2009 No.1 The Newsletter of the Alberta Mycological Society

Thirty plus Years of Poisoning: Summary of the Approximately 2,000 Reports in the NAMA Case Registry By Michael W. Beug, Marilyn individuals can report mushroom Shaw, and Kenneth W. Cochran poisonings using the NAMA website (www.namyco.org). The In the early years of NAMA, reporting is an entirely volunteer toxicology was one of the concerns effort and at the end of each year of the Mycophagy Committee. The members of the NAMA toxicology existence of toxicology committees committee assemble all of the in the Puget Sound and Colorado reports for the previous year as clubs stimulated the NAMA officers well as any other earlier cases to separate the good and bad aspects that can still be documented. of ingesting . In 1973 Individuals are encouraged to they established a standing submit reports directly through Toxicology Committee initially the NAMA website. In addition Paxillus involutus. chaired by Dr. Duane H. (Sam) members of the toxicology Photo courtesy of Mike Beug Mitchel, a Denver, Colorado MD committee work with Poison who founded the Colorado Centers to directly gather Mycological Society. In the early mushroom poisoning reports. Mushroom: The Journal in 1985 1970s, Sam worked with Dr. Barry Marilyn Shaw (Colorado, Montana, (Cochran, 1985). All subsequent Rumack, then director of the Rocky Idaho, Hawaii and Las Vegas, NV)), reports are in McIlvainea (Beug Mountain Poison Center (RMPC) to Dr. Bill Freedman (California), Jan 2006; Cochran, 1986, 1988, 1999, establish a protocol for handling Lindgren (Washington and 2000; Lampe, 1989; and Trestrail information on mushroom Oregon), Judy Roger (Washington 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, poisonings resulting in the center and Oregon), Dr. Ken Cochran 1998). In some of Dr. Trestrail’s becoming nationally recognized for (Michigan and the upper Midwest), reports (Trestrail 1992, 1994, 1995, handling mushroom poisonings. Hanna Tschekunow (Florida and 1996) he compares numbers of Encouraged by Dr Orson Miller and Eastern U.S., now Washington), Dr. mushroom toxic exposures reported acting on a motion by Kit Scates, the Denis Benjamin (Washington and to NAMA to reports to the Poison NAMA trustees then created the now Texas) and many others have Control Centers compiled through Mushroom Poisoning Case Registry worked hard to track down and the Toxic Exposure Surveillance in 1982. Dr. Kenneth Cochran laid record details of mushroom System of the American Association the groundwork for maintaining the poisoning cases. of Poison Control Centers. From this Registry at the University of The first annual NAMA report data we can infer that mushrooms Michigan. Dr. Cochran continues to of mushroom poisoning cases was account for about 0.4 to 0.5% of total maintain the gateway through which published by Dr. Cochran in (Foray ...continued on page 3) www.wildmushrooms.ws Spring 2009 No. 1 1 In our September meeting, Dr. President’s Sean Abbott also presented a 2008 Executive lecture on Ascomycetes in Alberta and the year finished with Dr. Alberta Mycological Message Randy Currah, one of our founding Society 2008: members giving us a fascinating talk on how some unique fungi It was the best of times, evolve interesting ways to disperse Acting President: their spores. The wonder of the Martin Osis it was the worst of times! fungal kingdom never ceases to (780) 987-4412 amaze! The other meetings had [email protected] presentations from our regular line Webmaster : It was the best of times! up of quality presenters; Markus, Vacant Robert and myself who can always What a year we have had! One be relied on for an entertaining Vice President: of the best ever on a couple of fronts. evening. Vacant In spite of the generally dry weather Other projects also came to Treasurer: we had a great year foraying. We fruition, with the help of the Jeannette Gasser found some beautiful morel habitat Alberta Conservation Association. out near Rimbey, even though the We published another poster, Secretary: morels themselves were scarce “Medicinal Mushrooms of Alberta” Patrick Tackaberry everywhere and for the whole and we are soon to launch the first [email protected] season. This site and others near the phase of our much awaited Membership : Open Creek campsite will be visited database. The database project has Vacant many times in the future. We had a been four years in the making and great Alberta Foray with the Tsuu promises to be a solid tool for all Foray Coordinator: Bill Richards T’ina First Nation near Calgary, new mycophiles. Financially the Society (780) 998-3507 [email protected] friends from the Native community, has never been more solid and we new members from Southern have made new friendships and Program Director: Robert Rogers Alberta and we reacquainted solidified old ones. (780) 433-7882 ourselves with a couple of former [email protected] members, mycologists, Sean Abbott and Gavin Kernaghan. As well, the It was the worst of Media Relations Coordinator: Melanie Fjoser foray was attended by Dr. Roland times! (780) 987-4412 Treu, a new mycologist to Alberta [email protected] and Mycena expert who started In September our president work this year at Athabasca Newsletter Editor: Markus Thormann resigned. This University. The year ended with a Vacant happened in a cloud of wonderful foray at Sicamous. misunderstanding, hurt feelings We probably had the best and some serious allegations. Directors-at-large: programming year in the Society’s Markus was concerned with how John Thompson history. Andrus Voitk, from some work from the Alberta Foray Robert Simpson Newfoundland joined us in May, was contracted out and he brought attending our Morel foray and Steve Kular out some accusations of giving us two lectures at our May Jeff Kochan irregularities in our money meeting, one on the fruiting of management, especially in regards morels and the other on a unique

to how we manage our grant ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ way to chart foray mushroom finds. monies. Markus’ resignation was MAILING A DDRESS: At the Alberta Foray Drs. Abbott, followed by Board resignations Alberta Mycological Society Kernaghan and Treu delivered from Ethel Luhtanen and Alan P.O. Box 1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue interesting presentations along with Standard Life Building Fleming who shared concerns an Introductory Mushroom Id Edmonton, AB T5J 3S2 about possible liabilities. The workshop and Robert Rogers WEBSITE ADDRESS: lectured on Medicinal mushrooms. www.wildmushrooms.ws (President’s Message ...continued on page 11)

2 Spring 2009 No. 1 www.wildmushrooms.ws Mushroom Poisoning (and here we treat teenagers as poisoning is unclear due to the (continued from page 1) adults) versus children. However, ingestion of several species at a time or due to the failure to toxic exposures. NAMA is receiving bear in mind that symptoms can be preserve or produce any of the reports totaling about 1% of most severe in individuals whose mushrooms for later identification. mushroom poisoning cases that are health is previously compromised reported to Poison Control Centers (due to age, alcohol or chronic The reports that have been each year. While about 90% of disease) and in children whose summarized here are voluntary mushrooms in the Toxic Exposure digestive and immune Surveillance System are systems are not yet fully unidentified, NAMA involvement developed. There are drops the % unidentified mushrooms unusual cases where the into the range of 10 to 30%. Also, death is not directly due to since approximately 80% of the mushroom toxins. These reports to PCCs involve include a previously asymtomatic events, we conclude severely ill elderly man that NAMA reports get filed for who ate several successive about 10% of the symptomatic huge meals of a Gyromitra poisoning cases (and probably well species but the symptoms over 50% of the cases involving a related to his death did not fatality). match any known The NAMA database that is mushroom symptoms. A maintained of all of the poisoning quadriplegic consumed case reports that have been purchased Psilocybe received by the toxicology cubensis (of uncertain committee is not readily accessible quality), went into when questions arise. This paper anaphylactic shock and summarizes all reports in the died. One woman of a database where the mushroom group of 5 ate what was Inocybe sororia gills. Photo courtesy of Martin Osis. could be reasonably well identified. probably Laetiporus reports. In some regions (the We cover all material through sulphureus suffered severe GI Rocky Mountain region and the December 2005. Unlike the annual symptoms, dermatitis, and died in 19 Pacific Northwest) the reporting is reports, we will not delve into hours while no one else in the group quite extensive (though treatments or why the person may was even sick. After passing undoubtedly not complete). In have consumed the mushroom (e.g. unconscious from a large meal of other regions the reporting is very for food, for recreation, mistaken Amanita muscaria, a man froze to spotty because at times during the identification, etc.). The only age death in his tent in Michigan. On the past 23 years there have been few determination we make is for adults other side of the coin, we have not entered numerous active experts in the area. cases where someone Sometimes one can be quite consumed an Amanita certain about what mushroom was in the “Destroying consumed but at other times it is Angel” group and had just an educated guess based on no ill effects or mushrooms gathered near where consumed a plateful the suspect mushrooms were of Chlorophyllum picked or from pictures that the molybdites or some victim pointed out in a book. Amanita muscaria, We have generally not etc. without getting attempted to use the most current sick. We have also name but have followed the names not reported on the used in the reports. The approach huge number of has also been that of a “lumper.” cases (roughly 33% of For example Armillaria mellea and the total) where the Laetiporus sulphureus, are now Gyromitra esculenta. Photo courtesy of John Plischke. cause of the (Mushroom Poisoning ...continued on page 10) www.wildmushrooms.ws Spring 2009 No. 1 3 SicamousSicamous ForayForay 20082008

September 25-28 found 5 AMS plentiful fungal members braving the 10-12 hour drive habitats, the from Edmonton to Shuswap Lake area selection of to enjoy a weekend of foraying and sites for picking foraging. The whole weekend was seemed unseasonably pleasant weather the limitless. locals assured us, with mostly sunny Across the picking conditions in lush highway from undergrowth absolutely full of a Yard Creek at variety of fungi that most Albertans the Eagle River only rarely see. So the conditions were Nature Trails set and with the Vancouver and area was more area societies well represented, to explore AMS members either picked on their which revealed own or joined organized outings with more Hypomyces lactifluorem. Photo courtesy of Robert Rogers BC resident expert Paul Kroeger as a mushroom fantastic opportunities for mycological guide. adventuring and an opportunity to gasteronomy, and the ever-attendant Yard Creek Park, a former WW2 see many plants common to the area. beer garden. An incredible display of POW work camp near Malakwa, was Interestingly, a trip down an captured fungi, well labeled and with one of the first areas visited. An embankment into a typical rainforest local expertise to discuss anything abundance of creek mycological, was put on by the fair wild bottom and allowed for any individual to mushroom revealed bring in specimens for displaying varieties such no obvious and/or identifying. The incredible as Blewitt fungi. Pine Mushroom or Matsutake (Lepista Other (Tricholoma magnivelare) was nuda), naturalists available here for tasting as the Lobster were festival somewhat coincided with the (Hypomyces encountered legendary Matsutake harvest of the lactifluorem), on the area. While most pine mushroom Honey trails and picking sites are carefully guarded (Armillaria in the secrets, an attempt to locate one by mellea), Black bush, some scouting for mature Jack pine forests Trumpet taking was relatively unsuccessful, although (Craterellus photographs, driving the backroads up and down cornucopioides), Among the bountiful harvest were the ever popular some mountains was spiritually and and Golden Armillaria mellea. Photo courtesy of Robert Rogers interested naturalistically rewarding. Chantrelles in plants, Accomodations for this weekend (Cantharellus subalbidus) were found and some just appreciating the are usually centered around the throughout the campground and unique wilderness that East Paradise Motel where there are surrounding riparian habitat. Access Sicamous presents. comfortable rooms and outdoor BBQ was very easy and filling a foraging This glorious trip to Sicamous facilities, friendly owners, centrally basket was possible as much as one was made even better by the located, and a hub of socializing. Do pleased. Many other varieties were Weekend Fungi Festival put on by a consider this destination as a must do present which provided plenty of local resort and featuring a very event in any of your future foray plans opportunity for amateur taxonomic enjoyable line-up of fungaliceous that will satiate any mycologist, pursuits. entertainment. There was plenty of mycophagist or just plain old With cedar and hemlock forests original, great local music, a couple naturalist. rising out of the steep Interior Wetbelt of slide seminars showing off local that creates the conditions for the mushroom habitat and culture, Patrick Tackaberry

4 Spring 2009 No. 1 www.wildmushrooms.ws in Alberta. Stropharia Lambert Creek Foray cyanea, a pretty little green mushroom with September 13 & 14, 2008 purplish gills and traces of a ring Mushrooms were collected, food dominant edible around the stalk. It was shared and the odd beer was species was was also joined by downed. Another great foray out at found but rather another fairly rare Lambert Creek. A huge collection of a great variety mushroom with only mushrooms were found by about 25 of many edibles. one other previous attendees over 81 different species. At least recording in the As opposed to other years no eighteen or province, Stropharia more different alces. This one is known edible much easier to mushroom identify, what gives it species were away is its species found, name, alces, meaning depending on Moose. No, it does not how many look, smell, or taste Russulas you Stropharia alces. Photo courtesy of like a moose but were including. Martin Osis. grows stately on a Yet the usually piece of moose dung. hugely abundant Honey Mushroom The only complaint heard was was missing in action, not ONE about the huge amount of traffic that specimen was found. Of course our went by the campground at all hours. list of seventeen known and This year we will solve that by undisputed edibles would be greatly reserving the group camp across the expanded on by Charles McIlvaine highway. This is tucked away from and other braver mycophagists. the major throughfares along the Most exciting for me was finding banks of the Embarrass River. Stropharia cyanea. Photo courtesy of a mushroom never before recorded Should be a lovely weekend. Martin Osis. Martin Osis

Species List For Lambert Creek Foray Calvatia booniana Hygrophorus eburneus Melanoleuca cognata Tricholoma caligatum Gyromitra infula Hygrophorus conica Cystoderma amaiantinum Tricholoma saponaceum Helvella crispa Hygrophorus picea Cystoderma sp Tricholoma aurantium Hypomyces luteo virens Hypholoma capnoides Hygrophorus speciosa Cantharellus tubeaformis Leccinum Fibrillosum Hygrophorus chrysodon Lactarius rufus Leccinum insigne Hygrophorus sp. Lactarius uvidus Gleophyllumsepiarium Leccinum snellii Entoloma sp Lactarius representaneus Gleophyllum sp. Suillus grevellii Cantharellula umbonata Lactarius sp. Telephora terrestris Suillus tomentosis Agaricus silvicola Russula decolorans Coprinus comatus Suillus umbonatus Stropharia alces Russula fragilis Albatrellus ovinus Gomphus clavatus Stropharia cyanea Russula sp Lycogala epidendron Russula foetens Clavariadelphus ligula Cortinarius trivialis Chroogomphus vinicolor Clavariadelphus borealis Cortinarius alboviolaceus Russula xerampelina Ramaria sp. Cortinarius semi sanguineus Russula veternosa Hebeloma crustiliniforme Coronatum Cortinarius caperata Pholiota squarrosa Hebeloma sp Fomitopsis pinicola Cortinarius sp 1 Rhodocollybia maculata Mycena sp Trichaptum biforme Cortinarius sp 2 Laccaria laccata Mycena sp Trichaptum abietinum Cortinarius sp 3 Tricholoma virgatum Clitocybe dilatata Hydnellum caeruleum Cortinarius sp 4 Tricholoma vaccinum Clitocybe claviceps Hydnellum peckii Melanoleuca melaleuca Tricholoma flavovirens Psathyrella velutina Hydnellum aurantiacum www.wildmushrooms.ws Spring 2009 No. 1 5 Shiitake Mushrooms RecipeRecipe Though originally from Korea Shiitake Velouté and Japan, where it is also known as ”Chinese Black Mushrooms and w/ Peanut Sabayon Forest Mushrooms” this mushroom Yield: 8 – 1 cup portions is now being cultivated in the U.S., where it is sometimes called Ingredients: 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter “Golden Oak”. ¼ lb. (115 g) unsalted, skinless raw peanuts As far as mushrooms go in the 4 cups (1 L) heavy cream world of Culinary Careers, Shiitake Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper Mushrooms are considered to be a 6 large egg yolks power house of flavour and texture. 2 lb. (900 g) shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and quartered They need other bold flavours to 3 shallots, thinly sliced stand up to them otherwise 8 cups (2 L) chicken stock Freshly ground white pepper everything is drowned out and 1 cup (250 mL) clarified butter tastes like Shiitake. 1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps For this reason they are 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) chili oil dominant in Asian cuisine where 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) chopped chives they pair well with ginger, garlic, basil, cabbage, peanut, konbu Procedure: (seaweed), Soya sauce, Shiso, beef, ❖ Place ½ of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. lemongrass, lime, cilantro, sesame, ❖ Cook, stirring frequently, until it turns noisette (brown like a hazelnut). etc. Also they go well paired with ❖ Add the peanuts and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the peanuts are big flavoured and bodied wines golden brown. such as “meaty” Pinot Noirs or ❖ Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. traditional Sangiovese from ❖ Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Tuscany. ❖ Pour the peanut mixture into a blender and process to a smooth puree. The attached recipe showcases ❖ Pour through a fine sieve into a clean container discarding the solids. the earthiness and big flavours of ❖ Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Shiitake and accompanies it with ❖ Place the yolks in a small bowl and whisk about ½ cup of the peanut Peanut and heat. In the photo it is sauce into the eggs to temper then whisk into the remaining peanut garnished with Toasted Peanuts sauce. and Crisp Shiitake Mushroom ❖ Again strain through a fine sieve and pour into a foam canister and Chips. pressurize. If you don’t have a foam canister then you can whip it as if you were making whipped cream. Enjoy! ❖ Refrigerate until ready to use. Chef Doug Overes ❖ Heat the remaining ½ cup of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the quartered mushrooms and sauté for about 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are a deep golden brown. Doug Overes is an award winning ❖ Add the shallots and continue to sauté for about 10 minutes or until they Chef who has won gold medals in begin to caramelize. ❖ international competitions as both an Add the stock and season to taste. ❖ individual member and Captain of Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. ❖ Pour into a blender and puree and season to taste so a heavy accent of Team Alberta. Currently he is a freshly ground white pepper is present. member of the Faculty of ❖ Heat the clarified butter and sauté the sliced shiitakes until light brown Professional Cooking at Lethbridge and crisp. College. As well he is the President ❖ Pat dry and reserve as garnish. of the Southern Alberta Academy ❖ Pour warm soup into serving bowl, top with a rosette of whipped of Chefs and a new AMS member. sabayon, sprinkle with crisp mushrooms and dot with chili oil.

6 Spring 2009 No. 1 www.wildmushrooms.ws The Other side The Alberta Mycological Society of wish to express our sympathies to members of Mushroom the Mycological Society of Toronto... Poisonings In January of 2009, both President Vella Soots Charles McIlvaine was an amateur mycologist who pioneered and amateur mycology in North America. Old “Iron Guts” as he is sometimes Vice-President John Sparling called made a career of trying many known and unknown fungi in a quest passed away. This is a great loss to members of to find the edibles ones. His commentaries on many poisonous MST, as well as to the mycological community mushrooms still leaves many questions unanswered today on which ones we can eat and which should be avoided. at large. We send our deepest condolences to Many apparently known poisonous mushrooms and disgustingly inedible families and friends of Vella and John mushrooms he rates very highly with added commentaries on the best preparation methods. He complains of persistent inaccuracies by mycologists following each others erroneous without immediate reward. Up to this undesirable and poisonous kinds. To information. He states; “It is necessary time I had been living, literally, on accomplish this, because of the to personally test the edible qualities of the fat of the land – bacon; but my persistent inaccuracy of the books on hundreds of species.” If he has studies enabled me to supplement the subject, it was necessary to “vouched” it safe it has been personally this, the staple dish of the state, with personally test the edible qualities of tested by himself and his “friends” a vegetable luxury that centuries ago hundreds of species about which eating full meals of them. The following graced the dinners of the Caesars. So mycologists have either written is an excerpt from the preface of absorbing did the study become from nothing or have followed one another Charles McIlvaine’s book “ One gastronomic, culinary, and scientific in giving erroneous information. Thousand American Fungi”: points of view, that I have continued While often wishing I had not - Martin Osis it ever since, with thorough undertaken the work because of the intellectual enjoyment and much unpleasant results from personal “A score of years ago (1880- gratification of appetite as my testing fungi which proved poisonous, 1885) I was living in the mountains of reward. I hope to interest students in my reward has been generous in the West Virginia. While riding on horse the study as I am myself interested. discovery of many delicacies among back through the dense forests of For twenty years my little the more than seven hundred edible that great unfenced state, I saw on friends – the toadstools – have been varieties I have found. my constant companions. They have every side luxuriant growths of (Editors Note: of the one interested me, delighted me, feed fungi, so inviting in color, cleanliness thousand that he tried he found three me, and I have found much pleasure and flesh that it occurred to me they hundred of them inedible and/or in making the public acquainted with ought to be eaten. I remembered endured hundreds of self inflicted their habits, structure, lusciousness having read a short time before this poisonings.) inspiration seized me, a very and food value. interesting article in the Popular My researches have been Birds, flowers, insects, stones Science Monthly for May, 1877, confined to the species large enough delight the observant. Why not written by Mr. Julius A. Palmer, Jr., to appease the appetite of a hungry Toadstools? A tramp after them is entitled “ Toadstool eating.” Hunting naturalist if found in reasonable absorbing, study of them interesting, it up I studied it carefully, and soon quantity; and my work has been and eating of them health giving and found myself interested in a devoted to the segregating the edible supremely satisfying. and innocuous from the tough, delightful study, which was not Charles McIlvaine www.wildmushrooms.ws Spring 2009 No. 1 7 A Mushroom weekend! Mushrooming President’s Dinner in March, Friday March 20, 2009 what a concept! Ernest’s Dining Room NAIT - Learning Resource Centre.There will be a cost of $40.00 per person. Please look for the registration form which will be sent via email. Over the last few years we 6:00 to 7:00 - Cocktails and Cooking Demonstration by NAIT Students. have held wonderful full day Annual General Meetings with 7:00 to 8:00 – President’s Dinner interesting topics and speakers. To 8:00 to 9:00 – President’s Award (A Mushroom Weekend ...continued on page 9) balance the tedious but necessary business meeting, we have added more interesting fungal topics President’s Dinner since starting this format. As well it gets us excited about the Mushroom banquet th upcoming mushrooming year. The March 20 , 2009 business part of the meeting Ernest’s Dining Room – Nait School of Hospitality usually takes an hour or so and the Cocktails 6:00 pm rest of the day is set aside for mushrooms and related topics. Since our Society has grown to a Assorted Passed Hors D’oeuvres more provincial scale and we have more members from further afield Lobster Mushroom Bisque we have decided to incorporate the Crème Fraîche and Brandy President’s Dinner as part of the weekend. This way out of town Wild Mushroom Terrine members can participate more Baby Arugula easily. Chokecherry Compote

We also are excited to go back Morel and Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast to NAIT for the President’s Dinner Creamy Roasted Garlic Double Corn Polenta after several years absence. NAIT’s Spring Vegetables School of Hospitality became a Or Society member this year and are Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin very interested to have their Morel and Apricot Ragout students learn more about Rosemary Roasted Baby Potatoes mushrooms. They have also Spring Vegetables graciously donated the venue for our AGM along with giving us a Chocolate Truffle Cake mushroom cooking demonstration Mini Rhubarb and Vanilla Mascarpone Napoleon as part of our AGM programming. Raspberry Rhubarb Sauce What a great way to start the year! Wine is included with dinner

8 Spring 2009 No. 1 www.wildmushrooms.ws Annual Annual General Meeting Winter Foray

Saturday March 21, Sunday March 22, Mark Your 2009 2009 Calendars! Ernest’s Dining Room in “The Learning Resource Centre” on Polypore foray The Alberta Foray the North end of the downtown campus at 107Street and 118 10:00 a.m. Whitemud Creek ravine, will be held at Lesser Avenue. Lunch will be catered by map to follow. NAIT at no cost to members. Slave Lake, based Schedule: out of the Northern 09:00 Coffee 09:15 President’s message and Lakes College in reports. Mycological 10:30 Mushroom Cooking Grouard, August 20 Demonstration – TBA Miracles Here are some interesting 12:00 Lunch – Demonstration of through August 23. the on-line Mycological “Guiness Records” of mine. Database. Perhaps other members can beat the records or have other records 13:00 Election of Officers, Voting on motions. of their own ..... A Mushroom I.D. 13:30 North Saskatchewan Earliest collected mushroom in Watershed Alliance Alberta - Coprinus macrocephalus on Course will be held Presentation – A huge part March 26. of our mushroom picking at Blue Lake Centre habitats lay within the Latest collected mushroom - other North Saskatchewan than perenial polypores - Stropharia watershed. They will share in William Switzer semiglobata on November 11. some facts and concerns about the watershed. Largest gilled mushroom - Provincial Park near 14:30 Coffee break. Leucopaxillus giganteus had a cap 14:45 Photo contest slide show & diameter of 40 cm. Hinton on winners. Excitement for the contestants but more Largest puffball - Calvatia booniana August 1 & 2, 2009. importantly a presentation had a diameter of 35 cm. of beautiful mushrooms captured in their natural Heaviest - Calvatia booniana habitats. weighed in at 11.5 pounds. Sean Abbott Details for both 15:30 Review and discussion of (taken from The Stinkhorn Volume 1, No. 1 upcoming years events. 1987) events to follow. 16:00 Wrap up

www.wildmushrooms.ws Spring 2009 No. 1 9 Mushroom Poisoning available sources (continued from page 3) also failed to come up with any recognized as complexes of several orellanine cases species, but there has often been no anywhere in North way to figure out what the actual America. While we culprit was, though by looking at the have often seen 50% location one can sometimes make a quoted as a death good guess. A confounding factor rate for consumption here is that mushrooms can be of mushrooms contaminated by bacteria and molds containing and the symptoms from bacterial and amatoxins, we mold contamination are extremely calculated an 11% similar to most mushroom poisoning death rate for symptoms. Some of the cases reported cases of certainly do appear to have been a people who became result of consumption of spoiled ill. The overall rate mushrooms that were old before of death from consumption or had been frozen raw amatoxins is well (which allows the bacteria to keep under 10% when you Amanita muscaria. Photo courtesy of Jim Malenczak. growing). Also for mushrooms count the people growing in lawns, flower beds, along Gyromitra esculenta, the large who showed no symptoms. roads and on golf courses there is the number of cases found where there Furthermore, we only found record of question of contamination by was liver and/or kidney damage will 5 liver transplants for a transplant insecticides or heavy metals. In a few hopefully lead individuals to cease rate of 3.5% in amatoxin cases. From cases there was specific recollection this practice. other sources, we know that Galerina of a recent Malathion or other In examining animal poisoning autumnalis can be fatal, but none of insecticide spray. We have a Table of cases, we were struck by how those reports have made their way poisonings where alcohol is frequently dogs (and even cats) into the database. Similarly, many implicated because there were consume either Amanita muscaria or cases of Galerina autumnalis individuals who said that they could Amanita pantherina. Neither of these ingestion that did not lead to death eat the mushrooms if they did not species is deadly in humans, but both did not make this report. The one drink alcohol. We are certain that can be lethal to cats and dogs. death reported from mushrooms several additional GI cases were also Similarly there were deaths of dogs causing GI symptoms with unknown alcohol related. We have tabulated all from both Inocybe species and toxins/irritants was from Boletus of the reported dermatitis cases Scleroderma species, though we have pulcherrimus. To our surprise, there because that information has no record of human deaths from were no reported deaths from the remained scattered. Where the case these same species. We looked for mushrooms noted for causing kidney involved both dermatitis and GI mushroom poisonings of horses or failure, Amanita smithiana and symptoms, the event was tabulated in cows. There were no poisonings Paxillus involutus. Though Amanita both tables. recorded for these animals, though smithiana was at one time thought to We were surprised at some of there were two poisonings recorded contain orellanine, orellanine is not the things that we found (or did not for a pig, including one death. We present. The toxin in Amanita find). In over 2,000 reports, there tried to answer a question for a smithiana is allenic norleucine that is were only three cases total involving woman from Oregon whose prize probably bound to a sugar in the a Cortinarius species, even though horse was healthy one day and dead mushroom. A second compound, that is a huge genus with many large the next. Her pasture was full of chlorocrotylglycine, may also be fleshy fungi. We did not find a single mushrooms. Her vet said that similar toxic. The toxins in Paxillus involutus mention of a poisoning that matched deaths of horses are not all that are unknown. We found cases where the symptoms of orellanine unusual. We hope that someone who mothers became ill from a mushroom poisonings. So far orellanine has reads this will become curious and ingestion and nursing infants (and been found in only one small brown some day have an answer of whether nursing puppies) became ill (the Cortinarius species in North or not mushrooms are involved in puppy died) from toxins in the milk. America. A further check of other these mysterious horse deaths. Though many people still eat

10 Spring 2009 No. 1 www.wildmushrooms.ws President’s Message (continued from page 2) The last twenty years included many firsts and the following list contains a fair Board has spent many, many hours in meetings, discussions, reviews and investigations into possible number of them. This list is not in any wrong doings. The Minutes of these investigations along order - alphabetical or chronological. with Markus’ and other resignation letters will be made available and will be discussed at our Annual General Meeting. All questions from the floor will be addressed The first issue of “the Stinkhorn” went out in At that time we will also have all our financial records October 1987. Editor Sean Abbott. available for examination by Society members. While the Board did not find any wrong doing per se they did have reservations about the way we keep and report our Leni Schalkwyk’s book “Mushrooms of Western financial records. Efforts have been made to correct this. Canada” was published. The Board has hired professional help to properly set up our book keeping so that we can better track all of our projects especially those which are connected to any Our first website is setup January 2001. grants. Jim Malenczak also resigned from the Board, on an unrelated work issue. In this past year the manner in which we In 2000 the Edmonton Mycological Club’s communicate with our members has had three strikes newsletter is renamed “Spore Print”. against it. Strike one. We have published only two scaled down versions of our newsletter. In past years we have most always published four editions. The reason for this is In 1997 the Exotic Mushroom Banquet came to be that we do not have a newsletter editor. Issues have been and later was renamed The President’s Dinner. cobbled together piecemeal by executive members. On the positive side Geri Kolacz, our past editor, is still graciously doing our layouts, which means we still have the best looking newsletter in North America. We need The Edmonton Mycological Club becomes a one of our members to step up and take on this job or to at society and is renamed The Edmonton least chair a committee to look after this. This job is Mycological Society - December 6, 1994. crucial to our club. Strike two. To make matters worse in the communication department, when Markus resigned we also lost our Web Master. For those of you December 24, 2007 - The Edmonton Mycological who have visited our site lately you will see our site is not Society becomes the Alberta Mycological Society. up to date. We require some significant work in this department as well, especially with our pending database launch. Do we have a Web Master out there or do you Our first Annual Alberta Foray was held in 2005. know of someone we could temporarily hire? Strike three. With Alan Fleming resigning from the Board and the membership chair is empty and we need a August 17-19, 2006 saw the Edmonton Mycological replacement there as well. Fortunately, Alan is still with Society host the NAMA Foray in Hinton. us working on the database committee along with new committee member Mike Schulz. Alan did a wonderful job keeping members up to date on club activities and The EMS began to compile data for the database will be sorely missed in that role. that would eventually have information on species 2008 was a year of great success and great found in Alberta - ongoing. challenges. As we move forward into 2009 we have some exciting new relationships forming and a very exciting Annual President’s Award Recognition- 2007. year of events planned, the first of which will be the Annual General Meeting. On the challenging side we need a couple of members to step forward and take on First Annual Photo Contest - 2005. some critical roles. It is your club and opportunity awaits. Acting President - Martin Osis www.wildmushrooms.ws Spring 2009 No. 1 11 Please Join Us!! All forays are undertaken at your own AMS Calendar of Events for 2009 risk. You are responsible for trans- portation and accommodation. March July President’s Dinner Summer Fungi September Location: NAIT, Ernest’s Natural Region: Lower 20 Dining room 18/19 Foothills Leccinum, Russula, Location: Bow Valley Agarics Annual General Meeting Provincial Park, Kananaskis 05 Natural Region:Foothills near Location:: NAIT Calgary 21 Summer Evening Foray Location:Cochrane Polypore Foray Edmonton River Valley Natural Region: Boreal Forest 22 Location:: TBA Foray - NFLD and Location: Edmonton: 11/13 Labrador 22 Whitemud Park North, access Natural Region: Boreal Forest from Fox Drive August Location: Central Newfoundland - Max Mushroom Identifcation Simm’s Camp April Course 1/2 Natural Region: Foothills Foothills Foray Regular Meeting near Hinton Natural Region: 12/13 Foothills Location: Blue Lake 22 Location:Weald Provincial Recreation Area Pre-Exposition Forays May Natural Region: All Regions Morels, Verpas and 08 Location: Your choice. Regular Meeting Spring Agarics Mushrooms to be collected for 23 23 Natural Region:: Aspen EXPO Parkland/Boreal Forest Location:: St. Paul Grazing Reserve City of Champignons Chanterelles, Mushroom EXPO Lobsters Galore! 09 Location: Devonian Gardens Regular Meeting 25/27 Location: The Fungi 27 Festival, Shuswap, BC Alberta Foray October June Leccinum, Russula, 20/23 Lacatrius and other Regular Meeting Volunteer Steward Agarics Mushroom Cooking Commitment Location: Grouard, Northern Lakes 22 Demonstration College 20/21 Natural Region: Location: NAIT School of Lower Foothills Catering Location: Poplar Creek Natural Area Summer Evening Foray Campout Natural Region:Edmonton 25 26 Area November Location: Devonian Botanic Summer Evening Foray Gardens NAMA Annual Foray Location: Edmonton River Location: Lafayette, 24 Valley 26/29 Louisiana Location: TBA 24 General Member Meetings Fourth Wednesday as listed above - Time: 7:00 pm Location: Riverbend Library

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