New York Mycological Society Newsletter Spring 2017

NYMSNew York Mycological Society Newsletter Spring 2017

Phlebiia coccineofulva by Tom Bigelow

Here we go again… Another spring is upon us and we are coccineofulva (pictured above) on a morel hunt in Rock- getting ready for the hunt. Maybe you are training your land County in early May 2013, clearing all thoughts of brain by staring at pictures of morels all day, or training morels from our minds. your body by crawling through brambles and poison ivy, For those of you who would rather fnd morels, this issue but before you get too carried away with the anticipation of does have an excellent interview with Dennis Aita from flling your baskets with morels, remember that we will start 2006, in which he articulates all you need to know to get to see many other exciting mushrooms in the woods soon. started on your hunt. From my own experience, I have Over the last couple of years, on the club’s morel walks, found that about 1 out of 5 of the locations in which I have we have found Pluteus cervinus (otherwise known as the looked for morels has produced. Which, over the years, Fawn mushroom), Psatherella candolleana, Polyporus has added up to a handful of places I can look and feel squamosus (or Dryad Saddle) which makes an excellent confdent that under the right conditions, I will fnd enough broth, Verpa bohemica (a morel look-alike), Sarcosypha to make the hard work worthwhile. But as I crawl over, un- dudleyi, a delicate red ascomycete, Stropharia rugosoanu- der and through horrid brambles to fnd a few tasty bites, lata (Wine Caps), and Coprinellus micaceus (Mica Caps). I will be looking for other fungi as well, appreciating the Tom and I found this stunningly bright, beautiful Phlebia amazing diversity of the Kingdom. CONTENTS 4. Korvasienipiirakka 6. Looking for Morels in All the Right Places 10. I Must Eat Mushrooms for Dinner 11. From the Archives of the Farlow Herbarium 12. Naturalist Symbiosis: Beetle/Fungi Interactions 13. Mycommentary NYMS Newsletter Editor—Juniper Perlis 14. Annual Meeting Minutes Copy editor—Ethan Crenson Design—Ann-Christine Racette A quarterly publication of the New York Mycological Society, distributed to its members. President—Tom Bigelow Vice President—Dennis Aita Secretary—Paul Sadowski Treasurer—Kay Spurlock Walks Coordinator—Dennis Aita Calendar of Events Lecture Coordinator—Gary Lincoff Study Group—Paul Sadowski April 1st Workshop with Denis Benjamin: “Illustrating Mush- Archivist—Ralph Cox rooms with Watercolor” Webmaster—Ethan Crenson www.newyorkmyc.org April 8th Workshop with Paul Sadowski: “Introduction to Mi- Articles should be sent to: croscopy, Part II” Juniper Perlis 713 Classon Ave, Apt 505 April 24th Lecture, Nicholas Money: “The Meaning of Life in 10 Brooklyn, NY 11238 [email protected] Mushrooms” 347.743.9452 Membership inquiries: June 11th Lecture, Britt Bunyard: “Diptera Strangelove, or, How Kay Spurlock—Treasurer- the fy learned to stop worrying about amotoxins and love the New York Mycological Society Death Cap” P.O. Box 1162 Stuyvesant Sta. New York, NY 10009 July 16th – 22nd Eagle Hill Seminar*, “Boletes and Other [email protected] Fungi of New England”: with Alan & Arleen Bessette Address corrections: Paul Sadowski July 23rd – 29th Eagle Hill Seminar*, “Lichens, Bioflms, and 205 E. 94 St., #9 New York, NY 10128-3780 Stone”: with NYMS member Judy Jacob and Michaela Schmull [email protected] All statements and opinions written in this July 27th – 30th NEMF Foray, Stratton, Vermont newsletter belong solely to the individual author and in no way represent or refect July 30th – August 5th Eagle Hill Seminar*, “Mushroom Iden- the opinions or policies of the New York tifcation for New Mycophiles: Foraging for Edible and Medicinal Mycological Society. To receive this publication electronically contact Paul Sad- owski at: [email protected] Archive copies of the newsletter are available in the Downloads section of our website. Submissions for the next issue of the NYMS newsletter must reach the editor by June 1, 2017. Various formats are acceptable for manuscripts. Address questions to Juniper Perlis, editor. See above for addresses. NEMF 2017 Volunteers Needed Remember! Stay responsibly in touch with us. As hosts of this year’s NEMF Foray, we need to staff the event, making sure all If your telephone number, mailing phases of this meeting work smoothly. or email address changes, please contact Paul Sadowski, Secretary Each day features a walk schedule, lectures, an evening social, as well as with your new information. On your mycophagy, microscopy, a Saturday evening banquet, an awards program, an membership form, please consider exhibit area requiring sorting, species identifcation and recording functions, a going paperless when it comes to registration table and vendors area. Overall there will be over a dozen roles to receiving these newsletters. News- fll that will beneft from the help of a corps of volunteers. If we can fnd enough letters sent via email (PDF fle for- helpers, the workload will not fall too heavily upon a small group of volunteers. mat) are in color, have live web links, Please go to: http://nemf.org/sign-up-to-help.html help us contain costs, and use fewer natural resources!

NYMS walks policy: We meet when Mushroom Books Wanted! public transportation arrives. Check the walks schedule for other trans- The club plans to hold a mushroom book auction in the next year or so and we portation notes. Walks last 5-6 hours are seeking donations. If you have duplicate books, books you no longer use, and are of moderate diffculty except a rare book you can bear to part with, or if you’re moving to a smaller place where noted. Bring your lunch, and need to downsize, please consider donating! It’s a great way to help the water, knife, a whistle (in case you club raise funds for speakers, workshops, sequencing, etc. The book auctions get lost or injured), and a basket for are also a lot of fun and can be very exciting when bidding wars break out mushrooms. Please let a walk leader when some rare tome comes up on the block! Aside from mushroom books, know if you are going to leave early. we are interested in serious mushroom art (paintings, watercolors, drawings, Leaders have discretion to cancel photographs, etc.). Do you have a big bag of dried morels taking up space in walks in case of rain or very dry your cupboard? Consider donating it to the auction! We are not seeking kitschy conditions. Be sure to check your mushroom tchotchkes, doo-dads, knick-knacks, trinkets, gewgaws or baubles! email or contact the walk leader The better the materials we get, the more fun the auction will be and the greater before a walk to see if it has been the funds we’ll raise for the club! If you have something to donate, contact Tom canceled for some reason. Bigelow at: [email protected] or (917) 776-5848. Nonmembers’ attendance is $5 for an individual and $10 for a family.

We ask that members refrain from visiting walk sites two weeks prior Aleuria aurantia by Jeff Hodges to the walk. Warning: Many mushrooms are toxic. Neither the Society nor individual members are responsible for the identifcation or edibility of any fungus.

3 Korvasienipiirakka

Ben Kinsley and Jessica Langley

On May 15th last year, we took an early trip to our family morel last Spring on a NYMS walk in Cunningham Park – cabin in the central Adirondacks to see if we could catch something along the lines of “if you must eat it, be sure to the beginning of morel season there. We had read that peo- boil it frst, and then write a letter to your parents apologiz- ple were already having luck in Syracuse and Schenectady, ing for taking an unnecessary risk (in case they fnd your so we thought it would be a worthy effort. body next to a plate of poisonous mushrooms).” We invited our Finnish friend Riitta Ikonen along for the Riitta, who grew up foraging for, and eating Korvasieni in week, as our stories of the place reminded her of home Finland, was thrilled. When we got back to the cabin we (there are in fact a number of Finns who ended up in the dumped out the collection and opened all our ID books Adirondacks, based on the similarities to the Finnish land- and (we had internet access) Google. We had certainly scape). It was snowing when we arrived, and we were the found Gyromitra esculenta. Esculenta means “edible” and it only humans on the lake. This was indeed the very begin- is indeed considered a delicacy in some parts of the world ning of the season. (such as Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Great Lakes region). However, according to Wikipedia “although it is still We had several locations earmarked for this trip. One was commonly parboiled before preparation, evidence suggests a local cemetery that had some old apple trees growing on that even this procedure may not make Gyromitra escu- its perimeter. Another was the Kunjamuk Cave Trail which lenta entirely safe for consumption, thus raising concerns was on the land of an old paper company and near Elm of risk even when prepared properly. When consumed, the Lake (so we thought perhaps there would be some elms in principal active agent, gyromitrin, is hydrolyzed into the the vicinity). The apple trees didn’t provide, so we took our toxic compound monomethylhydrazine (MMH - a com- chances with the Kunjamuk Cave Trail. ponent of rocket fuel). The toxin affects the liver, central We walked down a dirt road for a mile until we came to nervous system, and sometimes the kidneys. Symptoms of numerous splits in the road. We meandered along some poisoning involve vomiting and diarrhea several hours after very well worn roads that seemed like they were frequented consumption, followed by dizziness, lethargy and head- by snowmobiles or other large trucks. There were deep ruts ache. Severe cases may lead to delirium, coma and death in the mud alongside beautiful felds of moss with all sorts after 5-7 days.” Yikes! of trees, but no elm. Each of us had come equipped with Because of these risks, Gyromitra esculenta has been some tidbit that would help us fnd the elusive morel. We banned from sale to the general public in Germany, Swit- looked for dying ash or elm and started paying attention to zerland, and Spain. Yet in Finland, this mushroom is which side of the hills were North facing or South facing. commonly foraged, consumed, and sold in markets. Riitta We passed by a mossy hillside with some young birch told us that it is looked down upon to purchase these trees and bushes sprouting. The two of us got distracted mushrooms in markets (a true Finn will forage for their own by a decomposing log covered in beautiful, tiny red lichen. Korvasieni!), but if you were to do so, they must, by law, be While taking a closer look through a loupe, Riitta, who was accompanied by cooking instructions from Evira (the Finn- a few steps ahead, squealed with delight. She had found ish Food Safety Authority). something special! But it was not a Morchella americana. She knew it as the choice edible Korvasieni (Finnish for “ear mushroom”). We knew it as the deadly poisonous Gyromitra esculenta, the false morel. We put it in its own paper bag and continued the search, because fnding false morels is a good sign that conditions are right for true morels. We were excited! But all we kept fnding were more, and more G. esculenta, all of which were large and in perfect condition. In total we collected around ten, enough, Riitta insisted, to make the Finnish delicacy Korvasienipiirak- ka (“ear mushroom pie”). We knew that these were potentially deadly poisonous, but that some people do eat them when prepared properly. Ben recalled a com- ment Gary had made after he found a false

all photos this article © Ben Kinsley and Jesica Langley 4 for ten minutes, or fve minutes at the minimum. The pot must be left uncovered, but do not inhale the steam rising from it. Pour the cooked mushrooms in a colander to drain. Discard the cooking liquid every time, it must never be reused. Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly in plenty of running cold water. Repeat once more the boiling and rinsing of the mushrooms. Drain the mushrooms and use for cooking like any edible mushroom. After doing this with all the windows open in our kitchen, trying our best to avoid inhaling the poisonous fumes, and cautiously boiling twice for 11 minutes, we cooked up the false morels in lots of butter and onions. We then prepared a quiche dough, added lots of eggs, feta cheese, the mushrooms and onions, and a few chives we clipped from our neighbor’s garden, and baked it in the oven for about 1 hour. It was delicious! And somehow, after all the boiling and cooking, the delicate false morels kept their texture and favor. While we could barely keep ourselves from eating the entire quiche in one sitting, we thought it would be smart to only have one piece each and monitor our health for the next 6 hours. None of us had any ill effects for the rest of the day. So the next morning we gleefully fnished off the Korvasienipiirakka for breakfast. Most experts say that doing what we did isn’t worth the After reading as much as we could about Gyromitra es- risk, and they are probably right. But, as we lived to tell culenta, and fully understanding the risks involved (and the tale, we thought we’d better share it with the New York certainly encouraged by the enthusiasm and fearlessness Mycological Society. of our Finnish companion), we decided against our better judgement to make Korvasienipiirakka. Here are the cooking instructions we followed from Evira: *note that we took a real risk here, because these instruc- This cooking tions are for Gyromitra esculenta growing in Finland only, method and the and do not necessarily apply to Gyromitra esculenta grow- eating of Gyro- ing elsewhere in the world. We don’t know if the species metra esculenta are in fact identical, and toxicity levels vary depending on is not endorsed location and environmental factors. by the New York Mycologi- Fresh false morels must be boiled repeatedly and rinsed. cal Society. Do They must never be boiled in small, confned spaces. The not mistake this kitchen or room must be well ventilated. Open all windows excellent story (switch the range hood on if you have one) and stay away and compelling from the pot, while the mushrooms are boiling. The fumes recipe for en- rising from the raw mushrooms and the steam rising from couragement of the cooking pot are toxic and should not be inhaled. any kind. - .ed Cut whole mushrooms in two to four smaller pieces. Rinse them from inside out to remove possible sand and other debris. There is no need to use protective gloves, false morels are rather dry and hollow from inside. However, wash your hands thoroughly after handling the mushrooms. Bring a large pot of fresh water to a rapid boil. Pour the mushrooms in the pot. Use at least three (3) parts of water for every one (1) part of mushrooms or 5 litres of water for every 1 kilogram of mushrooms. For larger quantities, boil the mushrooms in smaller batches.Wait until the water comes to a rapid boil again and then boil the mushrooms

5 Originally printed in the NYMS Spring, 2006 issue, and modifed to refect Atlantic. But, in the progression of taxonomic changes and inaccuracies found in the original. - ed. spring, elevation is another factor. You get cooler temperatures at higher altitudes, so spring progresses about Looking for Morels in All the 100 ft/day as you go up the mountain. It really does make a difference. I’ve Right Places seen it. You see morels start to grow on the sunny sides of slopes at low An Interview with Dennis Aita February 26, 2006, by Pam Kray and Maria elevations. A week later, you see them Reidelbach higher up or around the other side of the slope where it’s cooler. At the be- PK: Would you like to say how long an hour and a half by car, you’ve got ginning of the season, people should you’ve been picking mushrooms and to fgure about a week later. look at the warmer spots frst. how long you’ve been a member? PK: Can we defne what we call our PK: Is there a point in elevation above DA: I joined the Society in October of region? And can you talk about the which we won’t really fnd morels? 1982. I picked mushrooms before that spring temperatures moving at about DA: Well, around here we don’t have but I didn’t eat them before that. Basi- 100 miles per week and at 100 feet high mountains. But in the west, they cally, I’ve been morel hunting since per day in altitude? grow many thousands of feet up. 1983, avidly morel hunting since ’83. DA: That’s been pretty much agreed Elevation doesn’t seem to be the fac- PK: What kinds of morels do we have upon, that spring progresses that way tor. The factor here in the Northeast in our area and what are the time- on average. with elevation is that the soils become frames that we’re going to be looking drier. And there are trees that morels MR: Can you back up and say what for them? are affliated with, like elm trees, that our region is? That’s frst. won’t grow higher up in elevation DA: Here, in our area, we probably DA: Ok. Let’s say: a two-hour drive because of that. only have four different true morels: from New York City in any direction. Morchella semilibera, the half-free PK: So, in our area, we have weather What I’m saying is largely true in other morel (now called M. punctipes), M. and temperature factors and soil fac- parts of the Northeast and in the Mid esculenta (now called either esculen- tors for the trees that are associated toides or americana), M. angusticeps (the black morels), and M. deliciosa (actually M. diminutiva) sometimes called tulip morels because they are often found around tulip poplars. PK: Before we talk about which morels are under which trees, can you say something about the time se- quences of them coming up? I know that the black morels come out earlier than americanas… DA: Right. The black morels are the frst true morels to come out. They come out – it could be in the beginning of April, give or take, sometimes the second or third week of April in our region. An important point to make is that they come out earlier the further south you go into the warmer climates and come out later in cooler climates. MR: Do different climates exist within this vicinity? DA: If you were to drive 100 miles to the south, the morels would come out there approximately one week earlier, and similarly, if you were to drive 100 miles to the north, which is only about

6 © Deb Klein © Jeff Hodges

the frst. Then, after that, 6.5 for black morels and above 6.7 for it can be a week or 10 americanas. days later, depending on PK: So, we won’t want to look for temperature, we get the M. morels in, say, southwest New Jersey, punctipes. Following, are but we will want to look around the the americanas. Lastly, the Hudson River? diminutivas, the smaller ones, come out. DA: Yes. We want to look around the glacial moraine line, slightly to the PK: I know there is some south and to the north. There are overlap, but they each places to the south of the line, but you have different trees that need to fnd specifc colluvial soils. they’re associated with, is These are on slopes where basic that correct? soils are derived from basic bedrock DA: Yes, there are some above. Occasionally, with the right al- that will come up in many luvial soils along streams you can fnd different habitats and morels, also, depending on the kinds some that are very re- of trees. stricted. PK: Ok, so let’s talk about the trees. PK: Can you talk about the DA: In our area, that’s really elms and trees and the soils that are apples. Those are the major trees associated with the differ- under which to fnd large quantities of ent kinds of morels? M. americana and some of the other DA: In general, the morels morels. Then, after that, we’re talk- don’t like heavy soils. They ing about ash and tulip (poplar) trees. with morels. like loamy, well-drained There aren’t that many other trees that soils and even soils that are somewhat produce a lot of morels. DA: Yes. We’ll look at temperature frst sandy. We don’t tend to fnd them in PK: We’re really talking about dying - the morels are really temperature swamps or in old glacial lake beds elms and dying apple trees. regulated. That’s why in some years, with heavy clay soils. you’ll see black morels the frst week DA: Right. That’s what we’re looking PK: You mentioned, in a previous of April and some years the third week for, especially with the americanas. article, the soil patterns in our area of April. Last year, we didn’t see them We’re looking for old orchards with that are related to the last glacial melt until around the 20th of April. That is old trees that have been unattended. 13,000 years ago and that gives the because of the soil temperature. It has You usually see more dead branches area some specifc traits. to be around 46º or 47º before you’ll than live branches. They don’t have to start to see their little fruiting bodies. DA: Right. We have glacial soils and be dead, but it’s good if they’re dying. 50º is the key factor for americanas. non-glacial soils. The glacial moraine Apple trees usually die a lot slower MR: Is that 50º at night? bisected Long Island, New York City, than elms. Once you fnd a place, an New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well apple orchard, you can go there for DA: No, that’s the soil tempera- as some of the Midwestern states to 20 or 30 or even more years to fnd ture. Apparently, it’s a trigger for the the west. To the north are glaciated morels. On the other hand, you have primordia to start forming. That’s, of soils. The glacier’s movement mixed the elms, which, because of Dutch elm course, given that they have enough the rocks such that the surface soils disease die very quickly. People will moisture. Moisture is not usually a are younger soils and are more similar fnd morels under any one tree, in ideal problem in our area. Morels don’t to the bedrock in pH. Soils to the conditions, for maybe 5 years. When seem to need a lot of rainfall to get south of New York City have mostly we fnd dying ash trees, they are also started. Unlike boletes that seem to old residual soils untouched by gla- good to search under. Old tulip trees need a lot of rain to come out. ciers for up to millions of years. These as well, and I hear black cherries, but PK: Boletes are, then, less dependent residual soils have had their basic I’ve never found any under black cher- on soil temp and more on rainfall? minerals such as calcium and mag- ries. nesium leached from the top layers of PK: But at this point we’re not talk- DA: Yes. That seems to be the case. the soil and the surface soil became ing about americanas or are we? Are Morel mycelia are only 2 to 3 inches increasingly acidic. The newer glacial you referring to diminutivas or black below surface in the soil. soils to the north of the moraine often morels? PK: Let’s go back to the timeline for refect the basic pH of the bedrock different morels to come out. in areas with limestone and marble. DA: In our area, dying trees seem That can be very good for morels. pretty much related with americanas. DA: Ok. So, the black morels are Approximate soil pH’s are at or above In healthier woods, we’ll see black

7 morels and diminutivas, but Morchella they have a better favor. Let me just is the second factor. punctipes (the “half-free morel”) could say, if people want to go looking PK: You’re just watching the vegeta- be in different kinds of forests. for morels, really both sides of the tion for an idea of the soil tempera- Hudson, almost all the way to Albany, MR: Why dying trees? ture? into western Massachusetts and Con- DA: The elms are dying off because of necticut – those are the places to look MR: Do you take a thermometer? Dutch elm disease. for morels. DA: Yes. MR: No, why are morels found under PK: What about Long Island? PK: Do you take a pH meter with you, dying trees? DA: There are areas there with tulip too? DA: There’s the $64 million question. poplars and people do fnd black mo- DA: Not anymore. I can see right away That’s something no one seems to rels there. Black morels don’t require by looking at the woods whether know the answer to. Are these sapro- as high a pH and the soil there is not you’re going to fnd morels. It’s a ge- phytic or mycorrhyzal relationships or that rich. stalt. Certain things we look for: cleav- both? PK: You mentioned in your previous ers, certain plants. If you’re going MR: What’s the difference? article from 1994 that we’re really into woods where there’s no ground looking at groves of trees not indi- vegetation, that’s not a good sign DA: A saprophytic fungus is living off vidual trees. for morels. And it’s not just the pH of of dead material, whereas mycor- the soil, whether it’s acidic or basic, rhyzal is a symbiotic exchange be- DA: That is true for tulip poplars, but it’s the texture of the soil as well. For tween the fungus and its host, a tree with elms, all you need to fnd is one example, there are places to the north in this case. elm in the right soil and you’re set for of here where there is limestone in the the day. We call it elm hopping, where PK: So we don’t know if the morel is a soil but it’s mixed in with shale which you get in the car and drive around hospice nurse or a morgue attendant. adds clay to the soil. Then you’re looking for elms. You fnd an elm, get getting a heavy soil, a hard surface. DA: Have you been saving that one up out and in the right area, you can fnd Morels don’t like that. for this? It’s an interesting question. morels without even going into the MR: How do you see them? PK: What about burn sites? We don’t woods. Some women friends don’t want to go into the woods alone, but see them here? DA: Ok. The black morels, when will drive up and down the roads look- they’re small are nearly impossible DA: It’s more of a phenomenon in the ing for elms. And apples, all you need to see, but once you’ve seen one west. I have heard of people burning a are one or two apple trees that are de- or two, then you know what you’re pile of leaves and then fnding them. caying with the right kind of soil and looking for. Even the americanas, it’s you can fnd a bunch. Even more than PK: So, it’s more of an anecdotal oc- a sense. Once you do it a while, it sort the trees, the key is the soil. You can currence here. of registers. You can scan an area be seeing wonderful apple trees, right and something stands out as being DA: I always thought it had to do with around the Hudson River, I’ve done it different. Foreground/background. It’s the nutrients. When you have burns, all day, and not found any morels. it does raise the pH because you get something you have to experience. mineralized ash. And, also, in conifer MR: Do you frst determine if the area The eyes get trained, so that you can forests, they’re not high storers of ni- has the kind of soil you want? scan and see them. trogen. But, what happens in a burn is DA: Yes. PK: Sometimes out there, I think, “I that the nitrogen is converted in its re- know you’re there.” leased form to an available substance MR: Is it variable? DA: I’ve seen people who once for new growth of fungi, specifcally DA: It doesn’t seem to be that vari- they’ve found one morel under a tree morels. You also get other little ascos able. I think it’s more important that will spend 10 minutes looking around that will form in these burn-site areas. you have an idea of the soil. If not, that tree. That’s the not the way to then you go for a drive. If you’re see- PK: Everyone has their own favorite do it. When they’re small and hard to ing the trees under the right condi- tastes, but do we have a controversy see, I may pass by and then the next tions and you’re not seeing morels... in this area as to whether morels taste person sees them, but I’ll fnd bigger If you’re there at the right time of the better when they’re growing with ones and more under the next tree. year – the apple blossoms are out apple trees vs. elms vs. tulip poplars In an apple orchard, don’t spend too and the lilacs are half in bloom – that’s vs. ash? much time under one tree, maximize morel season. That’s in the middle of your exposure, your profts so to DA: I kinda think that the ones under morel season. And it has rained a little speak. the apples are better than the elms. bit. If you’re not seeing morels under They often look different. We tend to the decaying apple and elm trees, PK: What kinds of bags or carrying get the blonds under the elms. We then you should get in your car and vehicles for the mushrooms do you get the ones called the grays under drive someplace else. Soil is the major recommend? I’ve read that mesh the apples. They’re not as big. I think factor, it’s the frst factor and the tree bags are good to disperse the spores.

8 DA: There is no shortage of spores, tral and southern New Jersey to visit to a person’s home produced nothing. mesh bags won’t help. Canvas bags old apple orchards before housing But one year two of the trees were are the best as mesh bags often get developments were built to replace pruned. Around them and not the oth- caught in the brambles. Baskets are them. We would only fnd morels in ers were lots of morels! Similarly, peo- not for morels as the woods are not the sandy soils around the apples. ple often prune their own ornamental open woods and often brambly. Too Nearby, where the soil had more clay, cherries. Sometimes, morels can be often they fall out when you trip and the trees were healthy and there were found the following year. Perhaps it’s you can leave a trail of morels in the no morels. In the sandy soil, the trees a shock to the tree, and stored miner- woods. Here is another good reason were quickly decaying. Then there are als and nutrients are given off. not to carry a basket for morels–I was the sudden disturbances. One time, at An important point with morels is that morel hunting with Mary Wakino and one of these somewhat productive old they need to be fully cooked. If people Janet Sutter, members of the club. On apple orchards we got there to see don’t cook them well, they can get the map I had found an orchard spot newly bulldozed roads through the very sick. Also, I think they taste bet- in Rockland County. We were climbing orchard. Along these bulldozed roads ter when they’re cooked longer. I cook up the hillside to the orchard. I saw were hundreds of morels! We knew dried morels and I think they taste someone coming down with a basket that there would be no morels for us better than fresh. full of morels. At frst I thought, too the next year…and we were right - it bad. But later, I realized that we had was all cleared then, ready for new Now you know everything except my found a really good morel spot! That’s houses. I came across a fairly healthy best spots, and the sad thing is that the moral of that story. Every year apple orchard one year and the next I don’t have many good spots left. after that we got there frst. And who year when we came back all the trees There are elm trees that are dying and was that man coming down the hill? were cut down. Seemingly, around elm trees that are dead. You want Jasper Johns, the renowned Ameri- every leftover stump were morels! And to look for elms that still have their can painter who had been a member not only is this true for apples this can bark, with no leaves. Once the bark is of the club, I later found out. be true for other trees – elms, ash, mostly off you rarely fnd morels in any cherry, and who knows what others. number. There are areas where the Back to the soil: morels prefer lighter, The pruning of some trees can also elm tree has been mostly wiped out— sandy soils. The trade off is that those bring out a fush of morels. I used northwestern New Jersey, the best soils are usually acidic. The coastal to visit an area of apples with a few area around for decades, and also in plains and the Pine Barrens. The soil morels. For several years the main southern Vermont. But the good news is so acidic. Elms aren’t going to grow orchard with old healthy apples next is that there are still living elms, mostly there. But I used to go down into cen- to the north of New York City.

Left to right: Amanita brunnescens, Amanita sub- cokeri, and probably Amanita cokeri. Harriman S.P. August 6, 2016. © Jacquelyn S. Wong 2016

9 I Must Eat Mushrooms for Dinner

Dennis Aita

This is what many club members think when they come those reports were collected. Lepiotas are well known as out on our club walks, and this can lead to problems. a diffcult group and several of them were not identifed to species on several walks. Within this group it is well known After spending hours out in the woods, parks, and cem- that there are some poisonous and even some deadly spe- eteries how can one come home with nothing to “show” cies. It is not a good genus for beginners to try to identify for the time spent outdoors. I have a close friend who is the edible species. relieved on a hunt to fnally fnd some good edible mushrooms to bring home lest his wife scold him for an “unpro- Frequently, at lunchtime on our walks, we have a mush- ductive” day! room ID session in which the major edibles collected are identifed. A problem arises when club members continue When I frst started to hunt mushrooms, it was oh so im- to pick mushrooms after lunch. All kinds of mushrooms portant to me to collect mushrooms for dinner. Back then, are sometimes thrown willy-nilly into baskets and paper not as many mushrooms were identifed on our club walks (or plastic) shopping bags. And then, at the end of the day, and there were very few mushroom guides. I sometimes some members will ask walk leaders and knowledgeable convinced myself that the mushrooms I had collected were members to go through their baskets and bags to quickly the same as the choice ones in the book. And sometimes make a decision about what to eat and what to throw away. I was wrong! But I never did eat that much of anything Mistakes are more likely to happen as not every mushroom collected the frst time, I never mixed new mushrooms in or collection is examined thoroughly. (In the two summer- a dish, and I never suffered any negative consequences. I time reports mentioned above, the afternoon mushrooms think of the time when I wanted to believe that what I had were not shown to more experienced mushroomers!) collected on a Sleepy Hollow Cemetery walk was Clitocybe (Lepista) irina, considered to be a choice edible mushroom It has been almost forty years since a longtime member in Orson Miller’s book, one of the few mushroom guides and his wife wound up in the hospital for several days after back then. In retrospect, it was probably Clitocybe subcon- eating some deadly Galerina marginata (autumnalis) with nexa, a non-poisonous mushroom. I was lucky. brown spores, mistakenly thinking and wanting them to be honey mushrooms with white spores. They were very fortu- Last summer, there were two reports of a member and a nate not to suffer any longtime consequences. guest of another member experiencing “unpleasant” effects upon eating mushrooms collected on two different Hopefully, we all know that we can’t always trust everything city walks. One report, if I remember correctly, had to do we read online (and certainly cannot rely on Facebook for with digestive problems and diarrhea, the other reported identifcation of edibles) which is one of the reasons why that the cooked mushrooms were unbearably distasteful I think it best to use books for identifcation. However, (hot). We do not know which mushrooms were eaten in the several years ago, when Alan Bessette’s “Mushrooms of frst case or just tasted in the second, but I suspect they Northeastern North America” was released, a reader wrote were Lepiotas as we had been fnding a lot of them on the to the author pointing out what he thought was a mistake city pop-up walks last summer when the mushrooms in in the book. He wrote–for the honey mushrooms, the spore color should have been listed as brown instead of white! His “honey mushrooms” had given him a brown spore print! Is this man still alive? The New York Mycological Society is not an identifcation service and takes no responsibility when it comes to identifcation or edibility of mushrooms found on our walks. Also, some members can tol- erate eating certain mushrooms, and some can’t. Members should make every attempt to learn the mushrooms they are eating! We now have several lists and checklists that can be downloaded from the NYMS website and brought on the walks. Members should use their books to look at photos and read descriptions of mushrooms in hand as well as to check for possible poisonous look- alikes. Think of the club walks as an opportunity to learn more about edible mushrooms, if that is your interest, so that you can identify them in the future with 100% confdence in your own identifcations.

Leucoagaricus americanus © Tom Bigelow 10 Image courtesy of Jason Karakehian and the Boston Mycological Club Archive

11 2012), making them diffcult for study without accurate Naturalist Symbiosis host species understanding. Despite the importance of the latter, little contributions to the scientifc literature have and the Exploration of recognized fungi arthropod interactions. One aspect of ecological inquiry that can emerge from the Beetle-fungi Interaction relationship between mycologists and entomologists is the following: Some mushroom habitats, such as the species Alexander Byrne & Christian Lirian Megacollybia platyphylla, represent possibly the highest density of beetle abundance and diversity in the forests of In forest biomes across the world, an interaction network the northeast (1000 beetle/cm2). Many of the models used exists, between arthropods and fungi that is virtually unex- to understand ecological networks consisting of patterns plored ecologically and taxonomically. During the seasons, of coexistence rely heavily on the ability to sample whole macrofungal sporocarp forming fungi are host to a number communities whose species display similar characteristics of arthropod groups including the thrips, spiders, mites, that create competitive scenarios. Using mushrooms as springtails, parasitoid wasps, ants, fies and most notably, oviposition / foraging habitats, one can exploit the insular beetles. characteristics of mushrooms in order to answer basic questions in the organization of multi-taxa communities. Therefore we seek to combine knowledge of species identifcation of fungi and beetles/arthropods (emphasis of this study) with the former being de- termined by the NYMS and the latter by the authors of this article and other interested entomologists. Understanding relationships between arthropods and fungi in NYC and beyond can enter an expo- nential phase through forays as venues of interaction. After all, biology rarely enters phase shifts without the emergence of symbiotic relationships. Naturalists need to form similar relationships, forming a new web of thinking.

Epps, Mary Jane, and A. Elizabeth Arnold. “Diversity, Bolitotherus cornutus (Horned Fungus Beetle) on Ganoderma tsugae Abundance and Community Network Structure in Sporocarp-As- © Tom Bigelow sociated Beetle Communities of the Central Appalachian Moun- tains.” Mycologia, vol. 102, no. 4, 2010, pp. 785–802., www.jstor. New York City is a frontier landscape for the analysis of org/stable/20752572. fungi associated arthropods. Therefore, this article seeks to Schigel, D. S. (2012). Fungivory and host associations of Coleop- propose a naturalist mutualism, the formation of a relation- tera: a bibliography and review of research approaches. Mycology, ship between mycologists and entomologists, built around 3(4), 258-272. the NYMS. Mycological forays present the opportunity for entomologists to hurdle taxonomic boundaries that often fall short of explanations, without reliable taxonomic description of host fungi species. This mutualism may at frst seem parasitic, as entomologists enter the mycological domain, but with due time, it is possible for information feedback loops to form, encourag- ing entomological and mycological understanding, side by side, across the city and beyond. Arthropods have evolved several fungi associated behaviors likely contributing to their rank one status of metazoan species diversity (Epps and Arnold 2010). Mushrooms present arthropods with a set of dynamic behaviors and characteristics: small, chemically active (i.e. high in polysaccharides and amino acids) and ephemeral. As a result, mycophagous arthropods have adapted towards effective dispersal, rapid development and small body size (Schigel Megalodacne heros (Pleasing Fungus Beetle) adult beetles and beetle larva on fruiting body of Ganoderma tsugae © Tom Bigelow 12 Mycommentary

Ethan Crenson

As the New York Mycological Society margin, a fat area at the perimeter of continues our census of the fungal the black spot that bears no ostioles inhabitants of New York City, species at all. Another distinguishing feature is that we had not previously known the disposition of the perithecia under were living in our parks are being the surface. If you make a vertical cut found, studied and identifed and to with a razor blade you will see that the some extent, understood. I have been perithecia are arranged in layers, up concentrating on the ascomycetes to four deep in some places. Diatrype in our parks, and in particular, the stigma has perithecia mostly in a pyrenomycetes that dot and devour single layer. downed branches and trunks. Under the microscope, Camillea Pyrenomycete is not a true taxonomic punctulata is very easily distinguished classifcation, but a convenient term from D. stigma. The spores are hya- used to encompass fungi with similar line (unpigmented) and they line up sets of features. These fungi are usu- in a single fle in their asci. They are ally carbonaceous—that is, hard and irregularly cylindrical, usually with two crusty—and they develop their spores large oil droplets. When treated with inside tiny fask shaped structures Lugol’s solution the tip of the ascus called perithecia.* They are not, at frst turns blue. glance, terribly charismatic. They are I sent a sample of C. punctulata to not edible—not that anyone has ever French mycologist Jacques Fournier, tried them. They are often overlooked, who confrmed the ID for me. He said misidentifed or ignored. I guess I’m Camillea doesn’t appear in Europe just drawn to the underdogs. and the species that he has studied Camillea punctulata, I suppose, is one in the tropics are different. Different such underdog. If you’re attuned to indeed. There are Camillea species pyrenomycetes you might mistake it that look like tiny tree cigarettes and for the ubiquitous Diatrype stigma. others that look like adorable licorice Like D. stigma, C. punctulata cre- candies. ates large black patches on sticks Camillea punctulata, in its humble and trunks. At frst glance, they are fatness, lives here in at least two of almost identical. But upon closer our city parks. It has been found in scrutiny, there are signifcant differ- Prospect Park and Van Cortlandt Park ences that distinguish the two. Both on Oak, which it seems to prefer. Until pyrenomycetes disperse their spores now, it has been overlooked by us not through an opening at their surface because it is inconspicuous or small, called an ostiole. These ostioles dot but because it looks an awful lot like the surface of both D. stigma and its more common neighbor Diatrype C. punctulata. But Diatrype stigma stigma. has papillate ostioles. They create a small convex bump at the surface. Camillea punctulata has umbilicate *Miller AN, Huhndorf SM. 2009. Pyreno- ostioles. Its ostioles are, for the most mycetes of the World: http://www- part, concave—a tiny depression. s.life.illinois.edu/pyrenos/ (Accessed on C. punctulata also features a sterile 3/13/17)

13 Minutes of NYMS Annual Business discussed. Sunday, August 6. Norvin Green - Meeting, Saturday, March 11th, 2017 George Rogoff Book Auction Sunday, August 13. Devil’s Den - Joint Next year? We should get a call for Held at the home of Eugenia Bone walk with CVMS Tom Bigelow donations into next newsletter. We Saturday August 19. Beech Brook - Tom Bigelow called the meeting to can likely hold it in the activity room Dennis Aita order at 3:25 PM at Dennis’ housing complex. We have Saturday August 26. Stony Brook - a number of books that were left Tom discussed upcoming workshops: Claude Martz over from last year’s sale plus some Saturday, Sept. 9. NYMS/COMA artwork bequeathed to the club from Matt Schink, March 19th, City College picnic Naomi Stern. 15 people Saturday, Sept. 16. Depew Park - Karen Schechner & Rachel Simon Mycophagists Table The Genus Ganoderma: General over- Weekend, Sept 22 – 24. Catskill Week- view of species & their distribution, Chinatown dinners organized by end at Soyuzivka, Kerhonkson, NY morphology and distinguishing traits. Roman have been popular and well Sunday, Oct. 1. Woodlawn Cemetery - Microscopy Workshop, with Paul at attended. Tom requested others to Dennis Aita the NYBG, Sat. 3/25 & Sat 4/8. We step forward with ideas. Neil Redding Sunday, Oct. 8. South Mountain have 22 people enrolled. Call for mate- has volunteered to assist in organizing - Marija Zeremski and Vanya Se- rial requests has been circulated. these efforts. ferovic Checklist Saturday, Oct. 14. Randall’s Island Denis Benjamin, Saturday, April 1st: Park - Dennis Aita Illustrating Mushrooms with Water- We need to get a pdf checklist of NYC Sunday, Oct 22. Tallman - Alice Barner color, Dana Center. Short walk in CP fungi on the website that people can Saturday, Oct. 28. Clove Lakes - Paul prior to workshop. $35 per person; download. Taxonomic issues are being Sadowski min. 12 people, max 15 people (Denis worked out presently. Ethan has vol- Madison Square Park Conservancy is guaranteed $420). Denis supplies all unteered to develop an Archives page asked if we’d do a pop-up walk in materials. which would house this list as well as Astoria Park, Queens (just across A possible workshop with Alissa Allen, species walk lists. from Randall’s Island) this summer – Mycopigments, August at Pioneer Website Tom told her yes. Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn Madison Square Park Conservancy PayPal is now set up so that people Mushroom Workshop, August 20th, Emil Lang Lecture Series, The Arse- can join on the website. The following 12:00 – 3:00 nal, Central Park, 6:00 – 8:00, 830 5th motion was passed: Possibly will include mushroom walk Ave., Room 318, New York, NY 10065 The NYMS Membership Form will be (conditions permitting), display We have two more scheduled. May try changed to direct those wishing to join (Beech Brook walk is the day prior), to arrange one for June… NAMA to the NAMA website where talk, etc. They’re paying us $400. they can join through their electronic Volunteers needed – anyone inter- Monday March 20, 2017, John Deigh- payment button. Our affliation will ested should contact Tom. ton (Director, Rutgers Pinelands Field continue, assuring those from our club Station) Mycorrhizae Newsletter get the reduced rate. Monday April 24, 2017, Nicholas Juniper is looking for articles, art, reci- Sequencing Money, “The Meaning of Life in 10 pes, and stories for the next newslet- Mushrooms” Tom will be in touch with Bill Sheehan, ter. organizer of the Mycofora Project. Tom will try to schedule the 2018 lec- Treasury Their aim is to make data manage- tures at the Central Park Arsenal. ment, vouchering and sequencing Kay Spurlock presented an operating Foul Weather Friends specimens simple and cheap for statement for 2016 showing income of $6300.00, expenses of $4185.24 and We will look at having a mix of events serious amateurs. Club will purchase Whatman Cards. bank balance of $11,235.25. Sadows- at the Horticultural Society, pos- ki pointed out that the club still owns sible other locations, and at Tom & Dennis announced the 2017 Walks: a copy of the Mushroom Book valued Juniper’s place. Sadowski will work Sunday, June 25. Central Park - Gary at around $10,000.00 He also pointed up a schedule. For whatever reason, Lincoff out that he treasury has recovered its despite our prodding, the Hort has not Saturday, July 8. Wolfe’s Pond - Don balance to the pre-2012 level. billed us for use of their space. Recklies NEMF Banquet Sunday, July 16. Van Cortlandt Park. - Staffng: Need volunteers for vari- Neil (and Dennis?) will coordinate Vicki Tartter and Laura Biscotto Saturday, July 22. Stony Brook - Tom ous duties. Notice will go out in the efforts for next year’s event. Various newsletter and on Constant Contact opinions on siting and format were Bigelow and Juniper Perlis July 27-30. NEMF foray requesting help.

14 Meeting was adjourned at 4:50 PM. Elections Tom Bigelow, President, Dennis Aita, Vice-president, Kay Spurlock, Treasur- er and Paul Sadowski, Secretary were elected by acclamation.

New York Mycological Society Income & Expenses January through December 2016

Opening Balance 8,981.18

Revenues Membership Dues – New 2,485.00 Membership Dues – Renewal 3,805.00 Total Membership Dues 6,290.00 Donations 10.00

Revenues 6,300.00

Programs and Events: Banquet Income 3,119.90 Costs 3,250.69 -130.79 Chanterelle Weekend Income 1,919.00 Costs 1,894.88 24.12 Peck Foray Income 6,482.00 Costs 6,723.84 -241.84 Mycophagists Table Income 38.00 Costs 100.00 -62.00

T-Shirt Income 20.00

Walk Fees Income 530.00

Net Revenue from Programs 139.49

Expenses Lectures 1,773.91 Newsletters 1,777.09 COMA picnic 50.00 Club Microscope repair 314.65 ID Session supplies 40.00 Paypal fees (pre-web link) 11.84 Business Gift __217.75

Total Expenses 4,185.24

NET INCOME 2,254.25

Closing Balance 11,235.43

New York, NY 10128-3780 NY York, New

205 E. 94 St., #9 St., 94 E. 205 Paul Sadowski Paul