SymbiosisThe newsletter of the Prairie States Mushroom Club

Volume 28:4 Fall 2011 http://www.iowamushroom.org

©

PSMC President’sReport by Glen Schwartz

What a strange year 2011 turned out to be. The winter washarsh and hung on longer than normal, so we were alllooking forward to morel season. Unfortunately, just as themorel season should have started, the temperaturesdropped 15 degrees lower than normal for nearly 3 weeks.The next 4 days, the temps were in the low 90s, followedby another week well below normal, then too hot again.The morels were confused and just refused to fruit.

Early summer, we went back to Brushy Creek to see if wecould find the elusive Underwoodia columnaris, thehighlight of last year. We did not find any U. columnaris,but did notice the forest understory was much more densethan last year, we assume due to the weather. We startednoticing a trend…each foray list had only about half thenumber of species as last year.

Mid-summer was hotter than normal, very little rain, buthigh humidity. Most of us did not bother going to look formushrooms because the woods were too dry. We did finallyget some rain, but the summer edible mushrooms were veryspotty. Once again, summer forays produced only abouthalf the variety as last year.

Late summer and fall mushroom hunting finally saved theseason. The mushroom hunting seemed best along theMississippi River, with Dave L. bringing in a huge harvest ofBlewits, Honey mushrooms, and Grifola. At PioneerRidge, Roger found the rare Fairy Sparkler, Xylariatentaculata. See the SmugMug site http://iowamushroom.smugmug.com/Foray2011/Pioneer-Ridge-2011/18232146_f6PMT3#1505837157_8NtzhzN forphotos.

(cont. on pg. 3)

Alma Ramey, the mother of three of my former studentswhen I taught in Michigan, recently contacted me onFacebook. She had seen hundreds of white mushroomsgrowing on the lawn of the new high school andwondered what they were. I asked her to take a sideview photo and a photo of the underside. Once I saw thephotos, I knew without question that the mushrooms wereShaggy Manes. I was able to advise her that themushrooms she had photographed were edible anddelicious, and described two of my favorite ways ofpreparing them.

I tell this story to make a point: good color photos can bea significant aid in identification. Imagine that they didn’texist. Alma would describe the mushrooms and I wouldask her questions. From her observations and feedback,and my familiarity with the species, I might eventuallyguess that they were Shaggy Manes… a significantlyslower process.

On the flip side, let’s say you are not familiar with themushroom in front of you or in a photo a friend sendsyour way. That’s when a photo from a field guide or aweb site that looks exactly like your mushroom isinadequate proof of identity. The characteristics in thedescription must match the characteristics of themushroom being identified – not just some of thecharacteristics, but all of them. Never assume that if itlooks like the photo and matches five of the sevencharacteristics (but has brown spores instead of whitespores and the cap is not sticky as it should be whenmoistened) that you have the mushroom in the field guide.

Reflections from aMushroom Identifier

by Mike Krebill

(cont. on pg. 4)

2

FUNgi FOTOgraphy: Photography Tipsby Linda Scarth

Landscapes and Portraits

It is sometimes said that photographs are landscapes of varying scales – from grand to the details. Fungi are definitelyamong the details. Photographs also are (or can be) portraits. Most cameras make rectangular images whether theyhave rectangular sensors or use film. Cameras, by their shapes and button locations invite to be held in a horizontal orlandscape position. Photographers often have to remind themselves that the camera can be turned 90º to compose avertical or portrait image.

This Lion’s Mane (Hericium sp.) may remind viewers of differing scenes or other subjects. In the landscape (horizontal)view, it could be a surging waterfall coming over an escarpment. The portrait (vertical) composition reminds me of aflower – chrysanthemum or white rose – floating in a flat bowl. Or, possibly, a cheerleader’s pom pom lying on abench. They are the same subject but are different because of their orientations.

Remember that magazine covers are usually vertical compositions. When you find a spectacular fungus, you willdefinitely want to make images in both layouts.

Determining the spore color of an unknown mushroom is an important step inidentification. The process is simple: slice off the stem, place the cap on top ofa piece of paper, cover it with a bowl and leave it up to a few hours. Sincesome spores are white or very light, I like to set the cap half on black paperand half on white. Darker colored spores show up well on the white. Somepeople prefer waxed paper or glass, and move that over a lighter or darkercolored base after the spores have dropped. Covering the mushroom with abowl serves three purposes: it keeps the humidity high so that the spores aremore likely to drop; it prevents air currents from carrying the spores away; andit corrals any maggots that might be present so that they stay confined.

Spore Color by Mike Krebill

3

Mushroom Guides as Giftsby Mike Krebill

(cont. on pg. 4)

When identifying a mushroom, it is often helpful to have more than one book toconsult. Species coverage and the quality of that coverage vary from book tobook. The unknown mushroom in your hand may be in one book and notanother. For anyone beginning or well into this hobby, the gift of a book notowned is a gift appreciated. If a relative is looking for an idea of what youmight like to have as a gift, you could circle the numbers of the books youdon’t own. Most of these titles can be ordered from Amazon.com or bn.com(Barnes and Noble) for a discount. If the book should be out of print, andseems outrageously priced, buy it used or make another selection.

1. McFarland, Joe and Gregory Mueller. Edible Wild Mushrooms ofIllinois & Surrounding States: A Field-to-Kitchen Guide. Universityof Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 2009. Superb book for beginners,as well as advanced mushroom hunters. Distinguishes commonly foundedible mushrooms from ones that look similar. Great photos, and a chaptertitled “Let’s Eat” containing recipes and advice for cooking wildmushrooms. Attractive companion website: http://www.illinoismushrooms.com

2. Lincoff, Gary. The Complete Mushroom Hunter. An IllustratedGuide to Finding, Harvesting, and Enjoying Wild Mushrooms.Quarry Books, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 406-L, Beverly, MA 01915-6101. 2010. http://www.quarrybooks.com Like the book above, this alsoqualifies as a delightful introduction to mushroom hunting. The well-knownauthor has had a hand in writing several mushroom field guides. This guidecontains a great chapter on identifying mushrooms. The book is filled withwonderful photos, useful tables, experienced advice on eating themushrooms, and much insight.

3. Jordan, Peter. Mushroom Picker’s Foolproof Field Guide. TheExpert Guide to Identifying, Picking and Using Wild Mushrooms.Southwater, Hermes House, 88-89 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA.2010. http://www.southwaterbooks.com When I saw this book in a largebookstore, and looked through it, in less than ten seconds I knew I wantedto own it. Like Gary Lincoff in the U. S., Peter Jordan is a well-knownauthor of several mushroom guides in Europe. And yes, the fungi he haschosen for this book are ones that can be found in both Europe and the U.S. The layout, with large and superb photos devoid of confusingbackground, makes this book a visual treat.

4. Mollen, Cora and Larry Weber. Fascinating Fungi of the NorthWoods. Koliath + Stensaas Publishing, 394 Lake Avenue South, Suite406, Duluth, MN 55802. 2007. http://www.koliathstensaas.com Nophotos, but excellent artwork, and a simplified system for identifyingmushrooms make this small book one of my favorites.

We held our annual meeting October1st at the Wickiup Learning Centernear Cedar Rapids. The foray wasgreat, with some very photogenicmushrooms posing for their photos.After the foray, we met at theLearning Center for a potluck lunch.There were several mushroom dishesserved to the delight of everyonepresent. We gave away some doorprizes, and then Mike K. presented ashort program of fall ediblemushrooms, followed by the annualmeeting. We all agreed that having theannual meeting at an indoor facility isdesirable. We have access to powerfor a slide show and to cook somefood, indoor plumbing, andcomfortable temperatures. A fewyears ago, the annual meeting washeld around the back of a pickuptruck, with a cold gusting wind makingour fingers numb. We plan to hold theannual meeting at a facility similar toWickiup every year from now on.

PSMCPresident’sReport

(cont. from cover)

4

Mushroom Guides (cont. from pg. 3)

5. Barron, George. Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada. LonePine Publishing, 206, 10426 – 81 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6E 1X5 Canada.1999. http://www.lonepinepublishing.com Ten pages of pictorial keys upfront and an abundance of excellent photos make this one of the books Icarry in my car during mushroom season. The rounded corners of the bookare a nice touch.

6. Huffman, D. M., et al. Mushrooms and Other Fungi of theMidcontinental United States, 2nd Ed. University of Iowa Press, IowaCity, IA, 2008. http://www.uiowapress.org Well-written introduction tomushrooms, excellent keys to the groups of fungi, and a glossary fortechnical terms. Good photos and a thorough description of species helpyou know whether the mushroom in your hand fits the one in the book.

7. Laessoe, Thomas, Anna Del Conte, and Gary Lincoff. The MushroomBook. DK Publishing, New York, NY, 1996. http://www.dk.comBeautifully done pictorial introduction to mushroom parts and features upfront, simplified key, grouping by families, and hundreds of photos withoutconfusing background make this a clear and easy book to use.

8. Arora, David. Mushrooms Demystified, 2nd Ed. Ten Speed Press,Berkeley, CA, 1986. http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/catalog/index.php?page=1&view=&sort=pub_date&title_subtitle_auth_isbn=David+AroraThis dated “bible” covers 2000 species and has over 800 so-so photos(many black and white) in its 959 pages – the most complete generalreference available. Lots of keys and good formatting make it reasonablyeasy to use. David has been taking digital color photos, requested by hispublisher, and plans an expanded, all-color replacement of this venerablebook. He is leaning towards creating two volumes: a guide to themushrooms of western North America (which he will write first) and acouple years after that – time and health permitting – an eastern one.(Personal communication October 16, 2011.)

9. Horn, Bruce, Richard Kay, and Dean Abel. A Guide to KansasMushrooms. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1993.http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/horgui.html Easy to use keys, with aminimum of technical terms, coverage of most of the mushrooms one islikely to encounter in the Midwest, and fair color photos are three reasonswhy I like this book. A fourth is that Dean Abel is a member of our PrairieStates Mushroom Club, and a good personal friend. When we sit down atthe end of a foray to make a list of species found, it is Dean that tallies ourfindings, assisted by other club members.

If you are entertaining thoughts abouteating a mushroom, you must beabsolutely sure of its identity.

By the way, “field guide” is amisnomer. When on a foray, many ofus don’t carry a mushroom field guidewith us. That is because one guide israrely sufficient, books are heavy,insects may be encouraging us tokeep moving, and identification takestime. We prefer to carry mushroomsback to a picnic table, get thereference books from our vehicles,make a list of the mushroomsrecognized by members of our group,and use the books to help us identifythe rest.

Most field guides include keys andhave mushroom photos and theirdescriptions arranged in distinctgroups. This facilitates identificationby quickly narrowing down thechoices. The keys are not all equallyeasy to use. Portrayal of themushrooms through photos hasimproved with time, but some authors/photographers excel.

Those of us who have spent hourswading through descriptions in piles ofmushroom guides know how tediousit can be. The plus side of it is that bybecoming so focused on thecharacteristics, once we learn thename, we will be able to recognize themushroom again with ease.

Reflections(cont. from cover)

5

Coping with Abundance by Dave Layton

“I need to stop the insanity,” Imurmured as I continued pickingperfect button honey mushrooms andstuffing them into a nearly full canvasgrocery bag. I’d already filled that baga half-dozen times since August. Firstwere oyster mushrooms andHericium, then several giant puffballsand the first honey mushrooms. Nextthe Grifola and Hypsizygus finallyemerged - then more Grifola andblewits and small wood puffballs, thenmore Grifola and more oysters andeven more Hericium. I found nicebatches of shaggy manes a coupletimes too. I rechecked the blewit sitea week after first harvesting them andfound them in an abundance like I’dnever seen. Of course there was moreGrifola ready to harvest in that samewoods. A week later I returned to theblewit woods with Sally. There werestill a few fresh blewits, and therewere thousands of honey mushroomsand, of course, more Grifola. Thatwas when I considered psychiatricintervention. I certainly needed nomore mushrooms, so why did I park (cont. on pg. 6)

my car on the highway a few dayslater, stroll over to an oak tree andharvest the largest single clump ofperfectly formed fresh Grifola thatI’d ever found? At 15 pounds itbarely fits in my fridge. FortunatelyI’ve been getting a lot of practicelately at coping with abundance. Thathuge clump of Grifola and nearly allthe mushrooms I’ve picked are beingenjoyed by lots of people. Here’show to accomplish that.

The key to successfully eating loads ofmushrooms is paying close attention inall three phases of those mushrooms’journey from forest to mouth. Thosephases are picking, preparing andserving.

PickingBe picky about picking. Pay attentionto every mushroom that you considerpicking. Identify each mushroom.Don’t hurry. Deadly Galerina wasgrowing on the same logs as some ofmy honey mushrooms! Squeeze eachmushroom lightly before you decide to

cut its stem with your knife. If it’s softyou know the worms got it first.Leave those and older ones torepopulate and be something forothers to see. Don’t pick Grifola thatis slimy or melted looking on top. Itmay have been sprayed with herbicideor, worse, peed on by a raccoon.Keep mushrooms as clean as possiblebefore going into your basket andmake sure Grifola is trimmed on thebottom. Store in cloth grocery bags inthe fridge for as few days as possiblebefore preparing.

PreparingI prepare fall mushrooms to be servedin three ways: cooked and eaten,frozen for later and given away raw. Igive away only Grifola, oystermushrooms and giant puffballs raw.Those won’t be mistaken forpoisonous mushrooms. Even withthose three it’s important to explaintheir key characteristics and how toclean and cook the mushrooms towhoever receives them. I give each

6

recipient only enough for one or twomeals and warn them to try smallamounts of Grifola at first. It givessome folks a bellyache.

There are many books on cookingmushrooms. I like Jane Grigson’s TheMushroom Feast. In general I sautéthem in butter with a little olive oil.Sometimes they’re also good sautéedwith heavy cream and wine. Eitherway I’m reminded of Julia Child’sadmonishment to give mushroomstheir space. Don’t pile them too deepin a pan to just boil in their own liquid.That means I use a 15” pan when Ihave lots of mushrooms to cook.Grifola are the first mushrooms in thepan. Then I microwave the honeymushrooms for a minute or so anddrain the liquid, which may be bitter,especially in older specimens. Afterthe Grifola are starting to cook Imove them from the center to theedge of the pan and add Hypsizygusand oyster mushrooms to the centerof the pan. I repeat the process firstwith blewits and other thick-gilledmushrooms, then with the honeymushrooms that had been heated anddrained. Then I add Hericium, andfinally puffballs, shaggy manes andother delicate mushrooms. Givingeach species its own space in thecenter of the pan at first helps them toretain their individual flavor. The endresult in my 15” pan is about twice asmany mushrooms as I want to use in ameal so half go into a freezer bagflattened and sealed and stacked inmy freezer.

ServingHomemade cream of mushroom soupis the best way to serve a variety ofmushrooms so your guests can tasteindividual mushroom flavors. I serveda big pot of mushroom soup at thePSMC annual meeting. I like to makesoup first in the season because then itis also used for green bean or broccolimushroom casserole. Spaghetti sauceis also good for a variety ofmushrooms. This year I had fun usingtomatoes, basil, oregano, rosemary,thyme, garlic, green pepper andparsley all from my garden. Yummy

Coping with Abundance (cont. from pg. 5)

fresh wild mushrooms were theperfect complement to thoseingredients.

I mentioned freezing cookedmushrooms. Any mushroom can befrozen this way, but Grifola can alsobe frozen raw. I always freeze most ofmy Grifola raw so I have morecooking options when I use it. Ialways make it as flat in the bag aspossible, then I suck the air out of thebag and throw it in the freezer. Iusually serve a half bag at a time allwinter long.

While I do give away raw Grifola, Iprefer serving a cooked mushroomtreat to friends. Either way, mygreatest pleasure with mushroomabundance is sharing the bounty. Sofar over thirty people have partakenof my fall harvest and I still have mostof that huge Grifola in my fridge.That’s okay though. I think I can copewith it.

A New Species? by Dave Layton

(cont. on pg. 12)

The first specimen I saw was on adead stick, opened up like a cup orear fungus only bright yellow likeBisporella citrina. This specimen wasmuch larger and solitary though. Isoon forgot about it as I beganspotting delicious Hericium andoyster mushrooms. I found a couplemore specimens opened up like anAleuria, and then I found a bizarreexample apparently emerging frombare mud near the base of a tree. Itwas the size of a carbon ball onlyeven more round and pliant. When Ipoked it with a knife a yellowish liquidoozed out. I thought that liquid mustcontain the spores. I found others that

were even rounder than that one. Infact I harvested one sample that wasalmost perfectly round. I searched mymushroom books and soon found thatit wasn’t in any of them. Could I havediscovered a new species? Iwondered if the prolonged flooding ofthe island I was exploring had made itpossible for something unique toemerge. I was determined to learn allI could and Sally stroked my ego bytongue-in-cheek labeling it Laytonaii.“We’ll see who laughs when it really isnamed after me,” I told her.

7

Minutes of the PSMC Annual MeetingOctober 1, 2011 by Dean Abel, PSMC SecretaryWickiup Learning Center, Linn County IA

About 30 people were in attendancefor the morning foray in the woods atWickiup. After identifying almost 50fungal finds displayed on the tables,we enjoyed a fantastic potluck. Somehighlights: Chipotle Brownies byRoger Heidt, Hamburger Casserolewith Honey Mushrooms by MartyAugustine, and Cream of FiveMushrooms Soup (Hen-of-the-Woods, Elm Oyster, KnotholeOyster, Icicle Comb, Shaggy Mane)by Dave Layton. Mike Krebill provedhis skills as a natural foods chef withSquirrel Crockpot Stew (Eastern Foxsquirrel with Hen-of-the-Woods andvegetables) and PABWA (persimmon,acorn, black walnut, apple), and raisingluten-free bread) and CinnamonBlack Walnut Ice Cream.

Afterwards Mike treated us to aninformative PowerPoint show aboutedible fungi and their identification. Heshared some great stories from hismiddle school teaching days aboutyoung people enjoying mushrooms.

Then PSMC President Glen Schwartzcalled the annual meeting to order.Glen called the past collecting seasona “ridiculously bad year” in which itwas “too hot then too cold.”Nevertheless he thought we had donea good job in promoting clubactivities. He thanked Roger Heidt forassuming the role of Foray Committeechair by default and reminded us thatseveral committee chairs werecurrently open.

Dean Abel took a break from themushroom naming and pointed out

that the identification work wassuccessful only with the help ofeveryone in attendance. Roger wasthanked for his efforts in collecting theforay lists and putting them in shapefor listing on our website.

Roger presented the Treasurer’sreport.

Glen reported on the PSMC website.Roger has compiled a spreadsheetwith links for about 200 Iowamushrooms that the club forays haveidentified. Linda Scarth and MikeKrebill offered suggestions for futureforay sites. Roger said that some ofthese suggestions have already beenfollowed up.

Mike reported that the next newsletteris on its way. Look forward to arecipe column by Dave Layton,articles on mushroom identification,

Starting balance $1790Income (memberships) $375

$2165Expenses3 club banners $81500 business cards $30Web hosting $120Postage $40Door prizes $111Printing $59Misc supplies $4

$445

Year end balance $1720

Membership 1 Life32 for 2011

Renew now !!! 4 new for 201237 total

and funny fungus stories (a plea wasmade for more articles). Mike alsoraised the question of handlingtoxicology questions. Dean pointedout that problems could ariseconcerning liability when dealing withmedical emergencies. Previously Dr.Lois Tiffany served as the club’stoxicology expert.

The desire to invite knowledgeablemycologists for special presentationsand to club forays was discussed.Linda suggested some avenues tofollow up. When a guest is invited to aforay or other club activity it may benecessary to provide them withhousing for a night or two. Anyvolunteers?

A discussion of how to bestattract new members resultedin several suggestions.Cooperating with countynaturalists to sponsor foraysand educational programs hasproven successful. DaveMcDowell suggested aweekend event where

participants might rent cabins for anextended foray in order to attractpeople. The 2011 PSMC calendarshowcasing the photography of JimFrink proved a successful publicitypublication. Glen credited his wife forselling half of them and he thought weshould think now about publishing acalendar for 2013. Those presentagreed.

Election of officers. No nominationswere made from the floor. The slate ofcandidates was approved

(cont. on pg. 12)

Species Seen in 2011 by Roger Heidt

This list compiles and alphabetizes the 146 species identified on the nine forays we held this year. For additional information on which forays these species were found – which reveals the location where they were seen – go to our foray lists at http://iowamushroom.org

Species Common Name/CommentAcryria cinerea Slime Mold, Fairy Sparklers Acryria denudata Slime Mold, Cotton Candy Akanthomyces species Cordyceps infected mothAleuria aurantia Orange PeelAleurodiscus oakesii Oak Bark EaterAmanita bisporigera Destroying AngelAmanita vaginata GrisetteApiosporina morbosa Black KnotArmillaria mellea group Honey MushroomArmillaria tabescens Ringless Honey MushroomArtomyces pyxidatus Clavicorona pyxidata, Crown- tipped coral

Auricularia aruicula Tree EarBiscogniauxia atropunctata Hypoxylon Canker on OakBisporella citrina Lemon DropsBoletus fraternus group Reddish cap, yellow pore surface stains blueBrefeldia maxima Tapioca SlimeCantharellus cibarius Yellow ChanterelleCantharellus lateritus Smooth ChanterelleCeratiomyxa fruticulosa Coral Slime MoldCerrena unicolor Moss Maze PolyporeCoprinellus micaceus Mica Cap, Coprinellus micaceusCoprinus atramentarius Coprinopsis atramentaria, Common Inky CapCoprinus plicatilis Japanese Umbrella Inky CapCoprinus quadrifidus Coprinus variegatusCoprinus radians Orange-mat CoprinusCordyceps variabalis Parasitizes insect larvaeCortinarius distants Distant-gilled CortinariusDaedaleopsis quercina Thin-walled maze Poloypore (on Oak)Daldinia concentricia Carbon BallDutifera pululahuana Exidia alba, White JellyEntoloma abortivum Aborted EntolomaExidia glandulosa Black JellyFomitopsis spraguei Polyporus spraguei, Green-staining PolyporeFuligo septica Dog Vomit Slime MoldGalerina marginata G. marginataGaliella rufa Rubber CupGanoderma applanatum Artist ConkGanoderma lucidum Reishi, Ling Zhi

Fairy Sparklers - photo by Roger Heidt

Cordyceps - photo by Roger Heidtinfected moth

Tree Ear - photo by Glen Schwartz

Aborted - photo by Mike KrebillEntoloma

Geastrum saccatum Rounded Earthstar Grifola frondosa Hen of the Woods Gyromitra brunnea False Morel Gyroporus castaneus Chestnut Bolete Helvella crispa White Elfin Saddle Hemitricha serpula Pretzel Slime Mold Hericium coralloides Comb Tooth Fungus Hydnochaete olivaceum Browntooth crust Hygrocybe conica Witch's Hat (Blackens when handled) Hygrocybe punicea (Does not blacken when handled) Hymenochaeta tobacina Reddish brown Crust Hypocrea sulphurea Yellow crust parasitic on Exidia jelly fungus Hypomyces chrysospermus Mold on Bolete Hypomyces hyalinus Parasitic on Amanita rubescens Hypomyces lactifluorum Lobster Mold Hypsizygus ulmarius Elm Oyster Mushroom Irpex lacteus Milk tooth Ishnoderma resinosum Resinous Polypore, Late Fall Polypore Laccaria amethystea Purple Laccaria Laccaria laccata Deceiver, Waxy Laccaria Laetiporus sulphureus Sulfur Shelf, Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus cincinnatus White-pored Chicken of the Woods Lentinellus ursinus Saw tooth gill edge Lepiota cortinarius Lepiota cristata Lepiota rubrotincta Red-tinged Lepiota Lycogala epidendrum Pepto Bismol Slime Mold Lycoperdon echinatum Spiny Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum Gemmed Puffball Lycoperdon pyriforme Pear-shaped Puffball Marasmiellus nigripes Black-footed Marasmius Marasmiellus rotula Pinwheel Mushroom Marasmius siccus Orange Pinwheel Marasmius Meripilus sumstinei Meripilus giganteus, Black Staining Polypore Microstoma floccosa Fairy Goblet Morchella esculenta Common or Yellow Morel Mycena cf. galericulata Mycena haematopus Bleeding Mycena Mycena leaiana Orange Mycena Mycena leptophylla

Species Common Name/Comment

 

Species Seen in 2011 (continued)

Comb Tooth - photo by Glen Schwartz

Pretzel - photo by Jim FrinkSlime Mold

Lobster - photo by Mike KrebillMushroom

Orange - photo by Glen Schwartz Mycena

Species Seen in 2011 (continued)

Species Common Name/Comment

  Mycena luteopallens Walnut Mycena Mycorraphium adustum Kidney-shaped Tooth Mushroom Oligoporus caesius Blue-cheese Polypore, Tyromyces caesius Pachyella clypeata a small brown cup fungus Panellus stipticus Luminescent Panellus, glows in the dark Panus conchatus Synonyms: Lentinus torulosus, Panus

torulosus, Lentinus conchatus. Perenniporia ohiensis Fence Post Polypore Peziza badioconfusa Common Brown Cup Phaeocalicium polyporaeum Fairy Pin Phallus impudicus Common Stinkhorn Phellinus gilvus Tiger Eye Phellodon cf. tomentosus Phlebia incarnata Coral-Pink Merulius Phlebia tremellosa (Merulius tremellosa) Pholiota cf. aurivella Golden Pholiota Phyllotopsis nidulans Mock Oyster, Orange Oyster Pleurotus ostreatus Oyster Mushroom Pluteus cervinus Deer or Fawn Mushroom Pluteus cf. lutescens Pluteus granularis Pluteus longistriatus Polyporus alveolaris Hickory Stick Polypore Polyporus badius Big Black Foot Polyporus radicatus Rooting Polypore Polyporus squamosus Dryad’s Saddle, Pheasant's Back Polyporus varius Little Black Foot, Polyporus elegans Puccinia mariae-wilsoniae Spring Beauty Rust

  Puccinia podophylii May Apple Rust Pycnoporus cinnabarinus Cinnabar-red Polypore Rhodotus palmatus Netted Rhodotus

Russula mariae Purple cap Russula silvicola Red Cap, white stipe Sarcoscypha dudleyi Scarlet Cup Sarcoscypha occidentalis Stalked Scarlet Cup Schizophyllum commune Split gill Scleroderma areolatum Leopard Earthball Scleroderma cepa Earthball Scutellinia erinaceus Eyelash cup Scutellinia scutellata Eyelash cup Sebacina incrustans

 

Golden - photo by Mike Krebill Pholiota

Mayapple - photo by Roger Heidt Rust

Rooting - photo by Glen Schwartz Polypore

Luminescent - photo by Jim FrinkPanellus

Species Seen in 2011 (continued)Species Common Name/Comment

  Steccherinum ochraceum Orange-tooth Fungus Stereum complicatum Crowded Parchment Stereum lobatum Stains yellow Stereum ostrea False turkey tail Stereum striatum Silky Parchment Trametes conchifer Bird-nest Polypore, Little Nest Polypore Trametes elegans Trametes hirsuta Hairy Turkey tail Trametes vericolor Turkey Tail Tremella foliacea Tremella fuciformis Translucent White jelly Tremellodendron pallidum False Coral Trichaptum abietinum Purple Tooth on Conifer Trichaptum biforme Purple Tooth Trichia favoginea Slime mold Tricholomopsis platyphylla Tricholomopsis rutilans Plums and Custard Tyromyces chioneus White Cheese Polypore Tyromyces spragueii Urnula craterium Devil's Urn Xeromphalina kauffmanii Xeromphalina tenuipes Xerula furfuracea Rooting Collybia Xerula megalospora Xylaria polymorpha Deadman’s Fingers Xylaria tentaculata Fairy Sparklers Xylobolus frustulatus Ceramic Parchment

  Xylocoremium flabelliforme Anamorph of Xylaria

 

Plums and Custard - photo by Glen Schwartz

Stereum - photo by Mike Krebill lobatum

Devil’s Urn - photo by Roger Heidt

Deadman’s - photo by Roger HeidtFingers

12

I went back to the site to documentmy find and its unique recentlyflooded habitat with video. Later, Icontacted some knowledgeable folksfrom PSMC and that’s when mydreams started to unravel. I’dincluded a picture of one of thebrightest most round samples andthoroughly described the habitat andhow the liquid emerged when poked.Rosanne Healy was the only one toreply asking “Paintball?”“Impossible!” I responded. “Nofootsteps, no paint splats on trees.Some examples are rounder thanothers. No, I’m pretty sure this isfungus.”

Then I went home and reexamined mysamples to make sure I was right.Indeed some were round and othersmore swollen or flat looking, but they

were all basically the same size – Uh-oh. Then I saw the seam in one of theroundest ones. Mother Naturedoesn’t do seams. The paint-balls hadlanded softly in nettles over a periodof time only to be exposed whenfloodwater killed the nettles. Thisadventure was all over except for theserving of humble pie. Rosanne wasvery gracious when I apologized forwasting her time. Her reply gave meheart that I wasn’t the only one tomake a really dumb call. She said:

Dave, This is a great funnystory for the newsletter. I havesome good stories aboutpicking up interestingspecimens only to find out thatthey are: seeds, galls, frass,bird poop, spider eggs, andmy personal most disgusting –

A New Species? (cont. from pg. 6)

an engorged tick. You couldask others to share their mostbizarre or interesting non-fungal surprises. Thanks forthe smile, Rosanne

Before destroying the damning video,I made the mistake of showing it toSally. It looked like the Blair WitchProject meets Marlin Perkins meetsGeraldo Rivera meets the Stooges.We doubled over with unendinglaughter and I couldn’t bring myself toerase it. I know that all I need to do ispost it on YouTube and I may gainmore fame than if I had found a newspecies. Of course that fame wouldbe for starring in a viral video as thedoofus mushroom expert out stalkingthe mysterious wild paintball. Whyare all my best jokes on me?

unanimously: President GlenSchwartz, V-P Mike Krebill,Secretary Dean Abel, TreasurerRoger Heidt, and at-large boardmember Marty Augustine.

The success of the potluckencouraged the club to plan to do thisagain next year but perhaps in adifferent venue. Mike was asked towrite a letter to the Linn CountyConservation Board thanking them forthe use of the Wickiup LearningCenter which gave us access to thekitchen and meeting room. Lindasuggested that PSMC make a $50donation to the Learning Centerbuilding fund. The club approved thisaction.

Minutes...(cont. from pg. 7)

The mushroom season isn’t over, evenin the winter, if you find a cluster ofthese. Winter Mushrooms, AKA“Velvet Foot” for their dark brown toblack fuzzy stems, typically grow year-round on the side of elms in overlap-ping clusters. Unlike other fleshy-gilledmushrooms, they can survive freezingtemperatures. I’ve collected themwhen they were capped by snow, butthey are more likely to appear with awarm break in the weather. The slimy,tan to reddish brown cap has a yellow-ish white border. No ring on the stalk,and a white spore print help distinguish

this delicious species, Flammulina velutipes (once called Collybia velutipes)from the deadly Galerina autumnalis. To prepare for cooking, discard thestem and peel the skin off the cap.

Winter Mushrooms by Mike Krebill

13

http://www.herbarium.iastate.edu/fungi/Rosanne Healy, Phyllis Shimon, and Christopher Tyrrell wrote this interactiveidentification key to Iowa’s fungi. You click on the drawing that matches thecharacteristic of your unknown mushroom as you consider possible choices.The key also includes chemical indicator test results as well as microscopicexamination of the spores and spore-bearing structures. Most users will windup skipping these sections, while some of us may be able to include them.When you get through all the steps in the key, you may be able to click on themushroom’s name for more information. The key is a work in progress. Morespecies will be added as time permits.

Give it a trial run with a mushroom species that you know well. (It’s OK toconsult a field guide on some characteristics.) See if you wind up with thatsame species.

According to this website, there are 2,191 records of fungi in the Ada HaydenHerbarium at Iowa State University, which houses Iowa’s largest collection.This in no way means that 2,191 separate species of mushrooms have beenrecorded; in fact, there are multiple records for most species. Our club hasfound species that are not on their list. We ought to share our “life list” (with thedate and the location of foray, since Herbarium records include the date andthe county where found) with them.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/major_groups.htmlMichael Kuo’s site contains a simple, dichotomous key for North America. Itdoes not include all genera or species, but focuses on the major ones.

http://www.mycokey.com/While designed for Northern Europe, we share many mushroom genera andspecies.

A few years ago, Google came up with a revolutionary procedure that allowsa person to upload a picture and search for information or similar photos.Here’s a web link. http://www.google.com/imghp To try this feature yourself,look to the right in the space where you would type your Google imagesearch request. You will see a camera that looks very light, but darkens asyou mouse over it. Click on it to upload a photo from your computer, or giveit a test drive by dragging and dropping one of the sample images below intothe search field. Impressed, I tried it with two of our known mushroomphotos, curious as to whether this might be useful in helping us identifyunknown mushrooms. The results were disheartening. While it may work withfamous landmarks and buildings, it is not ready for prime time when it comesto identifying mushrooms, at least not in 2011.

New Help in IdentifyingMushrooms? by Mike Krebill

Online Mushroom Keysby Mike Krebill

Total Time: Serves:50 min 4 servings

Ingredients4 T. butter1 onion, roughly chopped3/4 pound cremini mushrooms ordark wild mushrooms, choppedKosher salt & freshly ground blackpepper2 cloves garlic, minced3 C. chicken stock3/4 C. pistachio nuts, roughly chopped,plus additional for garnish1 t. chili flakes3 T. extra-virgin olive oil1 pound your favorite pastaGrated Parmesean or pecorino

DirectionsIn large skillet over medium-high, addthe butter and saute the onions untillightly browned, about 7 minutes. Addmushrooms, and salt and pepper, totaste, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir inthe garlic and cook for another 2minutes, then reduce the heat tomedium. Add the stock and simmeruntil reduced by half. Stir in thepistachio nuts, chili flakes and oil, andseason, to taste, with salt and pepper.Set aside.

In a separate pot, cook your favoritepasta (penne, pappardelle etc.)according to package instructions. Putthe pasta in the center of each whiteplate and spoon some sauce over thetop. Garnish with some grated cheese,and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.

This recipe was provided by professionalchefs and has been scaled down from abulk recipe provided by a restaurant. TheFood Network Kitchens chefs have nottested this recipe, in the proportionsindicated, and therefore, we cannot makeany representation as to the results.

Wild MushroomPistachio PastaRecipe courtesy Stuart O’Keeffe, 2010

Mike KrebillV.P. & Newsletter EditorPrairie States Mushroom Club150 Oakcliff LaneKeokuk, IA 52632-2538MikeKrebill@aol.com

PSMC Web Site:www.iowamushroom.org

The name “Symbiosis©” and contents of thenewsletter “Symbiosis©, The Newsletter ofthe Prairie States Mushroom Club (PSMC)” arethe sole property of the PSMC and can not bereproduced without written permission of thePSMC Board of Directors.

Can you identify the mushrooms below? Please email or write Mike.

Mystery Mushroom A Mystery Mushroom B