able to determine that the culprit was actually Gyromitra esculenta by meeting a woman a year later who had seen the victim in the woods collecting what he had called “snow mushrooms.” She had recognized the mushrooms as Gyromitra esculenta and had warned the man not to eat them. He ignored her and wound up in the hospital with severe liver damage. Even though the case was in my hometown, Gyromitra esculenta. Courtesy M Beug. it was handled by 30 FUNGI Volume 7:1 2014 Gyromitra olympiana. Courtesy M. Beug. Gyromitra melaleucoides. Courtesy M Beug. a doctor who, citing patient privacy years ago, I used to eat them and about the edibility of the two species in laws, would give me no information. serve them to students, but found the the subgenus Pseudorhizina, Gyromitra Based on the common name “snow flavor and texture to be mediocre, so californica and Gyromitra sphaerospora. mushrooms,” I had guessed that I quit cooking “pig’s ears.” There are I also do not know if they are consumed the man had consumed Gyromitra no poisoning reports in the NAMA very often. I would hesitate to try montana. Other cases may also have database. Gyromitra melaleucoides them. There is also no information in involved misidentification or may have is very different genetically but very the NAMA database about poisonings involved either consumption of raw or similar macroscopically to Gyromitra from the two species in the subgenus only lightly cooked Gyromitra montana ancilis. Since we have no poisoning Caroliniana, Gyromitra caroliniana or cases of individual sensitivity. reports for Gyromitra melaleucoides and Gyromitra brunnea. However, I do After all, morels also cause numerous either, it is probably edible (and know that many people eat Gyromitra poisoning cases every year. Virtually mediocre) as well. The other close caroliniana, known as the “red morel” everyone who eats morels raw or look-alike is what we know of as and “red false morel.” Gyromitra undercooked gets sick as a result. Disciotis venosa, a close relative of caroliniana can be huge, up to seven A few people are intolerant of even Morchella, the true morels. Disciotis pounds, and is reportedly delicious. well-cooked morels if consumed with venosa itself has not yet been found in Like all epigeous (aboveground) alcohol; others are sensitive to well- North America. We have at least two Ascomycetes, it must be thoroughly cooked morels whether or not they look-alikes that remain unnamed at cooked. I conclude that Gyromitra consume alcohol. My conclusion is that this point. Presumably North American caroliniana and Gyromitra brunnea Gyromitra montana can be considered species of Disciotis would cause no more (the two species are easily confused) edible if thoroughly cooked, though trouble than eating true morels. There is are probably no more dangerous to a few collections have been shown to no information in the NAMA database consume than Morchella species. contain traces of hydrazines. I would recommend cooking these mushrooms outside or with good ventilation so that the volatile hydrazines, if present, are not inhaled. Gyromitra korfiiis probably also reasonably safe. There are no poisoning reports in the NAMA data base for Gyromitra korfii, though that is no guarantee there have not been poisonings that were not reported to NAMA. I estimate that we only hear about roughly 10% of all poisoning cases. Since the various “pig’s ear” mushrooms (Gyromitra ancilis, Gyromitra leucoxantha, and Gyromitra olympiana) are in the same subgenus as Gyromitra montana and Gyromitra korfii, my guess is that they are also edible. Thirty FUNGI Volume 7:1 2014 31