rozites caperata - alberta mycological society

1Winter 2006 No. 4www.wildmushrooms.ws

2006 No. 4

FEATUREMUSHROOM

Rozites caperata... pg 1,3

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE

Another success-ful year... pg 2

NAMA FORAYUpdate.. pg 4 & 5

IDENTIFICATION

SERIES

Stipes ... pg 6

WEIRD & WACKY

Fossil fungi... pg 7, 9

DEVONIAN EXPO

Update... pg 8

(Rozites ...continued on page 3)

Rozites caperataor as it is commonly known- the Gypsy Mushroom

FORAY UPDATES

... pg 10

Bow Valley Foray... pg 11

UPCOMING EVENTS

... pg 12

Throughout all the literaturethat has come across my desk,every author has questioned thereasoning for naming this

particular fungus “gypsy”. To dateno definitive answer has beengiven. So the common labelremains a mystery. Rozites caperatahas also been labelled as the“powdered sugar mushroom”

because of the white fibrils thatcan be seen on the caps of youngfungi. The caps appear to have asheen or bloom or pasted Kleenexeffect. These are not, by anymeans, the only questionable areas

about this mushroom – so maybethe name has arisen because theyare so mysterious – like the gypsytribes.

The classification for Rozitescaperata is:

Order: AgaricalesFamily: CortinariaceaeGenus: Rozites (named after

Ernst Roze, a European mycologist)Species: caperata (wrinkled)

Originally this fungi waslabelled: Pholiota caperata(wrinkled pholiota). A specific

genus for this species was createdonce it was studied in detail. The

presence of a volva-like structureat the base of the stem and thespores were different in colour andshape.

An interesting article byMichael Kuo states that recent

DNA studies have determined thatthis mushroom is actually aCortinarius and the gypsymushroom has been renamed andis now Cortinarius caperatus.

Similar mushrooms include:Agrocybe praecox – does not

have a wrinkled cap and is usuallyfound in cultivated areas.

Phaeolepiota aurea – has amore powdery-granulose cap andstem.

Cortinarius species – do nothave a membranous veil.

Because there are similar look-

alikes in the forest, it is best tobecome very familiar with all the

Rozitescaperata orthe gypsymushroomas it maybe found inthe forest,but usuallythey haveappearedone hereandanother abit of a hikeaway.Photocourtesy:HelenEngel

2 Winter 2006 No.4 www.wildmushrooms.ws

President’s Message 2006 ExecutiveEdmonton Mycological Society

President & Webmaster:Markus Thormann

(780) 432-1392

[email protected]

Past President:Vacant

1st Vice President: Mike Schulz(780) 939-2106

[email protected]

Treasurer: Loretta Puckrin(780) 458-9889

[email protected]

Secretary: Melanie Fjoser(780) 987-4412

[email protected]

Membership: Alan Fleming(780) 463-8540

[email protected]

Foray Coordinator: Bill Richards(780) 998-3507

[email protected]

Program Director: Martin Osis(780) 987-4412

[email protected]

Communications Coordinator:Robert Simpson

(780) 481-7905/ Wk: (780) 420-6850

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Geri Kolacz(780) 475-7927

[email protected]

Mailing: Diane Murray

Directors-at-large:Pieter Van Der Schoot

(780) 696-2436Robert Rogers

(780) 433-7882David Rowe(780) 469-7187

George Litven(780) 476-7912

MAILING ADDRESS:

Edmonton Mycological Society1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue

Standard Life BuildingEdmonton, AB T5J 3S2

WEBSITE ADDRESS:www.wildmushrooms.ws

Markus Thormann, president of theEdmonton Mycological Society

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Wow…what a foray lastmonth!!! The North AmericanMycological Society and TheEdmonton Mycological Society co-hosted THE foray of the century inAlberta out of the Forestry TrainingCentre in Hinton. About 140professional and amateur mycologistsconverged on Hinton to scour thesurrounding foothills for fungi. In all,we identified and accessioned almost300 different species of fungi andidentified an additional 200 or so togenus or not at all. The accessionedspecimens will go to the FieldMuseum in Chicago and serve aspermanent records of our efforts herein Alberta. While only a snapshot intime, this foray was unique in that itprovides us with an immense view ofthe fungal species richness and someof the roles of these organisms in ourfoothill forests. We will now preparea report about the foray for theFoothills Model Forest, who providedus with a grant of $7,500.00 towardsproducing a set of educational DVDs.These will be available to you for asmall cost within a couple of months.A huge thank-you goes out to all ofyou who spent countless hours overthe past year organizing this eventand then making it all happen in

those four days in mid-August. We allshould be very proud of ouraccomplishment!!! Special recognitiongoes out to the NAMA ForayCommittee (in no particular order):Martin Osis, Melanie Fjoser, AlanFleming, Loretta Puckrin, BillRichards, and Jerry Fochler. You alldid a superb job! I will post someimages from the foray on our web sitein the near future…stay tuned.

Let’s not forget about the “City ofChampignons” Mushroom Expositionat the Devonian Botanic Garden onJuly 30. Despite some below averageweather (cool and rainy all day – thankyou, George, for your jacket), weattracted about 300 visitors to ourexposition. Our many volunteersanswered many questions about edible,poisonous, and medicinal mushrooms,entertained them with mushroom slideshows, sold memberships, mushroomsproducts, books, and other educationalmaterials, and cooked diversemushroom dishes. A propos mushroomdishes, a very special thank-you goesout to Judy and her mushroom kitchenstaff! Once again, you provided us witha diverse selection of deliciousmushrooms delicacies. The soup wassuperb, as were the sautéedmushrooms on buns. You have run theExposition kitchen for many, manyyears, spent a lot of your time, effort,and money preparing mushroom dishesin advance, doing the finalpreparations at the Exposition, andfinally serving these delectable dishesto our guests and volunteers. Thankyou Judy et al., we truly appreciateyour contribution to the EMS!!!

Another mushroom season isbeginning to wind down. We have butone more month to go before fall isupon us and another successful yearcomes to an end. The last official eventof the year will be the President’sDinner in early November. I ambeginning to think about this eventand will provide you with more detailsin the weeks to come. Last year’sdinner took place at Sorrentino’sSouth and was a lot of fun. Sinceattendance will be limited again, makesure to register as soon as I provideyou with the details. I will try to keepcosts below $40/person.

With that in mind, I hope youhad an enjoyable ‘shrooming season.

Cheers to you all, Markus


Rozites caperata (continued from page 1)

aspects of this mushroom so thatyou do not mistake it for apoisonous or non-edible fungus.

EcologyThis fungus is mycorrhizal

with conifers, hardwoods andbushes in the blueberry family. InAlberta look for mossy, old-growthconiferous forests. Gypsymushrooms normally grow innorthern zones throughout theworld.

MorphologyCap: 5-15 cm (2-6”) wide.

Oval expanding to convex, broadlyknobbed, wrinkled or corrugatedradially, silky or silky scale, moist

with superficial hoary coat at first.

The colour ranges from a warmtan to a yellow-brown or orange-brown with paler margins. Theflesh is thick and white. Becauseof the radial and wrinkled effectthe Gypsy cap has definite lines onthe top.

Gills: attached to stem, close.Begin pale and then turn brown orcinnamon brown in colour. Thegills are covered by a partial veilwhen young.

Stalk: 5-12 cm (2-5”). Long, firm,solid and whitish that is equal or

slightly enlarged at the base.The base sometimes has afaint volvalike zone and theapex is often striated orscruffy. The veil leaves athick white ring at themidsection of the stalk that

is movable. There

may also be awhitish coveringnear the base.

Spore print: Rusty-brown, spores are 11-15 x 7-10 microns,elliptical, roughened

or warty. Somecystidia (see text anddiagram on page 12)present on gill edges.

Rozites is oftenelusive but half of

the fun of‘shrooming is the

hunt. They don’t usuallyappear in groups or largeclusters and it generallytakes a bit of hiking to findenough to make a meal.Finding a gypsy mushroomusually leads to a joyousdance. Last year theyappeared sporadically invarious areas. This year theconditions appear to be morefavourable as we have foundgroups and singles in quite afew of our favourite sites.

Geraldine Kolacz

Notice the gill structure.Photo courtesy: L. Puckrin

That is, enough to actually havea good meal and enjoy the uniqueflavours of this fungus. Theywere very visible at the NAMAForay and were featured in oneof the dishes at the Mycophagy.

Here in Alberta, they havemade appearances at varioussites including some of our EMSforay areas. So put on yourfavourite hiking boots, grab your‘shrooming kit and head out toyour special places. They are outthere and not as shy as last year.Good luck and good hunting.

The cap of Rozites caperata is wrinkled and hasradial lines. Photo courtesy: Loretta Puckrin

Environment of the gypsy mushroom (above) anda grouping of some found in the Lambert Creekarea (below).Photos courtesy: L. Puckrin & G.Kolacz


Species List for the NAMA Foray

Agaricus cf. bitorquisAgaricus silvicolaAlbatrellus cf. syringaeArmillaria ostoyaeAuricularia auriculaAuriscalpium vulgareBaeospora myosuraBaeospora myriadophyllaBisporella citrinaBjerkandera adustaBovista pilaCalocera corneaCalocybe cf. ionidesCantharellopsis prescotiiCantharellula umbonataCatathelasma imperialisChlorosplenium aerugenascinsChroogomphus vinicolorChrysomyxa ledicola ?Clavaria roseaClavariadelphis cf. borealisClavariadelphus ligulaClavariadelphus aff. sachalinensisClavaridelphus truncatusClavulinopsis corniculataClitocybe avellaneialbaClitocybe avellaneialbaClitocybe cerussataClitocybe clavipesClitocybe dilatataClitocybe giganteaClitocybe maximaClitocybe odoraClitodybe clavipisCollybia familiaCollybia tuberosaCoprinus atramentariusCoprinus comatusCoprinus micaceusCortinarius cf. anserinusCortinarius cf. betulinusCortinarius brunneusCortinarius cf. camphoratusCortinarius croceusCortinarius cf. elegantiorCortinarius illibatus groupCortinarius cf. limoniusCortinarius semisanguiniusCortinarius sp. - multiformis groupCortinarius splendensCortinarius traganusCortinarius triumphansCortinarius trivialisCortinarius cf. vibratilisCrepidotus applanatusCrepidotus calolepisCrepidotus ellipsoideusCudonia cf. circinansCudonia monticolaCystoderma amianthinumCystoderma granulosumDacrymyces palmatusDaedaleopsis confragosa

The Hinton Forestry TrainingCentre was the perfect setting forthe 2006 North AmericanMycological Association’s Foray. Ahuge thank you to Martin Osis andMelanie Fjoser and their NAMAcommittee for all their hard work.

In particular a huge thank you toAlan Fleming and his drivers whohad to distribute over 140 people toand from 18 different foray sitesover a period of four days with noone getting lost!

The weather cooperated for themost part and the diversity of sites,ranging from swamps to 45 degreemoss-covered slopes in forests, wereenjoyed by all. Those who did notgo on forays enjoyed a good varietyof speakers and workshops andsome finished off their day with adip at the Miette Hot Springs.

Our lunches and dinners weresumptuous and we were treated tosome excellent speakers -- Dr. CathyCripps, our chief mycologist for theevent, gave us an inspiring talk on

“Rocky Mountain High-elevation Fungi”. Shepresented a power pointpresentation that includedalpine and sub-alpinemushrooms. Some of thefungi that are located atthese levels are smallerthan a penny. The majorityof the species are founddoing the “MushroomCrawl”. Our other speaker,Dr. Bryce Kendrickdiscussed Microscopic andMacroscopic species. TheEdmonton MycologicalSociety was fortunate tohave Bryce speak to ourclub at our general meetingthat followed the NAMAForay.

Of course, meetingfellow mushroomers fromall over North America had

to be one of the highlights ofthe weekend. The majorityof attendees were from theUnited States, some as far

away as Florida and New York. Themajority of the states were well

represented. Having a chance to talkto people about the types of fungi intheir areas and the environments thatthey grow in was a great learningexperience and a lot of fun.

And then there was Mycophagy.

When I read my conference programand saw: 4:30-5:30: MycophagyUrsula Pohl - I was more than alittle curious. When we went into thegymnasium to put our specimen outfor labelling, there was a table

marked “Mycophagy” Curiouser andcuriouser. Oh Well!!! who has time formysteries, there are mushrooms tofind and mountains to climb. At four-thirty I found out what mycophagywas all about-- FOOD. Yes, weenjoyed about ten different, deliciousand interesting dishes containingagarics, Boletus edules, shaggymanes, Rozites and others.

All-in-all a fantastic time washad by all.

Dr. Walt Sundberg explains some of the intricacies ofidentifying fungi to the beginner’s group at CachePercotte. The members of the group were not technicallybeginners, as in newbies, but we sure learned a lot andfound some very interesting fungi. Photo courtesy:Robert Rogers

NAMA Foray -Hinton


Exobasidium cf. vacciniiFlammulina velutipesFloccularia fuscaFomitopsis cajanderiFomitopsis pinicolaFuligo septicaGalerina hypnorumGanoderma applanatumGeastrum fimbriatumGeastrum quadrifidusGeastrum saccatumGeastrum triplexGeopyxis cf. carbonariaGloeophyllum odoratumGloeophyllum sepiariumGomphidius glutinosaGomphus clavatusGymnopilus penetrans ?Gymnopilus penetransGymnopus confluensGyromitra infulaHebeloma cf. crustuliniformeHebeloma sinapizansHelvella elasticaHelvella lacunosaHericium coralloidesHericium ramosumHydnellum caeruleumHydnellum suaveolensHydnum repandumHydnum umbilicatumHygophorus cf. piceaeHygrocybe acutoconicaHygrocybe conicusHygrophorus chrysodonHygrophorus erubescensHygrophorus hypothejusHygrophorus odoratusHygrophorus olivaceoalbusHygrophorus piceaeHygrophorus pudorinusHygrophorus russulaHypholoma capnoidesHypholoma fasciculareHypholoma sublateritiumHypomyces lateritius on Lactarius deterrimusHypomyces ochiaceus on Russula sp.Hypomyces sp.Hypsizygus tessulatusInocybe geophyllaInocybe lanuginosaInocybe cf. sororiaInocybe sp. rimosa groupInocybe splendens var.splendensInocybe cf. terriginaInonotus tomentosusLaccaria amethystinaLaccaria bicolorLaccaria laccataLaccaria pumilaLactarius aff. affinis var. affinis ?Lactarius affinis var. varidilactisLactarius deterrimusLactarius glyciosmusLactarius cf. kauffmaniiLactarius repraesentaneusLactarius resimusLactarius rufus

Lactarius scrobiculatusLactarius torminosus var. torminosus ?Lactarius uvidusLaxitextum bicolorLeccinum borealeLeccinum insigneLeccinum cf. insolens var. brunneo-maculatumLeccinum scabrum ?Lentinellus omphalodesLepiota cf. cortinariusLepiota cristataLepiota felinaLepiota sp. - clypeolaria groupLepista irina complexLepista nudaLeptonia sp. - asprella- gracilipes complexLeucopaxillus giganteusLycogala epidendrumLycoperdon perlatumLycoperdon pyriformeLyophyllum decastesLyophyllum fumosumMelanoleuca cognataMelanoleuca melaleuca ?Mycena aciculaMycena adonisMycena amabilissimaMycena flavoalbaMycena cf. greiseiconicaMycena haematopusMycena overholtsiiMycena puraMycena roridaOmphalina ericetorumOnnia tomentosusOtidea auriculaOtidea smithiiPanaeolus semiovatusPanaeolus solidipesPaneolus campanulatusPeziza arvernensisPeziza repandaPhacidium sp.Phellinus piniPhellinus tremulaePhlogiotis helvelloidesPholiota destruensPholiota flavidaPholiota cf. spumosaPholiota squarrosaPhragmidium sp. - poss. Rusa acicularisPhyllotopsis nidulansPluteus cervinusPluteus flavofuligineusPluteus leoninusPluteus lutescensPluteus luteusPluteus cf. pellitusPluteus petasatusPluteus romelliiPluteus sp. nov.Polyporus badiusPolyporus cf. elegansPolyporus variusPsathyrella multipedata ?Psathyrella velutinaRamaria abietina

Ramaria caulifloriformisRamaria concolorRamaria gelantiniaurantia var. gelantiniaurantiaRamaria leptoformosa ?Ramaria rubripermanensRamaria sandaracina var. sandaracinaRamaria sp.Ramaria sp. (subgenus Lentoramaria)Ramaria suecicaRamaria testaceoflavaRamariopsis kunziiRhodocollybia maculataRozites caperataRussula aureaRussula brevipesRussula cascadensis ?Russula crassotunicataRussula decoloransRussula delicaRussula cf. foetensRussula gracilisRussula griseaRussula cf. integraRussula luteaRussula subfoetensRussula virescensSarcodon calvatum var. odoratum ?Sarcodon scabrosusScutellinia scutellataSpathularia flavidaSpathularia velutipesSphaeronamella helvellaeSpongipellis spumeusStropharia alcisSuillus brevipesSuillus cf. brevipes var. subgracilisSuillus flavidusSuillus granulatusSuillus grevilliiSuillus laricinusSuillus tomentosusSuillus umbonatusSyzygospora sp.Thelephora caryophylleaThicholomopsis decoraTrametes pubescensTrametes suaveolensTrichaptum abietinumTrichaptum subchartaceumTricholoma cf. atrosquamosumTricholoma caligataTricholoma flavovirensTricholoma focaleTricholoma cf. inamoenumTricholoma myomycesTricholoma platyphyllaTricholoma saponaceumTricholoma sulphurescensTricholoma sulphureumTricholoma terreumTricholoma vaccinumTricholoma virgatumTricholomopsis decoraTricholomopsis rutilansTyromyces chioneusXeromphalina campanellaXeromphalina cauticinalis


Mushroom Stalks-or Stipes as we are toldthey should be called.

When looking at fungi we oftenconcentrate so much on the cap andthe gill structure that we forget allabout the stem (or stipe). It justholds up the mushroom to make iteasier for us to find, doesn’t it?

When you start looking at thevariations in the stipe you begin tounderstand that there is as muchinformation for identifying yourspecies in the stripe as in the otherpars of the mushroom. Be awarethat “Mushrooms of WesternCanada” (which many EMSmembers call ‘Leni’s book’) calls thispart of the mushroom the ‘stalk.’

Most books will show youvarious shapes of the stipe, whichare basically outlines of the shape.Others will also show you the waythe stipe attaches to the cap of themushroom. Both of these arevaluable bits of information but thereality of mushrooms is that theyseldom match the exact graphicrepresentations. Be aware ofvariances, even within the samepicking site, and use thatinformation as an indication ratherthan a definitive characteristic.

The stipe is so much more thanits overall shape and attachment.There is colour, staining, odour,texture and substance aswell.

Most indicators will be acombination of all thesecharacteristics.

Take our Leccinum boreale.The stipe is thick, solid, slightlyfibrous and has a fine netting of scaleson the outside. The stipe will changecolour when cut. No strong odour isnoticeable (except of course thewonderful mushroom smell). Onebook description is “white, grooved atthe top, coarse black ornamentation,massive; narrower at the top and thebase, up to 10cm tall and 3cm wide atthe top” Would you recognise the ‘RedTop” species you pick by thisdescription or have you mostlystopped at the cap and gill structure?The one point of ‘coarse blackornamentation’ is what will help youpick out this particular mushroomfrom its close cousins.

The Cortinarius species oftenhave thin wisps of fibre, left over fromthe detaching of the veil, on the stipe.This is used as a major indicator ofthis group of mushrooms.

The Gypsy (see main article)

has an easily movable, andremovable, portion of the veil on thestipe.

We are used to the Boletusspecies having solid stems. There are,however, some Suillus species thathave hollow stems – a cross sectionwould resemble a ring - hence thecommon name of one species being‘hollow-foot’.

Russula species have a greatrange in cap colours but the stipe isconsistent. One of the identifyingcharacteristics is that the stipe, whenbroken across the width, has a soundreminiscent of a piece of chalkbreaking.

The local Honey Mushroomshave two common edible types, whichare mostly differentiated by the sizeand formation of their stipe. Theearlier variety has a more slenderstalk, while the later variety is thick,approaching the size and shape of aLeccinum stipe. If you laid the twostalks together, minus the caps, youcould still tell the difference due tothe outside colour and the inside

consistency. The HoneyMushroom stipe has almosta cotton candy consistencyand is easier to tearlongitudinally, while theLeccinum is much moresolid.

The next time you aretrying to identify a species offungi, remember to look atthe outside, cut a cross-section, try breaking,tearing, smelling andrubbing the stipe. Theresulting information will bevaluable in youridentification process.

Loretta Puckrin

The straight stipe with alighter colour above thedelicate veil remnant istypical of Rozites.

Some mushroom varietiesgrow in clumps, like this

example of the hedgehog. This ‘clumping’ is also

true of Honeymushrooms. This

does not mean that aviable example of

either of thesecannot grow by itself.

By cutting a cross-section youcan easily see the inside colour,texture, and attachmentcharacteristics.Photos courtesy: Loretta Puckrin

A mushroom can have acompletely solid, partiallysolid or completelyhollow stipe - and theneverything in between.Again a cross section, thistime horizontally, showsthe difference clearly.

The stipe of the honey mushroom iseasy to shred. Even when trying tobreak it across the radius, therewill be splintering or a raggedbreak unlike the Russula, whichbreaks more cleanly. You can alsosee the woolly texture on the insideof the stipe and the bright whitecolour.


So, how old are fungianyway? Good question, let’s goback in time. Many of you willhave seen the Jurassic Parkmovies, with dinosaurs being thedominant force on Earth. Thesedinosaurs lived in the Triassic,Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods,i.e., from about 250 to 65 millionyears ago (mya), and many ofthem foraged on the lush plant lifethat was abundant at that time.What many people forget is thatmost of these plants are therebecause of fungi. Colonization of

terra nova by the first land plantsis believed to have happened in theOrdovician period, between 550and 440 mya. These plants wererelated to today’s liverworts,mosses, and hornworts, i.e., they

were small, generally grew inmoist areas, and lacked a numberof characteristics common totoday’s flowering plants. At thetime, terrestrial environmentswere harsh terrains, poor innutrients, and prone to

desiccation. Consequently, mostplants would have had a verydifficult time surviving theseconditions. We know that certainfungi assisted plants with thecolonization of land (more below).

We’re now closer to the origin offungi, but we still have to go backa few more years. So, let’s takethis journey and discover whenfungi likely first appeared and howthey have evolved over time.

Some general backgroundfirst. Fossil fungi tend to bemicroscopic and not always foundwith their reproductive structuresattached. Therefore, positiveidentification is often extremelydifficult. They are not especiallyrare as fossils, and the bestpreserved examples are generally

found in amber, e.g., inOligocene (34-24 mya) andCretaceous ambers (146-65 mya)from northern France. Fossilshave been found from each ofthe four divisions of fungi.

ChytridiomycetesThese tiny, predominantly

aquatic fungi are the oldest fungi andnaturally have the earliest fossilrecords. Their fossil remains havebeen found in the Vendian strata

(Late Precambrian, 650 to 544 mya)of northern Russia, and much moreabundantly in the more recentRhynie chert in Scotland (about 400mya; Taylor et al. 1992). Most fossilchytrids resemble representativesfrom two extant (meaning they arealive today) orders, theBlastocladiales and theSpizellomycetales. These ordersconsist of decomposers of organicmatter and plant parasites (Fig. 1,

the chytrid [top] has colonized theseed of a plant [bottom]).

ZygomycetesThe fossil records of

zygomyetes are restricted toarbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi,since they grow predominantly inthe roots of plants and preservemuch better than other free-livingzygomycetes. The earliest record ofan AM fungus came from a 460

million year old Ordovician fungusfound in Wisconsin. The fossilizedfungal hyphae (Fig. 2, hyphae inroots of a plant) and spores of thatspecimen strongly resembledmodern AM fungi, in particular

members of the Glomales. Similarfossilized fungi have been found inmany of the well-preserved ScottishRhynie chert plants, though to datethe only AM fungus formallydescribed has been those found in

the outer cortex of stems ofAglaophyton major (a fossil plant);it was named Glomites rhyniensis.

AscomycetesThe earliest unequivocal fossil

ascomycetes have been describedfrom the Rhynie chert (Taylor et al.1999). The fruiting bodies of thesefungi have been found just belowthe epidermis of partially decayedstems, rhizomes (below groundstems), and microphylls (tinyleaves) of the fossil lycophyteAsteroxylon mackiei (related totoday’s club mosses, e.g.,Lycopodium). The fossil history of

the ascomycetes is still poorlyunderstood because of the imperfect

Weird and wacky fungi– Precambrian Park: Fossil Fungi

(Weird and Wacky ...continued on page 9)


Devonian Exposition UpdateAgaricus spp.Agaricus silvicolaAgaricus crocodilinusAmanita vaginataChalciporus piperatusClavicorona pyxidataClitocybe gibbaClitocybe geotropaClitocybe spp.Cortinarius alboviolaceusCortinarius mucosusCortinarius spp.Cortinarius trivialisCrepidotus ellipsioidesCrepidotus mollisCystoderma cinnabarinaCystoderma amiantinumFomes fomentariusFomitopsis subroseusFomitopsis cajanderiFomitopsis pinicolaGanoderma applanatumGeastrum triplexGloeophyllum sepiariumGomphidius glutinosusGomphus clavatusHericium ramosumHydnellum peckiiHydnum repandumHygrophorus erubescensHypomyces luteo-virensHypsizygus marmoreusInocybe sororiaInonotus obliquusLactarius deliciosusLactarius rufusLeccinum borealeLeccinum fibrilosum

Leccinum insigneLeccinum snelliiLeptonia spp.Leucopaxillus giganteusLeucopaxillus piceinusLycoperdon perlatumLyophyllum decastesMarasmius oreadesNectria cinnabarinaNidula candidaPhellinus piniPhellinus igniariusPhellinus tremulaePholiota squarrosaPhyllotopsis nidulansPiptoporus betulinusPleurotus ostreatusPluteus cervinusPolyporus badiusPolyporus umbellatusPseudohydnum gelatinosumRozites caperataRussula subfoetansRussula aurigenaRussula spp.Russula decoloransRussula chamaeleontinaSpathularia flavidaStereum spp.Syzygospora mycetophilaTrametes sp.Trichaptum abatinumTrichaptum biformisTricholoma virgatumTricholoma calagatumTricholoma saponaceumXeromphalina campanella

Species List for the Devonian Exposition

Another very successful “City of Champignons”Exposition was held at the Devonian Gardens. With thewarm weather, lack of rain and scarcity of fungi, wewere all a bit concerned about the quantities andqualities of the fungi on display. Thanks to theforagers, the public had plenty to explore. WithMelanie’s leadership and a lot of hard work from EMSvolunteers, the Expo was a huge success.

Everyone braved the rain and the cold andenjoyed the warm atmosphere at the Pine Pavilion.Visitors learned about fungal identification by lookingat the fungi and seeing the spores at microscopic levels.They also had a chance to learn by watching apresentation by Martin Osis and checked out otherdisplay tables that included preserves, books, postersand other items pertaining to fungi. When it was timefor a break from all the learning, there was Judy andcompany (photo bottom, far right) cooking up a stormwith their mushroom soup and mushrooms on buns.The volunteers enjoyed a special treat-- mushroom burgers.

Our efforts were rewarded as wegained quite a few new members,approximately a dozen to date. Bysharing our knowledge we are helpingthe general public understand therole fungi play in our environmentand the role they play in healthmatters as well.

A huge thank you goes out toour hosts at the Devonian BotanicGardens. Thanks for asking us backagain this year, for allowing us to useyour beautiful facilities (the PinePavilion), and for your advertisingand encouragement.

Photos courtesy: Henry Kolacz


nature of the fossil record. Essentialcharacters are only rarely preserved.

The special significance of theRhynie chert is that structures arepreserved in great detail. Forexample, the Rhynie chertascomycetes contain characters ofthe sexual stage of the fungus (e.g.,

perithecium [Fig. 3, the sexualreproductive structure], asci, andascospores), which aremorphologically identicalto those found in modernpyrenomycetes (a generalterm given to smallascomycetes with flask-shaped reproductivestructures). This discoveryhas had significantimplications for dating the

origin of this group offungi.

BasidiomycetesTwo fossil fungi

similar to extantTricholomataceae havebeen found in amber fromthe Cretaceous (146-65

mya) and Miocene (24-5 mya)periods. The fruiting bodies ofArchaeomarasmius leggetti (Fig. 4)from mid-Cretaceous amber of NewJersey resemble the extant generaMarasmius and Marasmiellus(Hibbett et al. 1997). Its spores aresmooth and broadly elliptic with adistinct hilar appendage (a tinybasal “knob” on the spore).Protomycena electra, similar to theextant genus Mycena, is representedby a single, complete fruiting bodyfrom Miocene amber of theDominican Republic. Based oncomparison to extant Marasmiusand Mycena species, the two fossilfungi were likely decomposers ofleaf litter or wood debris.

We don’t have to go overseasthough to find fossil fungi. Fossilectomycorrhizal fungi were found

recently among plant remains inthe middle Eocene (55-34 mya)Princeton chert in B.C. The fungiwere associated with roots of pinetrees, and although no fruitingbodies were found, theirmorphological characteristics and

the identity of the host suggest thatthey were closely related toRhizopogon and/or Suillus (LePageet al. 1997). In that same chert,Currah and Stockey (1991) foundevidence of another basidiomcyete.

This one was a smut (a parasite),which had colonized thereproductive structures of aflowering plant. In fact, our co-founder and life member RandyCurrah is in an elite group ofmycologists worldwide to haveexamined fossil fungi.

So, from an evolutionaryperspective, chytrids are the oldestfungi, followed by zygomycetes,ascomycetes, and finally ouryoungest fungi, the basidiomycetes.Fungi are older than any land plantand most likely facilitated theexpansion of aquatic plants ontoland some 500 mya. Comparatively,the fossil record of fungi is quitespotty and rather small comparedto that of plants and animals, butin time, many of the gaps will befilled, and we will gain a betterunderstanding of the origin andhistory of this remarkable Kingdom

of Fungi.Photo courtesy: Markus Thormann

Literature cited

Currah, R.S. & R.A. Stockey. 1991. Afossil smut fungus from theanthers of an Eocene angiosperm.Nature 350: 698-699.

Hibbett, D. S., Grimaldi & M.J.Donoghue. 1997. Fossilmushrooms from Miocene andCretaceous ambers and theevolution ofHomobasidiomycetes. Amer. J.

Bot. 84: 981-991.

LePage, B.A., Currah, R.S., Stockey,R.A. & G.W. Rothwell. 1997.Fossil ectomycorrhizae from themiddle Eocene. Amer. J. Bot. 84:410-412.

Taylor, T.N., Hass, H. & H. Kerp.1999. The oldest fossilascomycetes. Nature 399: 648.

Taylor, T.N., Remy, W. & H. Hass.1992. Fungi from the LowerDevonian Rhynie chert:Chytridiomycetes. Amer. J. Bot.79:1233-1241.

Markus Thormann

Weird and Wacky

(continued from page 7)


Foray Updates July 08-09 2006,

Ashland Dam and adjacent

property species list

Agaricus silvicolaAmanita vaginataBisporella citrinaBoletus zelleriClavaria pyxidataCollybia dryophilaCoprinus comatusCortinarius aurantioturbinatusCortinarius sp.Crepidotus mollisDacrymyces palmatusFomes fomentariusFomitopsis cajanderiFomitopsis pinicolaGalerina sp.Ganoderma applanatumGeastrum quadrifidumGloeophyllum sepiariumGomphus clavatusHericium ramosumHydnellum caeruleumLactarius rufusLeccinum borealeLenzites betulinaLeucopaxillus giganteusLeucopaxillus piceinusLycogala epidendrumMelanoleuca cognataPeziza repandaPhellinus igniariusPhellinus piniPhellinus tremulaePholiota sp.Phyllotopsis nidulansPiptoporus betulinusPleurotus ostreatusPleuteus lutescensPluteus cervinusPluteus patriciusPolyporus variusPsathyrella sp.Russula aerugineaRussula brevipesRussula emeticaRussula sp.Russula xerampelinaScutellinia scutellataStemonitis axiferaStemonitis splendensStereum hirsutumStereum purpureumTrametes elegansTrametes hirsutaTrichaptum abietinumTrichaptum biformeTricholoma populinum

Species List for the Edmonton

River Valley ForayAgaricus silvicolaAgaricus sp.Clitocybe sp.Coprinus atramentariusFomes fomentariusGandoderma applanatum

Grifola umbellataHebeloma crustuliniformeInocybe euthelesMarasmius oreadesPholiota spumosaPluteus cervinus

Polyporus badiusRussula subfoetensStereum sp.Trametes hirsutaTrametes versicolor

The members of the first foray of the 2006 year for the EdmontonMycological Society as they gather for the Morel Hunt.Photo courtesy: AlanFleming

The Edmonton MycologicalSociety has had a number of foraysthis year, some forays were wellattended and some forayswitnessed the few and hardy. The

Rannach Grazing Reserve Foray(picture above) was a lot of fun butthe fungi did not cooperate. Therewere a couple of forays in the rivervalley and at one of them, thePioneer Cabin Foray, an interestingfungus was found. A Grifola

umbellata was growing on a pieceof ginger. Who would have thoughtwe grew pieces of ginger inEdmonton!!!

The Poplar Creek andAshland Dam weekends were well

attended and there was a degree of

success as can be seen by thespecies list for Ashland Dam (side-bar).

The NAMA foray, the Bow

Valley Foray and the DevonianExposition are featured elsewherein this issue.

Still to come is the final forayfor this season at Lambert Creek(by the time you receive this issue,

that too will have past and hopefullymany made it and had greatsuccess).

Grifola umbellata growing on a piece ofginger.Photo courtesy: Geraldine Kolacz


Bow Valley Foray Update

A dozen or so EMS membersfrom the Edmonton areatravelled south to attend a forayin Bow Valley Provincial Park onthe July 22nd weekend. Sevenmembers from Calgary werehappy to commute daily to theforay site, to join them in eventsin their own backyard.

Temperatures were hot andthe ground dry, and mushroomdiversity was inevitably affectedby these conditions. However,some species were found,adequate to prepare animpressive fungal exhibit forpeople who came to the VisitorCentre of the park on Sundayafternoon.

One very unusual specimenappeared in the exhibit – achanterelle (Cantharelluscibarius) - much to the surprise ofmany members who claimed thatthis particular mushroom did notgrow in the southern region ofthe province. The mystery wassolved when it was learned that ithad in fact been brought in by amember who had been on a foraya few days earlier (in theSt. Catharine’s area of Ontario).

Members participated in twointeresting hikes on their forays –one in the Grotto Canyon (nospecies here) and another alongthe Heart Creek Trail (somespecimens of both mushroomsand wild berries).

Daily group picnics,involving a sharing of food items,added to the enjoyment of theweekend.

The success of the foray canbe attributed to the ability of theorganizers to be flexible inorganizing the program to matchpresent conditions, as well as tothe ability of members to simplyhave a good time together,sharing common as well asdiverse interests.

We in Calgary, appreciate theefforts of the Foray leaders toplan a weekend within easydriving distance for Calgarymembers and look forward to anyfuture EMS forays in this region.In the meantime, we will try toget together as an informal groupto pursue our common interest.

Ethel Luhtanen

Rozites caperata

R. caperatus

Cortinarius caperatus

(THE GYPSY)

Rozites is named after the 19thcentury French mycologist ErnestRoze. Caperata means wrinkled.

The Gypsy is widespread andcommon throughout our woods,found singly or in groups on theground. It is one of my favouriteedibles, with a pleasant odour, andminty flavour.

It contains the amino acid, S-2-amino ethyl-4-cysteine.

The fungi contains anti-carcinogenic substances, withinhibition rates against bothsarcoma 180 and Ehrlich carcinomaof 70%.

New anti-viralA new anti-viral, RC-183, has

been found to show in vitro activityagainst the herpes simplex I and II,

as well as varicella zoster virus,influenza A virus and therespiratory syncytial virus. Drs.Pirano and Brandt at theUniversity of Wisconsin- MadisonMedical School reported this

discovery in Anti-Viral Research,1999 43:2.

An anti-viral drug RC28, basedon a protein molecular weight of 28 kD has been shown activeagainst a number of enveloped

viruses. As well as those virusescited above, activity against Cytomegalovirus has been noted.

It is not active against non-enveloped viruses such as Coxsackieand strains of ECHO viruses. Work

is ongoing. Frank Pirano et al, IntJ Med Mush 2005 7:3.

The related R. gonglylophorais cultivated in Brazil by leafcuttingants that eat the mycelical hyphae.

- The Fungal PharmacyMedicinal Mushrooms

of Western Canadaby Robert Rogers


SeptemberFoothills Campout and ForayMushroom: Honey Mushrooms,

Hedgehogs and Chanterelles

Location: Lambert Creek Area

Meeting: Honey mushrooms - themultiple faces of Armillaria by MarkusThormann

OctoberMeeting: Scary and nasty mushroomsby Martin OsisPhoto Contest Recap

NovemberPresident’s DinnerWatch for details. This is an

excellent way to wind up the year and, ofcourse, find out who the winners of the

Photo Contest are as well as enjoy goodfood and good company.

EMS Calendar of Events for 2006

Last two meetings for 2006 areSeptember 27 and October 25

Time: 7:00 pm Location: Riverbend Library

Please Join Us!!All forays are undertaken at your ownrisk. You are responsible for transpor-tation and accommodation.

21

27

25

TBA

9/10

Cystidia are special “sterile” cells that are found onthe gills and other parts of some mushrooms. There aremany shapes and sizes of cystidia. Because of thischaracteristic, a cystidium cell can be very useful in

fungal identification. Cystidia cells do not produce sporesbut are located with the basidia, which are the sporeproducing structures. The cystidia are larger and whenseen under a microscope their shapes are very distinct.To the right is a diagram of cystidia and basidia.

Image of Panaeolus semiovatus from Joseph Henri Léveillé (1837) Sur lehymenium des champignons in Annales des Sciences Naturelles. Botanique

Sorrentino’s Mushroom Walk

and Dinner, September 10, 2006In the afternoon of September 10, 42 mushroom-lovers

met under a sunny sky at Sorrentino’s West to participate inthis year’s Mushroom Walk & Dinner. Under the leadership ofMartin Osis, we embarked on a 2 1/2 –hr. walk through nearbycity parks and neighborhoods and picked any and allmushrooms we could find. Along with the identities of eachmushroom, Martin, Melanie, and Markus introduced everyoneto the diversity and many unusual characters of the world offungi. Shortly before 6 p.m., we returned to the restaurant and

enjoyed a scrumptious meal. A forest mushroom soup wettedour appetites and was followed by one of three entrees (gnocchi,penne, or risotto, each with various wild and cultivatedmushrooms) and a delicious tiramisu for dessert. Allparticipants had a lot of fun and enjoyed themselves. This wasthe second year we participated in Sorrentino’s Mushroom

Agaricus arvensisAgaricus sp.Armillaria mellea groupBovista sp.Collybia sp.Coprinus atramentariusCoprinus comatusCoprinus quadrifidusCortinarius sp.

Crepidotus sp.Hebeloma crustuliniformeLactarius deliciosusLactarius sp.Lepista sp.Lycoperdon perlatumMarasmius oreadesSuillus grevelliiTrametes pubescensTricholoma flavovirens

The Annual General Meeting of the

EMS will be in February 2007

Species List

rozites caperata - alberta mycological society

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