Leccinum Boreale Common Names: Northern Roughstem, Red Caps Family: Boletaceae Season: August to September (This Year We Found the First One on June 18Th)

2005 No. 3

Leccinum Boreale Common Names: Northern Roughstem, Red Caps Family: Boletaceae Season: August to September (this year we found the first one on June 18th)

If you want a good edible mushroom that doesn’t have any dangerous ‘look-alikes’, grows for a long time period, repeatedly grows in the same area and can be found in deciduous trees, conifers and grass, then this family of mushrooms is for you. The Leccinum boreale was picked Painting through a lengthy process by courtesty of PAWMA (Pick a Wild Mushroom Helen Engel Alberta) as the representative Leccinum boreale is one member of the Boletaceae family that includes many choice edibles. mushroom of Alberta. In a good year you can see their distinctive tops from a distance in a variety of areas. As many Boletaceae are edible, Leccinum, Suillus and harvest of three mushrooms, you called ‘scabers’ on the stalk. If you Boletus alike, people are not will also find yourself wanting to can find the tubes but not the particular as to which species they differentiate between varieties. scabers you likely have a different pick. As one reference states “This The first check is to make member of the Boletaceae family. common and wide spread bolete sure that the underside of the cap It might still be edible but it is not has a number of look-alikes, all of has tubes rather than gills or a Leccinum boreale. which, so far as is known, are pores. If you cut a sample across The Leccinum boreale has an edible.” There are, however, the cap you will see the elongated orange-red cap, which can grow up differences. As you move from tubes that form the bottom spongy to 16 cm across, with off-white delight in finding something you matter. The second step is to check pores and a rough stem. The stalk know is edible and celebrating the the stalk. All Leccinum varieties have tufted hairs or small scales (The Leccinum boreale...continued on page 3)

FEATURE PRESIDENT’S NAMA 2005 PHOTO CONTEST UPCOMING MUSHROOM MUSHROOM MESSAGE .. pg 4 Click before you EVENTS ENVIRONMENTS The Leccinum Our Society has pick...... pg 5, 10 & ... PAST EVENTS boreale been busy and pg 6 11 pg Ashland, & 7 ... pg 1 there is more to 12 Devonian and come. CHANGES TO Recipe Whitemud ... pg ... pg 2 BYLAW ... pg 4 5,8, & 11 Your input is needed... pg 10 www.wildmushrooms.ws Fall - 2005 No. 3 1 pages professionally, is a friend and President’s Message co-worker at the Northern Forestry 2005 Executive Centre. The EMS provided him Edmonton Mycological Society with a small honorarium for his (continuing) time involvement and President: Markus Thormann effort. I am in the process of (780) 432-1392 learning how to manage our web [email protected] site and hope it is informative and easy to navigate. I have a few more Past President: Peter Arabchuk ideas for web content, but please (780) 479-6630 let me know if you would like to [email protected] see something on it that isn’t there yet. All comments are welcome. 1st Vice President: Mike Schulz Third, we will be hosting a (780) 939-2106 NAMA foray at William Switzer [email protected] Provincial Park in August 2006. This park is located about 20 km Membership: Alan Fleming northwest of Hinton on Highway (780) 463-8540 40 and is situated in a transition [email protected] zone between the boreal forest and the Rocky Mountains. Louis Treasurer: Loretta Puckrin established official contact between (780) 458-9889 the EMS and NAMA over two [email protected] years ago and did a lot of the early legwork on this project. More Secretary: Melanie Fjoser Markus Thormann, president of the recently, Martin, Melanie, Bill, and (780) 987-4412 [email protected] Edmonton Mycological Society Diane participated at the 2005 annual NAMA foray in La Crosse, WI, U.S.A. While there, the Foray Coordinator: Bill Richards The past few weeks have been foursome continued negotiations (780) 998-3507 exciting and encouraging from with the NAMA executive and were [email protected] many perspectives. First, our successful in bringing this annual “City of Champignons” prestigious foray to Alberta in Program Director: Martin Osis Mushroom Exposition was a huge 2006. We are currently assisting (780) 987-4412 success. Under the leadership of the NAMA executive with the foray [email protected] Pieter, we once again hosted this program and are organizing some event at the Pine Pavilion at the of the details associated with this Newsletter Editor: Geri Kolacz Devonian Botanic Garden. This event. (780) 475-7927 year’s event featured an array of We are now looking forward to [email protected] many different fungi from various our first annual Alberta Foray near habitats on large display tables, a Rocky Mountain House in early Mailing: Diane Murray soup kitchen, display tables of September. It, too, will be a very edible and medicinal mushrooms, exciting and promising event. This educational materials, mushroom 3-day event will feature numerous art, fresh and dried mushrooms for mushroom forays into the sale, a Powerpoint slide show about surrounding habitats and will give Directors-at-large: local fungi, mini-mushrooms forays us a taste of what is to come next Pieter Van Der Schoot through the Devonian Botanic year at the NAMA foray. (780) 696-2436 Garden, a kids corner, and our Last but not least, I am in the Robert Rogers usual membership and book sale process of organizing our annual (780) 433-7882 table. Many, many thanks go out President’s Dinner. As in previous to the volunteers who helped make years, it will once again be ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ this event another winner. Have a scheduled in November. I have MAILING ADDRESS: look at our web site been in contact with Sorrentino’s Edmonton Mycological Society (www.wildmushrooms.ws) for some Bistro and Bare, who are 1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue images from this event. interested in hosting us this year. Standard Life Building Second, speaking of our web More details will be forthcoming in Edmonton, AB T5J 3S2 site, I re-designed our web site with the next Spore Print and on our the assistance of Jon Elofson in web site in the near future. WEBSITE ADDRESS: mid-July. Jon, who designs web www.wildmushrooms.ws Until then, cheers to all, Markus

2 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws The Leccinum at home it is important (continued from page 1) to know where the is white and solid varying between insects are most likely a few centimetres to almost 15 cm to be. You can’t in height depending on the growing assume that because it conditions. Normally it is 10 cm in is a young mushroom height and 3 cm in width, generally it will be clean. There wider at the bottom than at the top have been times when but without a veil or volva. The a mature species was spore print is yellow-brown to dull clean and a young cinnamon or medium brown. When specimen just beside it growing in the forest the Leccinum was full of insects. The boreale likes clearer areas where first step is to cut off the undergrowth is minimal but it the stalk. The maggots generally travel up the also grows quite contentedly in Leccinum boreale as well as other members of the family stalk to freedom at the knee high grass! often grow to large sizes. The trick is to find them and pick With the Boletaceae family, top of the cap. Often them before the other members of the forest do. the staining colour is often one of the path will be along the major ways of telling the centre of the stalk. Cut parts carefully if you don’t want a these varieties apart the stalk horizontally high protein content in your dish. as the cap colour Do you ever wonder to check This variety of mushroom can can be difficult to where they get the official names infestation. If be dried or cooked and then frozen. define and will for the mushrooms? the damage is The dried mushrooms are easy to often overlap In this case the ‘leccinum’ along the centre use and can later be crushed to a from species to is from Italian meaning you can often powder. The frozen mushrooms, if remove the species. The mushroom while the ‘boreale’ frozen in an ice cube tray, are Leccinum boreale centre portion is Latin for ‘of the north’. ready to use and don’t need re- stains dark when leaving the majority hydrating. The choice is personal cut. For this reason of the stalk for you to but most people agree that the best many pickers choose not to enjoy. If you get the idea that way, as with all wild mushrooms, is clean their mushrooms until they the stalk is a treasured part of the to eat them fresh. get home. Other people insist on mushroom you are right! With the Loretta Puckrin cleaning the harvest, mushroom by cap, often the infestations are mushroom, as they are picked. limited to the spongy pores on the Why the big difference? One group underside of the cap and does not like the staining colour marginally the cap itself. Cleaning Photos in and if the mushrooms are cooked off the spongy layer will often be this very soon after cutting the sufficient to prepare the cap for article by discolouration is minimal. Cooking cooking. The centre of the cap can Loretta inhibits the discolouration process. be infested while the outside edges Puckrin The second group cleans on site are clean. You need to check all the because they feel that the staining is secondary to removing maggots from the mushroom. Yes, the insects, and even squirrels, enjoy this mushroom as much as people. By cleaning the mushrooms and The rough stem of the removing all intruders you don’t Leccinum boreale is give the ‘wildlife’ time to eat more very distinctive (top). of your harvest. This does, The photo on the left however, give your harvest the look shows one of paper leaves and sticks rather environment that these than mushrooms. mushrooms love. Whether you clean on site or www.wildmushrooms.ws Fall - 2005 No. 3 3 Memories of NAMA 2005

Four members of the end of each foray, we sorted and else?) mushrooms, and everything Edmonton Mycological Society (Bill labelled each specimen, which then about mushrooms. The evenings Richards, Diane Murray, Martin went to be verified by a mycologist, were very warm, and others Osis, and myself) ventured forth to recorded in a database, and gathered outside singing, reciting, the North American returned to display tables. This eating, drinking, and talking about Mycological Association’s was a huge undertaking – mushrooms! National Foray on June 21-24. accomplished very efficiently by the The very best aspect about this Events were held at the University many scientists and volunteers in foray was the warm welcome we of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Our host attendance. In the end, the Canadians received. Once it was was the colourful Dr. Tom Volk, specimens were dried and will go to announced that the NAMA 2006 who instructs his students in: the NAMA herbarium. National Foray is to be Mycology, Medical Mycology, Plant At mealtimes, all joined Edmonton-based, we were Biology, Plant-Microbe together to mingle and nourish. inundated with remarks on how Interactions, and Latin & Greek for Every evening a banquet was held, excited people are to come to Scientists. For your interest, check followed by a program of speakers, Alberta! Based on how smoothly out Tom’s website: including the NAMA Photo Contest the Wisconsin foray ran, we have TomVolkFungi.net , where you can winning photos presentation. Our our work cut out for us to put on a see an article on the Foray in the last evening included a raffle, top-notch foray and welcome the LaCrosse paper, as well as many where our Edmonton group astute scientists and other other interesting items on fungi. managed to clean up on prizes attendees by treating them to the Martin & I arrived early, as nicely, followed by a jazz band and best of Alberta mycology and Martin was invited to take part in dancing. hospitality. the Trustee’s Meeting, which took Following evening activities, (Details of the NAMA Foray place one day before other many folks gathered in the 2006 will be released as they become registrants began arriving. This dormitory lounges, enjoying available). meeting included Executive beverages and discussing (what Melanie Fjoser Directors, Trustees, Committee Chairs and Regional Representatives from all over Recipe North America, who conducted the Wild Mushroom, Leek, Cheese and Walnut Risotto business portion of NAMA’s annual 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 lb wild mushrooms meeting. 2 cups arborio rice (short- (chanterelles, boletes, hedgehogs, Once the Foray officially grained) morels) began, participants were offered a 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup crumbled cheese (goat variety of instructional programs 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth preferred – any strong cheese each day, ranging from mycology 1 tbsp butter (or olive Oil) works well) topics at the molecular level, to 2 cups sliced leeks 3 tbsp Italian parsley, minced tours of fungi in other countries, to 1 tbsp minced garlic 1/2 cup freshly toasted walnuts dyeing wool with mushrooms, and 2 tbsp fresh thyme 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated everything in between. Scientific displays were arranged amid a 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 to trade fair, where one could stick to the bottom. Add wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat purchase all manner of items to do with stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and adding more liquid as it with mycology. One special is absorbed. The process should take about 20 minutes, or until grains are highlight was the Mycophagy tender but still firm to the bite. session, where the edibles were 2. Meanwhile, in a non-stick skillet, heat butter over high heat for 30 transformed into delicious morsels seconds. Add the leeks, garlic, thyme and mushrooms. Saute for 5-6 minutes, or until the leeks and mushrooms are dry and beginning to brown. that we all gathered around to De-glaze the pan with 2 tbsp of wine, and add vegetables to the risotto. sample. 3. Fold in the cheese, parsley, walnuts and Parmesan. Add a little additional We enjoyed a choice of several stock to make a soft, moist risotto. To serve, mound risotto in the centre of forays each day, being bused to serving plates and garnish with additional parmesan cheese, fresh pepper some, car pooled to others. At the and a sprig of parsley.

4 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws City of Champignons - Remember Mushroom Exposition the Alberta Foray September 2,3,4 & 5, 2005 at Crimson Lake. See the summer issue of Spore Print for details or log on to our website at www.wildmushrooms.ws. Leonard Hutchison, a distinguished mycologist, has agreed to join our Alberta Foray. If you are still planning to Some of the approximately 400 people that came to the Pine Pavilion at the Devonian attend any/or all the days, please Gardens on August 7 to see the displays, watch the slide presentations, enjoy some register immediately so that the delicious mushroom soup and/or mushrooms on toast and learn about mushrooms - both organizers can obtain enough edible and non-edible. Photo: Markus Thormann groceries for all the meals. I had never been to the existed. And not just pictures of Devonian Gardens before – so when mushrooms – but the real thing. excursion I have now become a my friend Geri invited me to come The mushroom fair was a real member of the Mycological Society. to the Mycological Society’s feast for the senses. There were I look forward to many mushroom- “mushroom fair” to be held at very colourful and informative hunting missions, and I eagerly Devonian, it seemed a good idea – posters of mushrooms, a silent anticipate a myriad of marvellous I’d get a double deal: mushrooms auction of mushroom artwork, a mushroom meals. and the gardens. great slideshow about mushrooms, Lyn Boire I was not disappointed. The and the chance to taste some Devonian Gardens were lovely – but wonderful soup made from the highlight of the day was most mushrooms. certainly the “mushroom tent”. The best part of all, however, There I discovered more kinds of was the people – the members of mushrooms than I ever knew the Mycological Society. I met many delightful, friendly, and helpful people, all of whom share a passion for mushrooms! As a result of my Devonian mushroom

Martin Osis and Pieter van der Schoot explaining the identifying features of various mushrooms to some of the visitors to the Pine Pavilion. (Pictures of the One of the many mushrooms featured at the Devonian Exposition are posted Pine Pavilion, the Russula is a favourite of on our website at some mushroomers and left alone by www.wildmushrooms.ws) Photo: others. The line between edibles and non- Markus Thormann edibles is sometimes blurred. Photo: John Thompson www.wildmushrooms.ws Fall - 2005 No. 3 5 Click Before You Pick

files are .jpg or .tiff rather than a format specific to your camera. This will enable all systems to see the photos.

Eligibility The contest is open to EMS members and friends (in other words, everyone with an interest in mushrooms and/or nature photography)

Closing date October 15, 2005. We encourage entries to be submitted throughout the summer as they become available.

Subject Matter Any member of the fungi kingdom.

Categories 1. Best overall mushroom photo. 2. Best photo of the Provincial mushroom (Leccinum boreale). This sample of a mushroom shot has a number of good charateristics. The photograph is 3. Best mushroom technically correct - the mushroom is in focus, the lighting is even and bright enough. It identification series also shows not only the gills but the cap of the mushroom. Although the environment is artistically out of focus it would be easy to determine where this mushroom grows due to the angle of the shot. Photo: Martin Osis. Judges Criteria 1. Best overall mushroom All of us have been new to photograph. This will help you photo. The objective is to find a mushroom picking at one point in determine characteristics after the single photo suitable for display or time. We all felt the frustration of sample has been picked. Next send illustration in a book or calendar. not being able to find our varieties a copy of that photo to EMS This requires that the species be in the books that dealt with (Edmonton Mycological Society) for identifiable and show the mushrooms from all across North the photo contest. The goal of the characteristics common to that America (or even European based contest is to create a resource mushroom. Criteria will include volumes). The descriptions library of photos for educational both technical (focus, depth of field, sometimes can leave you confused use by the EMS club and its exposure, lighting, colour) and and uncertain. Whoever coined the members and presenters. The more artistic appeal (composition, colour, phrase ‘a picture is worth a photographs we get the more future background, lighting) aspects. thousand words’ must have been presentations can show you what it 2. Best photo of the Provincial thinking about mushrooms! means when you read that the gills mushroom (Leccinum boreale): The You can now do something are “attached ” or “closely spaced.” objective is to find a single photo about this! All photography formats are suitable for use in our bookmark, Whether you know the acceptable but digital images are poster, and calendar. Criteria will mushroom or not, take a preferred. Please ensure that the include both technical (focus, depth

6 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws of field, exposure, lighting, colour) and artistic appeal (composition, colour, background, lighting) aspects. EMS Entry Form 3. Best mushroom photo series. Photo series will include 3 to 5 photos displaying the following: Annual Mushroom Photo Contest Fruiting body, growth habits (i.e. in rings, on wood, under or with spruce, etc), gills or fertile surface, cut Closing Date: October 15, 2005 through of mushroom, important ID details (i.e. ring or veil, volva, bulbous base, etc.). The series photos Name: ______will be judged based on the visual images showing critical identification features. Emphasis is placed on Address: ______key visual characteristics being present to be able to identify the mushroom at least to genus. Subjects City: ______Postal Code: ______may be shot in the field or studio. While both technical and artistic consideration will be given to Phone: ______the judging, the main criteria will be on the identifiability of the subject. E-mail:______

Ownership of images All copyrights will remain with the Competition Categories photographer. The entrants consent to allow the EMS to use the photos as they see fit, both in EMS 1. Best overall mushroom photo. publications as well as part of our digital image 2. Best photo of the Provincial mushroom library and educational programming. (Leccinum boreale). Entry Fee 3. Best mushroom identification series All entrants must fill out the entry form and submit it with the fee of $5.00. This is for the first Every entry should have a photo number, or image. An entrant can submit as many entries as they name (if you are submitting more than one) wish for an additional cost of $1.00 per image. and the date taken. Remember, the more the entries the larger the prizes. Loretta Puckrin & Martin Osis Entry Fees: Registration fee –covers the 1st photo $ 5.00

Additional entries ___ X $1.00 $______

Total $______

Submit entry fee by mail to Edmonton Mycological Society, 1921 – 10405 Jasper Avenue , Standard Life Building, Edmonton, AB, T5J 3S2.

Payment should accompany entries. Any entry not paid in full by October 15th is disqualified for the competition.

A Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) photograph that as well as being Entries may be submitted by mail to technically correct shows both the cap on the lower growth and the gills on address above or email to the upper samples. The environment (growing on the side of a tree as well as [email protected]. the forest) is evident in the shot. Photo: Martin Osis www.wildmushrooms.ws Fall - 2005 No. 3 7 Ashland Dam Foray and Campout - July 9/10, 2005

with a few spruce time for dinner. Thank goodness and pines. The Ashland Dam site had a shelter big site looked very enough to accommodate everyone promising and the who wanted to stay out of the rain mushrooms found while eating their potluck supper. were quite diverse We were happy we had pitched our but the tent before the storm began! Even abundance of any though the rain didn’t last very particular long it encouraged many folks to go mushroom was home early. We enjoyed our first low. The king of trip with members of the mushrooms, Edmonton Mycological Society very Boletus edulis, much and look forward to many chose not to future forays. appear at all! Deb Moon After a picnic lunch, with lots of Ashland Dam Foray List sharing food back Agaricus sylvaticus Everyone brought their precious finds and and forth between Chalcipterus piperatus – Pepper bolete then we all tried our hand at identifying participants, Martin Osis Clavicorona pyxidata the various mushrooms using Martin’s key. Clitocybe gibba introduced his “Key to Alberta Photo: Loretta Puckrin Cortinarius alboviolacious Edible Mushrooms” and talked Fomes fomentarius – Tinder conk Fomitopsis pinicola – Red belted conk As new members of the about what mushrooms and Ganoderma applanatum – Artists conk Edmonton Mycological Society we mushrooming are like in Alberta. Geastrum c.f. pectinum weren’t quite sure what to expect Everyone had an opportunity to Gomphus clavatus – Pigs ear Hericium ramosum – Coral tooth from the July 9/10 foray to Ashland work through Martin’s key with Hydnum repandum – Hedgehog Dam, although its billing as a selected species from the Hypomyces lutoevirens – green lobster Inocybe sororia- Corn silk inocybe Boletus edulis habitat certainly demonstration table. He Lactarius deliciosus – delicious milk cap increased our anticipation. Camping emphasized that his key is not Leccinum boreale – Red top group and mushrooming for two days intended to work as a stand-alone Leccinum insigni– Red top group Leccinum snellii– Red top group sounded like a whole lot of fun. Our reference but provided useful Lepista nuda - Blewit 7 year-old son insisted on a bit of shortcuts when used in tandem Leucopaxillus giganteus Lycoperdon perlatum bug collecting and fishing as well. with a more comprehensive Lycoperdon pyriforme What better way to spend a couple of reference such as “Mushrooms of Lyophyllum decastes – chicken of the summer afternoons, especially with Western Canada”. Working in woods Melanoleuca cognata a communal mushroom feast to small groups we keyed out at least Peziza anthracophila follow the foraging. 2 or 3 different mushrooms. That Peziza repanda As these things sometimes go, Phellinus tremulae was enough science – back to the Philitopsis nidulans – stinky oyster the mushrooms were fairly woods for more foraging this time Pholiota squarrosa uncooperative but the mushroomers to get enough mushrooms for the Piptoporus betulinus – Birch polypore Pluteus cervinus – Deer mushroom were superb. It took a while for big pot of communal mushroom Polyporus badeus everyone to find the site and soup! Russula aeruginea – green russula introduce themselves before the Few mushrooms were found in Russula borealis – northern russula Russula brevipes – short stalked russula business of the foray began. People the afternoon but everyone Russula chamaleontina – small yellow dispersed to pick mushrooms in the managed to gather enough for russula Russula decolorans – greying russula woods before lunch, bringing back soup. Dinner was a lot like lunch, Russula fragilis – Fragile russula specimens for more experienced with more people there to share. Russula subfoetens – Stinking russula folks to sort and classify for the Nobody really knows what all went Ramaria abietina – green staining ramaria Ramaria sp. demonstration table. The Ashland into that soup but it sure tasted Scutellinia sculellata – eyelash cup Dam area offers diverse woodlands, good, especially when a Trichaptum sp. largely aspen parkland interspersed thunderstorm hit the camp just in Tricholoma flavovirens – man on horseback

8 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws Fairy Rings – Love ‘em or Leave ‘em

One of the best amounts as there is always a recognized of these possibility of an allergic reaction. fungi is the “fairy If you observe the fairy ring, ring mushroom”. It you will notice greener and faster must be noted that growing grass on the outside of the there are a lot of ring. This is from the nutrients different fungi that being released by the fungus. The grow in rings and reason that often the grass dies in most (not all) of the centre is that the root work or these fungi growing mycelium of the fungus is slightly in rings on your greasy and grows so densely that it lawn are recycling chokes off the water supply to the dead grass. The grass. If you want your grass to look fungal organism good, aerate the ring with a garden itself grows in the fork, breaking up the fungus to ground as a mass of allow water penetration to the What’s “up” with all those tiny threadlike structures, called grass. An application of soapy water mushrooms poking up through the mycelium. Some have been known also helps break down the greasy or lawn? A couple of days of rain and to be 800 years old. The ancients oily mycelium. This works best then it seems overnight they are believed that at night, tiny fairies when the ring is still young, popping up here and there singly or came out and danced around in a allowing both the mushrooms and in groups, in a variety of shapes, circle. When they needed a rest the grass to thrive. With proper sizes and colours. they would sit down on the fertilization the rest of the grass The mushrooms that we mushroom. In the forest, rings looks like the greener grass growing typically know are actually the with different but larger on the edge of the ring, making the fruiting bodies of a fungal organism. mushrooms grew providing a rest ring hardly noticeable. These organisms live in our grass or stop for larger fairies who, being Healthy grass, delicious on a piece of buried wood debris year bolder, were not afraid of the mushrooms, sometimes, you can after year. When all the forest. have your cake and eat it too! conditions are right, the The “fairy ring” has Martin Osis fungus shoots out a fruiting been rated by some as a choice edible, so one body and this usually The “Fairy Ring” mushroom of the most efficient happens after a good Marasmius oreades soaking rain. Fungi ways of getting rid consist mostly of water, of them is to eat Habitat: The fairy ring so they require a goodly them! But make mushroom grows on lawns in amount to be able to sure that what you produce the mushroom, have is a true partial rings. which in turn produces “fairy ring Cap: The cap is bell-shaped when spores to continue its life mushroom”. (see young, flattening out as it ages, cycle. identifying often with a small bump on top. Fungi are the great features) There are Ivory coloured to light brown recyclers of the world and they play many “little brown mushrooms” after it has been rained on. an essential role in returning or LBM’s that grow on lawns and Stalk: The stalk is tough and a bit nutrients for all types of life, both should be avoided. Regretfully, not darker in colour than the cap. plant and animal. Different than all these LBM’s, which are Gills: Gill colour similar to the plants, and more like us, they do not notoriously difficult to identify, are cap. The gills are widely spaced produce chlorophyll but usually rely little nor are they all brown. with shorter intermediate gills on plants for their energy source. In Mushrooms picked for the table between. The gills are barely this process they exude enzymes, must always be positively touching the stalk. breaking down dead plant material identified, and when eating these Spore colour: White or very light releasing nutrients for use by both positively identified mushrooms cream. plants and animals. for the first time try them in small www.wildmushrooms.ws Fall - 2005 No. 3 9 Please Join Us!! All forays are undertaken at your own risk. You are responsible for transpor- EMS Calendar of Events for 2005 tation and accommodation. September October November Long Weekend Foray - First Annual Alberta MEETING - AGM President’s Dinner: 3-5 Wide Foray 26 TBA Mushroom: Leccinum, Russula, **The date for our See President’s message on Lactarius and other agarics annual general page two for some details. meeting may change. Weekend Foray to the See NOTICE below 10/11 Foothills - Campout regarding Changes to the EMS Bylaws** Mushroom: Mushrooms in our world Hedgehog and Honey Mushrooms 22 - by Markus N. Location: Foothills - TBA Thormann Location: Riverbend Public MEETING Library, 7:00-8:45 pm 28 - Topic TBA

Our September 10-11 Foray and Campout has not Proposed Change been finalized at the time of printing. Please check your to the EMS Bylaws email or contact our Foray Director Bill Richards(contact information on page 2 of Spore Print). The executive of the Edmonton Mycological Society (EMS) proposes to hold the annual general meeting (AGM) in February of The President’s Dinner each year. slated for November is still in Members in good standing, who are in attendance at the the works. Please watch for regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, September 28, 2005, will further details as they develop. be able to vote on this proposed change of the bylaws. If you have Remember we do have an any questions in the meantime, please contact me via e-mail at excellent website that is full of [email protected] information. Log on at Thank you, Markus Thormann www.wildmushrooms.ws and President, Edmonton Mycological Society check it out. General Member Meetings Fourth Wednesday of every month. Time: 7:00 pm Location: Riverbend Library

10 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws Mushroom Walk & Dinner

The Annual Mushroom Harvest begins in September at Sorrentino’s. Each location will be having a feature mushroom menu and cooking classes will be offered. Mushroom Walk & Dinner where chef Garrett will have Other happenings Sorrentino’s West prepared a three course mushroom at Sorrentino’s 6867 - 170 Street, just south of pasta dinner which we will enjoy On Monday, September 12 Whitemud with a glass of wine. (If weather Global TV host Lorraine Saturday, September 10, 2005 doesn’t permit, we will have a wide selection of wild mushrooms to see Mansbridge will be on site at Sorrentino’s from 6:30-9:00 am. Martin Osis will lead us on a and talk about at the restaurant.) Melanie and Martin will be little walk through the nearby ravine Cost: $40.00 per guest. Please bringing mushrooms and talking to see what wild mushrooms are reserve early by calling Arleigh about the photo contest and update growing in our neighbourhoods. This Stockwell at 474-6466 or email to: viewers on the provincial will include many interesting tidbits [email protected]. mushroom. on wild mushrooms with a chance to October will feature a Truffle ask questions. After a short stroll, we Space is limited so Reserve Dinner with proceeds going to will be back at Sorrentino’s West Early!! Compassion House. Foray at Whitemud Creek Ravine Looking out my office window leaf litter, defying identification due Species list for on the morning of August 17, I was to their lack of easily identifiable Whitemud Ravine Foray wondering how many brave souls characters. In addition to this would show up for the foray at the ubiquitous group of fungi, we Agaricus silvicola Whitemud Creek ravine that collected numerous puffballs, Apiosporina collinsii evening. It had been raining for bracket fungi, coral fungi, and Apiosporina morbosa three days straight, and there many different wood decay fungi. Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa seemed to be no end in sight. Approaching 8:45 p.m., we Clavicorona pyxidata Thankfully the weather forecast was decided to return to the parking lot Fomes fomentarius cf. Fomitopsis cajanderi right on! It did stop raining early in to start the identification process of Ganoderma applanatum the afternoon and began to clear the bounty in our baskets. Most of Helvella crispa thereafter. By the time the foray the fungi we collected were Hericium ramosum started around 7 p.m., 12 of us had basidiomycetes; however, we also Laccaria amethystea gathered at the Whitemud Creek came across a few ascomycetes, a Laetiporus sulphureus ravine parking lot, ready to search jelly fungus, and a couple of slime Lycogala epidendrum for fungi. Among them, several new molds, which are not true fungi. Lycoperdon perlatum members of the Edmonton After identifying as many fungi as Lycoperdon pyriforme Marasmius palladicephalus Mycological Society came to we could on the nearby camping Peziza repanda experience their first foray. tables and chatting about some of Pholiota destruens As we started to walk along the the more interesting specimens, we Pholiota squarrosa multi-use trail, encountering left most of the fruiting bodies for Pleurotus ostreatus joggers, hikers, and dog-walkers, it the chatty squirrels and chipmunks Ramaria abietina quickly became apparent that all the that had accompanied us on our Ramaria stricta rain had done wonders for the local foray that evening. Overall, it had Sepultaria pellita Trametes pubescens mushroom “flora”. Many different been a very successful and Tremella mesenterica species of “little brown mushrooms”, enjoyable foray for all. Trichaptum biforme or LBMs, had sprung up from the Markus Thormann www.wildmushrooms.ws Fall - 2005 No. 3 11 Mushroom Environments “Mushroom hunting is not shade from the strong simply a matter of traipsing through afternoon sun? Is it at the the woods after it rains. It is an art, bottom of a rise or hill a skill, a meditation and a process. where it would get the water If you proceed at a careful, that runs off the high slope? deliberate rate, you’ll enjoy much Often it is not possible more success than if you rush to categorically state which around frantically picking whatever is the case unless you have mushrooms you see, then stuff them had some experience with in your basket, bring the whole mess home and dump it on your table,” Sometimes it is evident what substrate the states David Arora in mushroom is using for food but other times Mushrooms Demystified. looks can be deceiving. Shown in the photographs are a happy grouping growing Knowing what on wood chips; the field mushroom hiding in the grass and a mushroom poking up through environment is preferred the litter of pine cones. Photos: Loretta by a particular mushroom, Puckrin or conversely which mushrooms you can expect to find in a given environment, is a critical factor in successfully concluding that species of mushroom and know your ‘mushroom hunt.’ It is equally its habits. When you are trying to important for you to know what you identify a new species you can’t are seeing when you look for that judge by a single specimen. Be environment. aware that many descriptions It is easy to differentiate contain wordings such as “is between deciduous and coniferous commonly found”, “may be environments and you can learn the present” or “has been known to”. various trees so you know which These are all ways to say that a poplar is most likely to grow oyster mushroom follows its own rules, mushrooms. But when a mushroom which we understand, to a limited is found do you take the time to degree. Those ways are always of a particular mushroom species is notice where exactly it is growing? changing to adapt to changes in the the nomenclature of describing the With some mushrooms it is environment. mushroom itself. Most texts about easy to see that they are growing in Another important factor is mushrooms have a brief outline of an open field. That means they how the mushroom grows in the shapes and gill attachments grow on grass right? Not relation to others. Do they cluster that are commonly used in the necessarily. Tree roots extend far in a group but stand separately? Do identification of mushrooms. You beyond the edge of the leaf canopy they cluster and appear to originate can’t use a key to determine which and branches can fall to the ground from a common point? Do they mushroom you have in hand if you to be hidden by the rapid growth of grow in a circular pattern? Do you don’t understand the names given grass. find one, and then walk a bit before to the various features. To help you It is hard to discipline yourself you find another? These are all understand the terms and show to stop and check out why that clues as to the mushroom variety as you what they mean will be the mushroom is growing in one well as being important to objective of a new series of articles particular area but not a foot away. remember if the species is a starting with the next Spore Print Could it be possible that there is favourite edible. publication. some wood buried that it needs for In addition to all the its growth? Could it be getting information about the environment Loretta Puckrin

12 Fall - 2005 No. 3 www.wildmushrooms.ws