2005 No. 4 Hericium ramosum - comb’s tooth fungi This year we have been featuring the finalists of the “Pick a Wild Mushroom, Alberta!” project. Although the winner was the Leccinum boreale all the finalists are excellent edibles which show the variety of mushroom shapes common in Alberta. If all you learned were these three finalists and the ever popular morel you would have a useable harvest every year. The taste and medicinal qualities of each is very different so you not only have variety in shape and location but in taste and value as well. If you learn about various edible species and hunt for harvest you will become a mycophagist. Although you won’t need four years of university to get this designation, you will find that over the lifetime of learning about and harvesting mushroom you will put in more time than the average Hericium ramosum is a delicately flavoured fungi that is easily recognized and has medicinal university student and probably properties as well. Photo courtesy: Loretta Puckrin. enjoy it much more. edible as well. With their white moments of rapt viewing before the Although often shy and hard fruiting bodies against the dark picking begins. People to find, this delicious fungus family trunks of trees, this fungus is knowledgeable in the medicinal is a favourite of new mushroom easily spotted and often produces pickers as all the ‘look alikes’ are (The Hericium ...continued on page 3) FEATURE PRESIDENT’S PAST EVENTS NAMA FORAY & UPCOMING MUSHROOM MESSAGE Lambert Creek ... pg 5 CONFERENCE EVENTS The Hericium It has been a ... pg 9 ... pg 10 ramosum busy and Alberta Foray ... pg 6 & 7 ... pg 1 MEMBERSHIP successful year MEDICINAL Sorrentino’s Mushroom .. pg 4 MUSHROOMS RECIPE ... pg 2 Walk & Dinner ... pg 9 WHAT A ... pg 11 & 12 ... pg 10 DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES ... pg 8 www.wildmushrooms.ws Winter - 2005 No. 4 1 direction. So far, our new web site 2005 Executive President’s Message has been visited well over 1,350 times since its mid-July launch Edmonton Mycological Society date. Our annual “City of Champignons” Mushroom Expo- President: Markus Thormann sition in early August once again (780) 432-1392 was a huge success. Recently, I [email protected] received a phone call from a Devonian Botanic Garden staff Past President: Peter Arabchuk member, thanking us for organizing (780) 479-6630 this event and holding it on their [email protected] grounds. It is tremendously popular with the visitors to the Botanic 1st Vice President: Mike Schulz Garden, I was informed. In early (780) 939-2106 September, our first ever Alberta [email protected] Foray near Rocky Mountain House yielded an astounding richness of Membership: Alan Fleming fungi. The data have not all been (780) 463-8540 tallied yet, but in two short days, we [email protected] collected about 500 different species of fungi (!!!). Many of them have Treasurer: Loretta Puckrin not been identified to either genus (780) 458-9889 or species yet and await further [email protected] processing in the near future. This has been an event that was very Secretary: Melanie Fjoser well received by all in attendance. I Markus Thormann, president of the (780) 987-4412 look forward to the next Alberta [email protected] Edmonton Mycological Society Foray! I am sure that 2006 will be an Another mushroom season is Foray Coordinator: Bill Richards equally, if not more successful year. closing slowly, and it is time to (780) 998-3507 We can look forward to finishing formulate some final thoughts [email protected] about our past year’s activities. The (hopefully) our “Pick a Wild Mushroom, Alberta” campaign, the EMS elected a new executive in Program Director: Martin Osis April and began to develop a North American Mycological Association foray will take place (780) 987-4412 program for 2005 shortly thereafter. [email protected] It has been an excellent near Hinton in August, we’ll mushrooming year, which is very continue to expand our digital evident in the species lists published fungus image collection, and Newsletter Editor: Geri Kolacz in this year’s newsletters. We went perhaps take the first small steps (780) 475-7927 on 11 forays in the foothills, towards a database of fungi in [email protected] southern boreal forest, urban Alberta. I am very excited about centres, and the aspen parkland and these projects. Mailing: Diane Murray found a myriad of different I want to thank each member basidiomycetes, ascomycetes, jelly of the EMS executive and various fungi, and slime molds. Many of internal committees for their help, these fungi were edible and have advice, and countless hours of ended up in various dishes volunteer time throughout the first Directors-at-large: throughout the year or were dried, year of my tenure as president. Pieter Van Der Schoot frozen, or pickled for later Last but not least, without our (780) 696-2436 enjoyment. members from across Alberta, the Robert Rogers Our regular monthly meetings EMS would not be what it is today. (780) 433-7882 were highlighted by a number of I thank all of you for making the excellent presentations on digital Edmonton Mycological Society one ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ photography, common and obscure of the best natural history clubs in MAILING ADDRESS: edible mushrooms, and how to go Alberta. My hat goes off to all of about identifying all those fungi Edmonton Mycological Society you! 1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue that grow throughout the growing I wish you all a festive Standard Life Building season. The EMS web site and the upcoming holiday season filled with Edmonton, AB T5J 3S2 Spore Print were redesigned in lots of mushroom dinners. 2005, and both look stellar! A true WEBSITE ADDRESS: testament that the EMS is maturing Cheers and all the best for 2006. www.wildmushrooms.ws and progressing in the right See you all next year. 2 Winter- 2005 No. 4 www.wildmushrooms.ws The Hericium (continued from page 1) uses of mushrooms claim that this family enhances the immune system and helps to prevent cancers of the stomach, esophagus and skin. The genus Hericium has three edible species commonly called the Conifer Coral (Hericium abietis), the Comb and the Lion’s mane (or Old Man’s Beard)(Hericium erinaceus). The major differences between these species is the number of branches and the length of the spines or ‘teeth’ on the specimen. They are all white in colour but differ as to what type of trees and the amount of decay required for them to grow and fruit. The Conifer Coral, as the name suggests, grow primarily on fir and Douglas-fir trees which The Hericium family contains a number of species. The Hericium ramosum is one that have died. The specimens are most can be found in our area. Photo courtesy: John Thompson. common in the Pacific Northwest and should not be expected to be rather than in groups. When the cooked with strongly flavoured sighted in Alberta. Large white mushroom starts to turn foods, Hericium ramosum ends up specimens can weigh over 100 kg. yellow it should be left for another contributing more fibre than taste. So you might want to consider a year as it is too old to eat. Of all Some EMS members prefer using trip out west during its growing the Hericium this is the most Hericium ramosum with scrambled season. common variety in North America eggs as a morning dish to maximize The Lion’s Mane variety is so and can be found almost anywhere the flavour and fry it with minimal dense with branches and in this continent. seasoning which otherwise might teeth that you can’t see The mask the mushroom taste. Other the branches until Regardless season for members use this mushroom with you cut into your Hericium rice as both the flavours are light. sample. This has of what it is called, ramosum The names of mushrooms are the longest spines by classification or is late always changing as scientists learn of the three summer more about the various species. varieties and common name, it is through Hericium was once classified as prefers the wounds a delicious edible. fall but it is Hydnum coralloides and placed in of living hardwood very fussy the same family as the Hedgehog trees for its growth. about climatic mushroom due to the spines found The Hericium ramosum conditions and can on both species. The word is a more delicate variety with skip several years before ‘hericium’ means hedgehog in evident branches and fine shorter appearing. Once a spot is found latin. Now Hericium is a genus ‘icicles’ or ‘teeth’ decending from keep visiting it every year as this unto itself but this may change the branches. The teeth are fairly species is likely to re-fruit in the with the DNA typing of specimens evenly distributed along the same area, if not on the same tree. which often suggests other branches and normally vary from This species of mushroom has commonalities that looks alone 3-10 mm in length. This variety a very light delicate flavour and don’t show. prefers growing on older felled logs should be cooked with other foods and stumps in solitary clumps that have mild tastes. When Loretta Puckrin www.wildmushrooms.ws Winter - 2005 No. 4 3 From the pen of our Membership Coordinator I’m still shaking my head. Just Most EMS members already O monthly meetings during the a year ago I joined the EMS know the benefits of being part of season with guest speakers on (Edmonton Mycological Society) the Club. However I will rehash mushroom related topics.