FOREST FUNGI IN IRELAND PAUL DOWDING and LOUIS SMITH COFORD, National Council for Forest Research and Development Arena House Arena Road Sandyford Dublin 18 Ireland Tel: + 353 1 2130725 Fax: + 353 1 2130611 © COFORD 2008 First published in 2008 by COFORD, National Council for Forest Research and Development, Dublin, Ireland. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from COFORD. All photographs and illustrations are the copyright of the authors unless otherwise indicated. ISBN 1 902696 62 X Title: Forest fungi in Ireland. Authors: Paul Dowding and Louis Smith Citation: Dowding, P. and Smith, L. 2008. Forest fungi in Ireland. COFORD, Dublin. The views and opinions expressed in this publication belong to the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of COFORD. i CONTENTS Foreword..................................................................................................................v Réamhfhocal...........................................................................................................vi Preface ....................................................................................................................vii Réamhrá................................................................................................................viii Acknowledgements...............................................................................................ix Dedications .............................................................................................................xi General history of edible mushrooms ...............................................................1 The biology of fungi..............................................................................................3 Classification of fungi.........................................................................................19 Conservation of wild fungi and woodland management to promote fungi .......................................................................................................23 Finding, using and preserving wild edible mushrooms..............................25 Poisonous mushrooms ........................................................................................37 Agaricus xanthodermus Yellow-staining mushroom...........................40 Amanita muscaria Fly agaric..........................................................42 Amanita pantherina Panther cap......................................................44 Amanita phalloides Death cap .........................................................46 Amanita virosa Destroying angel.............................................48 Boletus calopus Red-stalked bolete (Bitter beech bolete)......50 Cortinarius species Web caps .........................................................52 Cortinarius rubellus (speciosissimus) Tawny web cap ...............................................54 Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca False chanterelle..............................................56 Paxillus involutus Brown roll rim.................................................58 Russula species Brittle gill .........................................................60 Russula emetica The sickener ...................................................62 Russula mairei Beechwood sickener .....................................64 ii Mushrooms best avoided ...................................................................................67 Agaricus augustus The prince........................................................68 Amanita rubescens The blusher......................................................70 Boletus luridus Lurid bolete .....................................................72 Clitocybe nebularis Clouded agaric................................................74 Clitocybe odora Aniseed agaric.................................................76 Laetiporus sulphureus Chicken of the woods ....................................78 Macrolepiota rhacodes Shaggy parasol................................................80 Mycena pura Lilac bonnet (radish mushroom)..................82 Phallus impudicus Stinkhorn .........................................................84 Pleurotus cornucopiae Branching oyster mushroom .......................86 Polyporus squamosus Dryad’s saddle ................................................88 Russula cyanoxantha Charcoal burner ............................................90 Sarcoscypha coccinea Scarlet elf cup ..................................................92 Tricholomopsis rutilans Plums and custard..........................................94 Edible mushrooms...............................................................................................97 Agaricus essettei Large-bulbed mushroom ............................100 Agaricus langei Red-staining wood mushroom...................102 Agaricus silvicola Wood mushroom ..........................................104 Amanita fulva Tawny grisette ..............................................106 Armillaria mellea Honey fungus ...............................................108 Auricularia auricula-judae Jelly ear/Jew’s ear fungus ...........................110 Boletus badius Bay bolete ......................................................112 Boletus edulis Penny bun (cep, porcini, steinpilze)...........114 Cantharellus cibarius Chanterelle (girolle)......................................116 Cantharellus tubaeformis Winter/Yellow leg chanterelle ...................118 Clitocybe flaccida Tawny funnel cap .........................................120 Clitocybe geotropa Monk’s head..................................................122 Clitocybe infundibulformis Common funnel cap.....................................124 Coprinus comatus Shaggy ink cap/Lawyer’s wig ...................126 Craterellus cornucopioides Horn of plenty...............................................128 Cuphophyllus niveus Snowy wax cap .............................................130 iii Cuphophyllus pratensis Meadow wax cap..........................................132 Fistulina hepatica Beefsteak fungus...........................................134 Flammulina velutipes Velvet shank ..................................................136 Handkea excipuliformis Pestle puffball................................................138 Hydnum repandum White hedgehog fungus .............................140 Hydnum rufescens Reddening hedgehog fungus ....................142 Laccaria amethystina Amethyst deceiver ......................................144 Laccaria laccata Brown deceiver ............................................146 Lactarius deliciosus Pine saffron milk cap ..................................148 Lactarius deterrimus Spruce saffron milk cap ..............................150 Langermannia gigantea Giant puffball .........................................152 Leccinum scabrum Brown birch bolete .......................................154 Leccinum versipelle Orange birch bolete......................................156 Lepista nuda Wood blewit .................................................158 Lepista saeva Field blewit....................................................160 Lycoperdon perlatum Common puffball ........................................162 Lycoperdon pyriforme Stump/Pear-shaped puffball......................164 Macrolepiota (Lepiota) procera Parasol mushroom ......................................166 Morchella elata Tall (black) morel .........................................168 Pleurotus ostreatus Grey oyster mushroom ...............................170 Sparassis crispa Cauliflower/Brain fungus ..........................172 Suillus (Boletus) bovinus Bovine bolete.................................................174 Suillus grevillei Yellow larch bolete .......................................176 Suillus luteus Slippery jack/Pine bolete ............................178 Suillus aeruginascens (viscidus) Dirty white larch bolete...............................180 Tricholoma gambosum St George’s mushroom ...............................182 Tuber aestivum Summer truffle..............................................184 References and recommended reading..........................................................187 Appendix 1 ..........................................................................................................189 An illustrated glossary of technical terms A table of fruit body characteristics iv Appendix 2 ..........................................................................................................192 Dichotomous key to the genera of fungi named in this book Tabular keys to the genera of fungi in this book (Tabkeys) Appendix 3 ..........................................................................................................198 A key to common Irish trees in summer A key to common Irish trees in winter Fungus/tree associations Tree identification photographs Appendix 4 ..........................................................................................................210 List of recorded occurrences of forest fungi in this book Table of fungal distribution Calendar of wild edible Irish mushrooms Index .....................................................................................................................219 v FOREWORD Once found only in speciality shops, edible