August 2005 PUTTING AUSTRALIAN FUNGI ON THE MAP Fungimap is not registered for GST, so we Inside this Edition: will not be charging GST on sales. We have News from the Fungimap President ............1 passed on this saving to members as reduced Fungimap Committee..................................2 prices for most books and other sales (see Interesting Groups.......................................2 updated book prices on p. 7). The exception Letter: Fungi Study in the U.S.A.................4 is Fungi Down Under, which will continue Simply Podoserpula.....................................5 to be sold via RBG Melbourne (order details Common Mushrooms of Talamanca Mts ....6 on p. 7). The price for this book was Book orders ................................................7 deliberately set relatively low, and it remains Membership ................................................8 excellent value at $29.95 for a full colour, Fungal News: SA & ACT ...........................9 highly illustrated book packed with Fungal News: Tas, WA, Cairns, NSW......10 information about the target species and Forthcoming Events, Contacts, PUBF.......11 fungi in general. Acknowledgments: Fungimap Recorders..12 Founding Donors.......................................12 The Fungimap Office will still operate from Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, and we are very grateful for the continuing support NEWS FROM THE FUNGIMAP of the Gardens in providing office space and facilities for Fungimap. PRESIDENT Cassia Read departed the Fungimap Office The last few months have been a busy time recently to take up postgraduate studies in for Fungimap on several fronts. The very Botany. Cassia did a fantastic job as Co- successful Fungimap III Conference was ordinator over the last 18 months, and set up held in Tasmania in May, and at the excellent procedures in the Fungimap Office Conference Fungi Down Under: the for dealing with the huge variety of Fungimap Guide to Australian Fungi was enquiries and other correspondence. She also launched. Formal steps for incorporation of ensured (with Sarah Lloyd) the success of Fungimap have also now been completed. the Fungimap III Conference. Cassia’s calm A new management committee was set up at and efficient presence will be missed, but we the Fungimap III Conference, consisting of wish her well in her studies, which involve Tom May (President), Katie Syme (Vice- cryptogamic soil crusts. Pina Milne is the President), John Carpenter (Treasurer) and new Fungimap Co-ordinator, working half a Committee members Pam Catcheside and day a week. We hope to increase the hours Sarah Lloyd. Subsequently, Teresa Lebel for the Co-ordinator position towards the was co-opted onto the committee as end of the year. (Continued page 3) Secretary. Teresa is a Senior Mycologist at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, and FUNGIMAP WEBSITE: brings to the committee a great knowledge http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungimap/ and enthusiasm for fungi, especially native The Fungimap Website is in the process of being truffles. updated. It is now in a format that is much easier to Administration and finances are being edit. The book sales page has been updated and an updated for the new organisational structure. order form for Fungi Down Under added. However, We are grappling with merging three some parts of the old website have not yet been migrated to the new system (notably the Newsletters different financial systems (the old accounts and the information on the 100 target species). We at RBG Melbourne and the FNCV and the hope to have these portions updated over the next new Fungimap accounts). Once these are couple of months. In the meantime, access to the old streamlined, everything should be much website is still possible for a limited time via: simpler for day to day operations of http://fungimap.rbg.vic.gov.au/fmn/fmn.html Fungimap. In the meantime, there have been (for Newsletters) and some delays in processing book and other http://fungimap.rbg.vic.gov.au/fsp/fsp.html orders. We thank you for your patience (for target species). during this period of adjustment. Fungimap Newsletter 25 August 2005 CONTACTING FUNGIMAP Fungimap Central Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Telephone: (03) 9252 2374 Private Bag 2000 E-mail: [email protected] South Yarra VIC 3141 Website: http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungimap/ Fungimap Committee President Secretary Committee Members Tom May Teresa Lebel Pam Catcheside Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne 72 Eve Road Private Bag 2000 Private Bag 2000 Bellevue Heights SA 5050 South Yarra VIC 3141 South Yarra VIC 3141 E-mail: E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] [email protected] Vice President Treasurer Sarah Lloyd Katrina Syme John Carpenter 999 Denmans Road RMB 1020 C/-Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Birralee Tas 7303 South Coast Hwy Private Bag 2000 E-mail: [email protected] Denmark WA 6333 South Yarra VIC 3141 E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] INTERESTING GROUPS SA WA Adelaide Fungal Studies Group Perth Urban Fungi Project Monthly meetings and forays during the fungi season. Fungi workshops, walks, surveys in Perth Urban bush Contact: Pam Catcheside, Ph: (08) 8222 9379 areas. Email: [email protected] Contact: Roz Hart, Ph: (08) 9334 0500 Email: [email protected] Qld WA Naturalists’ Club, Fungi Group Far north Queensland, Cairns region Fungal forays, workshops, identification evenings and Contact: Sapphire McMullan-Fisher if interested in going talks, based in Perth. on casual fungi walks. Ph: 07 4093 8556 Contact: WA Naturalists’ Club Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.wanats.iinet.net.au/ Tas Fungi Lovers Adventure Group (FLAG) William Bay National Parks Fungi activities in northern Tasmania. Association, Fungi Studies Group Contact: Sarah Lloyd Ph: (03) 6396 1380 Fungi forays around Denmark. Email: [email protected] Contact: Katrina Syme email: [email protected] Vic NSW Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, Sydney Fungal Studies Group Fungi forays, talks and workshops in the Sydney area. Fungi Group Secretary: Donald Gover, Ph: (02) 9661 4898 Forays, monthly meetings & presentations. Email: [email protected] Contact: Geoff Lay, Ph: (03) 9898 4816 or Arthur Carew (03) 5968 4505 Central Coast Fungi Group Web: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~fncv then Calender of Fungi forays in the Central Coast region of NSW. Events Contact: Pam O’Sullivan Ph: (02) 432 1543, or Nikki Bennetts Ph: (02) 4392 1728 2 Fungimap Newsletter 25 August 2005 (Continued from Page 1) Volunteers have always been integral to the success of FUNGI DOWN UNDER Fungimap, especially for contributing records, but also on the Committee and at the Fungimap Office. There VOLUNTEER are some very dedicated people who have been entering records in the database, filling book orders and Fungi Down Under: the Fungimap Guide to assisting with the website and general correspondence. Australian Fungi is a wonderful publication I’d like to especially thank Wendy Cook, Geoff Lay, that comprehensively deals with all the 100 Graham Patterson, Libby Read, Ros Shepherd and Fungimap target species, with copious Steven Wilkinson, who have regularly put in time at illustrations and maps. The book has been the Fungimap Office over the last year. published by Fungimap, and profit from sales of the book will be an important source of I enjoyed attending the celebration for Fungi Down funds for Fungimap. Under at FNCV Hall in June, when many of the contributors to the book were able to meet with Ed & As well as promptly handling incoming orders Pat Grey and Leon Costermans. I gave a presentation for the book, we would like to increase the about the evolution of field guides to Australian Fungi, visibility and availability of the book. We are and it made me realise how far things have come over looking for a volunteer to spend a few hours a the last few decades. Until the 1970s, the sole field week in the Fungimap office at RBG guide to Australian fungi was Victorian Toadstools and Melbourne looking after: direct sales (from Mushrooms by Jim Willis, a very handy book in its fliers), sales to booksellers and agents, and day, but without the extensive use of colour images publicity (such as sending out review copies). that we are now fortunate to enjoy in field guides. The Familiarity with databases such as Access format of Fungi Down Under, with each of the 100 (where we keep the financial records of book species illustrated in colour by several images and with sales) would be advantage. Training will be comprehensive text that points out distinguishing provided. characters, all on the one page, sets a new benchmark If you would like to be involved in promoting for field guides to Australian fungi. The maps for all and distributing this exciting publication, please species are also an innovation. contact Tom May (03 9252 2319, With the rains of the last two months over many parts [email protected]) or Teresa Lebel of Australia, I hope that fungimappers have been ([email protected]). enjoying spotting new and interesting fungi, and that Fungi Down Under has been making identification of the target species easier. Tom May STOP PRESS Chlorovibrissea found From Reporter Ian Bell. From the Editor Two species of Chlorovibrissea, C. bicolor and C. melanochlora were found at Marysville, Victoria on 31st July 2005. They were Pam Catcheside discovered on a foray of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria by a member, Arthur Carew. I have agreed to be Editor of the Fungimap Newsletter now that Cassia C. bicolor is a Fungimap target species. Both C. bicolor and C. Read has left. Cassia did a fantastic melanochlora are on the NZ 'Nationally Critical' fungal species list. job as editor and it will be difficult to (See Fungi Down Under page 116.) follow in her footsteps.