2007 No. 2 Club Mushroom There are a number of mushrooms which could be called ‘club mushrooms’ and, if you are not careful in your identification, can be confused especially when the sample is not mature. The good news is that none of the local varieties are poisonous. You might, however be wondering why somebody thinks they are so delicious when you couldn’t get the first mouthful down. That difference is the result of picking different mushrooms and calling them all ‘club’. According to Leni’s book, Mushrooms of Northwest North America, all three local species are edible, although some are more bitter than others. She also comments that this group can be eaten raw. The taste raw and cooked are similar, so testing a small sample by taste before picking can help you identify which ones you do want to harvest. The preferred Clavaria mushrooms are: Flat topped Coral – clavariadelphus truncatus – which can be found throughout North America. It is most Clavariadelphus truncatus is a sweet tasting fungus that can be found under confiers in common in the Rocky Mountains needle litter. Photo courtesy: Loretta Puckrin growing in a coniferous fungi is wider at the top and yellow). The flesh is whitish to environment, preferring a cold narrows toward the base with a ochre and becomes darker on and wet location. This yellow to firm to spongy consistency. The bruising. This fungus has a nice ochre mushroom is clublike, often entire fungi is edible and fairly long growing season of August to broad and flattened at top. The solid with no hollow portions. The October. spore print is ochre (a brown-toned (Hypomyces ...continued on page 3) www.wildmushrooms.ws Summer 2007 No. 2 1 President’s Message fact about fungi. We all 2007 Executive remember the Chernobyl disaster, Edmonton Mycological Society when a nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Ukraine, exploded and President & Webmaster: subsequently released nuclear Markus Thormann (780) 432-1392 radiation over most of the [email protected] northern hemisphere in 1986. A team of researchers at Albert Past President: Mike Schulz (780) 939-2106 Einstein College of Medicine in [email protected] New York under the leadership of Ekaterina Dadachova determined Vice President: Martin Osis (780) 987-4412 that some fungi actually grew [email protected] better near Chernobyl than elsewhere. The fungi examined Treasurer: Loretta Puckrin (780) 458-9889 are all common soil fungi and had [email protected] a pigment called melanin in their hyphae - a substance also present Secretary: Vacant in human skin. The researchers Membership & Webmaster: hypothesized that melanin may Alan Fleming play a role in the fungi similar to (780) 463-8540 [email protected] Markus Thormann, president of the that of chlorophyll in plants, Edmonton Mycological Society which traps energy from sunlight Foray Coordinator: Bill Richards and converts it to “food energy” (780) 998-3507 needed to sustain life. How [email protected] It is hard to believe, but exactly melanin captures Program Director: Robert Rogers June has already approached and radiation energy is still unclear; (780) 433-7882 we’re looking forward to the however, it highlights yet another [email protected] longest day of the year. We are amazing fact about fungi in that Communications Coordinator: well into our mushroom season, they are extremely resilient and Melanie Fjoser having gone on several forays can survive just about anything, (780) 987-4412 [email protected] already and seeing more and including nuclear disasters!!! The more fungi merging from the question “What can fungi do?” Newsletter Editor: Geri Kolacz multitudes of substrata, in which should really be changed to (780) 475-7927 [email protected] their mycelia overwintered. “What can’t fungi do?”. Despite the once again poor At this time, it is my distinct Directors-at-large: Pieter van der Schoot showing of morels, verpas were pleasure to announce that we (780) 696-2436 very abundant and exceptionally have once again received a grant Ethel Luhtanen (430)220-9610 large, and we can now look from the Alberta Conservation [email protected] forward to many spring agarics Association. We applied for John Thompson (780) 456-9424 and delicious and healthy oyster $14,500.00 and will receive the [email protected] mushrooms appearing in the entire amount to continue work Robert Simpson (780) 481-7905 coming weeks. on our “Fungi of Alberta” data [email protected] While scouring the news base. The main objectives of this ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ MAILING ADDRESS: about fungi, I came across a truly year will to fill in some holes in Edmonton Mycological Society amazing and thought-provoking the data base, check fungal 1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue article published in late May 2007 taxonomy, and access the Standard Life Building Edmonton, AB T5J 3S2 in the online journal PLoS One. University of Alberta It outlines yet another amazing WEBSITE ADDRESS: (President’s Message ...continued on page 3) www.wildmushrooms.ws 2 Summer 2007 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws Clubs (continued from page 1) Clavaidelphus ligula has a white President’s Message spore print and a slightly bitter (continued from page 2) Northern Pestle taste. This species enjoys growing (Clavariadelphus borealis) under conifers in clusters and has a Cryptogamic Herbarium This variety has a white similar growing season to information. Breanne has spore print. It is club shaped at Clavariadelphus scahalinensis. agreed to continue working first but soon develops a depressed for us on this project. In and wrinkled top with an orange Purple Club Coral addition, some of those shade in the centre, growing up to (Clavariaceae purpurea) – As the funds will be allocated 10 cm tall and 6 cm across . name suggest this fungi is purple in colour but grows like the other club towards the Alberta Foray There are two edible but mushrooms – in a cluster of round- in Lac La Biche this bitter specimens found in Alberta. tipped ‘spikes’. Its colour makes it summer. Pestle Fungus easy to identify. The flesh tends to be Also, keep your eyes (Clavariadelphus pistillaris) – a slighltly purple toned white. peeled for some new and which can be found in deciduous Although considered edible, this exciting products available and coniferous forests – fruits specimen with a slightly unpleasant to you. For example, more seldom and is often bitter in odour is not considered choice. It Martin Osis has been taste. This variety can grow up to also grows under spruce and fir in working on a key for the 20 cm tall with a diameter of 7 cm mountain regions from September to when single but is often ‘two- October. edible fungi in Alberta, and headed’. When it does fruit there we will post it soon on our are many fruiting bodies. The Clavaria Genus web site. In addition, the spore print is white to buff. This official report from the joint fungus turns brown when bruised. (Clavariaceae, Edmonton Mycological The season is July-October. Some Society/North American books consider this to be a nice Clavariadelphus) mild flavour without the Related to the Mycological Association bitterness so it might depend on (NAMA) foray in Hinton the area in which it grows as to Cantharellaceae last summer will be how preferred the species is as an genus accessible on our web site harvested mushroom. The flesh is soon as well. This report very thin and you need to pick a This grouping includes the has recently been sent to large amount to get even a taste club and the coral mushrooms, of our EMS/NAMA foray therefore it is not considered a which a number are edible. The funding partners and will be choice edible for picking. names describe the basic used to acquire financial structure – that is, the club Strap-shaped pestle resources for various mushrooms are club shaped or (Clavariadelphus projects in the future. upon occasion slightly branched. sachalinensis) – This particular Moreover, our “Edible The coral mushrooms are tufts or fungi has a number of shapes and Fungi of Alberta” poster is clusters of branched thin stems sizes. Its environment is the that closely resemble the ocean’s in the printing stage and boreal forests growing under pine coral structures. More than a half will be available to you free- or spruce. The various shapes a dozen distinct genera are now of-charge soon. Please don’t often occur in the same area (see recognized as Clavaria. forget to take lots of images Mushrooms of Western Canada – There are a number of fungi page 166). It is most often flat or of medicinal fungi for our that appear to be club-shaped but spoon-like in shape. The spore next poster in the series of are not part of this genus. Some print is buff or ochre and the flesh fungi of Alberta. examples are the Orange Earth is white with no staining. Its I hope you have all had tongue (Microglossum rufum) growing season is July to and irregular Earth Tongue a mycologically exciting November. (Neolecta irregularis ) spring so far. This fungus is very similar to Happy ‘Shrooming Clavariadelphus ligula. The Loretta Puckrin Markus Thormann www.wildmushrooms.ws Summer 2007 No. 2 3 Alberta Foray - Lac La Biche, Alberta August 3,4, 5 & 6, 2007 Have you registered yet???? The Alberta Foray is an As our club grows and gets more the Portage College facility in Lac excellent time to meet fellow members from across Alberta, we La Biche. They will provide us budding mycologists and have a need to have forays that reach out to with motel style accommodations, geart time. Further these weekends them and bring mycological expertise cater all of our food, provide us are a great leap forward in the from the province together in order to with classroom space, a place to amount of knowledge we have about examine what is growing in Alberta.