Matsis and Wannabees: a Primer on Pine Mushrooms
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Britt A. Bunyard [email protected] Figure 1. Three matsutakes? Look again. These three Tricholoma species were collected by John Sparks in New Mexico and growing within 100 feet of one another. From left to right, Tricholoma focale, T. caligatum, and T. magnivelare. Identifications were confirmed with DNA analysis by Dr. Clark Ovrebo. Photo courtesy of J. Sparks. described (Arora, 1979). And what of rumors that we have the “true” matsutake of Asia in parts of North America? Whether you call it pine mushroom or matsutake (or simply the more affectionate nickname “matsi”), there can be no question that this mushroom is one of the most highly prized in the world. It can be an acquired taste to Westerners (I personally love them!); among Japanese this mushroom is king, with prices for top specimens fetching kings’ ransoms. Annually, Japanese matsutake mavens will spend US$50-100 for a single top quality specimen and prices many times this are regularly reported. Because the demand far f you reside in Canada you likely call exceeds the supply in Japan (97% of them pine mushrooms; in the USA, matsutake mushrooms consumed in most refer to them by their Japanese Japan, annually, are imported, according Iname, matsutake. Is it Tricholoma to the Japanese Tariff Association magnivelare or T. matsutake? And what [Ota et al., 2012]), commercial about those other matsi lookalikes? pickers descend upon North America Some smell remarkably similar to the (especially in the Pacific Northwest) Figure 2. Catathelasma imperiale “provocative compromise between every autumn with hopes of striking red hots and dirty socks” that Arora from Vancouver Island, British gold. Commercially speaking, in British Columbia. Photo by B. Bunyard. FUNGI Volume 6:4 2013 31 ectomycorrhizal and a third, widely distributed group relationship in Asia-Europe-North Africa-eastern with conifer and North America. Of course, all this is broadleaf trees not quite so cut and dried; there are (Yamada et al., some smaller subgroups in each region 1999). Matsutake and some interbreeding seems to be shiroes comprise occurring as well. large contiguous These three groups do not coincide areas of fungal with currently used nomenclature. mycelium growing Most mycophiles still use Tricholoma on or under the magnivelare for all North American surface of the matsutakes, but it is doubtful the sandy/flakey soil; name is accurately applied to western shiroes are usually and Mesoamerican populations. distributed in Charles Horton Peck coined the name clusters on the Agaricus ponderosus in 1873 (and narrow mountain later A. magnivelaris) for matsutakes ridges and south- collected in New York. Along the way, facing slopes. they became Armillaria and finally Oftentimes the Scott Redhead made the transfer to fruitbodies do Tricholoma in 1984. Northeastern not push up matsutake collections are generally through the made under jack pine (Pinus banksiana). As mentioned above, the data suggest specimens from the Northeast are distinct from those of the West; Figure 3. Amanita smithiana from northeastern matsutakes are Oregon. Photo by B. Bunyard. more similar to those of Asia and Europe identified as Tricholoma matsutake (the “true” matsutake of Asia). Tricholoma nauseosum (the name given originally to European matsutake has fallen out of favor; Chapela and Garbelotto show Figure 4B. they’re the same as the Asian species). Furthermore physical features (for Figure 4A. example, more brownish forest floor duff, instead all you see are caps versus more whitish caps) do not “mushrumps” sticking up—a telltale really correlate with significant genetic Figure 4. Matsutakes from western sign that a matsi may be nestled differences. Physical features, plus odor, and eastern North America. A) A beneath. With a matsutake mushroom plus host tree can help narrow down large pine mushroom button from in hand, identification is made easy your species, but several lookalikes can Vancouver Island, British Columbia; by the spicy, organic (not earthy or occur in very close proximity to one mushroomy) smell; the mushrooms photo courtesy of K. Trim. B) A nice another—and look surprisingly similar are white with brownish areas making (Fig. 1). Tricholoma focale (=T. zelleri) basket of Maine matsutakes; photo them look almost dirty and slightly may look similar to matsutakes (I think courtesy of D. Spahr. shaggy; gills are white and as with all it’s actually much prettier), but would Tricholomas, the spore print is white. not likely be mistaken for the real thing Columbia pine mushrooms are the In 2004, Chapela and Garbelotto as it has a foul smell of rancid flour; leading non-timber forest product export. sought to resolve the origins and I’m told the flavor matches the odor. “Matsutake” refers to a loosely distribution of the matsutake species Tricholoma caligatum smells weakly of defined circumboreal (northern complex collected from around the matsutakes and indeed is often collected hemisphere) species complex in the world. Their findings show three main and eaten as such. genus Tricholoma whose mycelia groups of matsutake mushrooms in Based on their extensive sampling form an extensive “white domain,” the northern hemisphere (see map): and DNA sequence analysis, Chapela or “shiro” as they establish a unique western North America, Mesoamerica, and Garbelotto (2004) infer patterns of 32 FUNGI Volume 6:4 2013 The current idea of the global distribution of three different matsutake “species” based on Chapela and Garbelotto (2004). Western species (T. magnivelare?) in red; yellow is considered T. matsutake; and in blue a third, undescribed Mesoamerican Tricholoma species. Image concept by B. Bravi and A. Voitk. migration and propose Eocene origins for is the double ring on the stem (Fig. 2). worldwide Pinaceae and Fagaceae the group of pine mushrooms in western Catathelasma species are edible and I forests. Mycorrhiza 20(5): 333-339. North America by a transfer from an find them to be very tasty; some authors Ota, Y, T. Yamanaka, H. Murata, angiosperm-associated ancestor to an are of a different opinion; the genus H. Neda, A. Ohta, M. Kawai, A. increasingly specialized conifer symbiont. produces some of the largest gilled Yamada, M. Konno, and C. Tanaka. From these origins, matsutake appear to mushrooms in North America, hence 2012. Phylogenetic relationship and have followed migratory routes parallel the common name “big cat.” Amanita species delimitation of matsutake to those of coniferous hosts from Asia smithiana presents a much different and allied species based on and through Beringia. They reject some story. Also huge and white, and forming multilocus phylogeny and haplotype earlier theories of migration, both the “mushrumps” under the forest duff, analyses. Mycologia 104(6):1369-1380. possibility that migration into Europe and nearly every year mushroom pickers Thanks to Noriko Kanaya for the Asia occurred through Atlantic bridges collect one of these in haste, mistaking Japanese translation of the abstract. and the connection between matsutake it for a matsutake. Although very pretty populations in the Mahgrebi Mountains (Fig. 3), this mushroom is a member of (Africa) and those from Europe. Instead, the highly toxic section Lepidella (within African and European matsutake appear the genus Amanita) and is responsible to be the most recent ends of a westward for numerous hospitalizations and causes expansion of the domain of these fungi severe kidney damage. When picking from North America. mushrooms for the table, always be Besides Tricholomas, there are other certain of your identification. lookalikes out there to know—some that References Cited are suitable for the table, others that will get you into trouble. Catathelasma Arora, D. 1979. Mushrooms Demystified. species (C. imperiale and C. ventricosum) Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA; 959 pp. and Amanita smithiana are easily Chapela, I.H., and M. Garbelotto. 2004. confused with matsutakes; they have Phylogeography and evolution in a similar overall appearance, occur in matsutake and close allies inferred by similar habitat and at the same time analyses of ITS sequences and AFLPs. of the year, plus they have white gills Mycologia 96: 730–741. and white spore print. Missing is the Yamada, A., H. Kobayashi, H. Murata, characteristic matsi odor. A key character E. Kalmiş, F. Kalyoncu, and M. Fukuda. of identification for Catathelasma and 2010. In vitro ectomycorrhizal mentioned in pretty much all guide specificity between the Asian red books (but that is often not easy to see) pine Pinus densiflora and Tricholoma fungifestival.com matsutake and allied species from FUNGI Volume 6:4 2013 33.