BULLETIN OF THE PUGET SOUND MYCOLOGICALSOCIETY
Number 353, June 1999
Electronic Edition is published monthly, September through Juneby the
Puget Sound Mycological Society
Center for Urban Horticulture, Box 354115
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
(206) 522-6031
Agnes A. Sieger, Editor
BOARD NEWS Agnes Sieger
Brandon Matheny and Ron Post have agreed tochair the annual exhibit, and Joanne Young will co-chair. HaroldSchnarre will be in charge of construction. Jim Berlstein feels hemay be able to get some of his students to take on some duties suchas parking in exchange for free admission. We have found apermanent source for the pins used on the ID tags at the annualexhibit. We have a computer file of all the mushroom species foundin Mushrooms Demystified, and are working on a labelingprogram. We may need to acquire an inexpensive printer.
The microscopy class is scheduled for July. Atthe last board meeting of the Stuntz Foundation, Dr. Ammiratisuggested a more encompassing microscopy training involving the useof his lab. The Spring Foray at Meany Hall is rescheduled to June5_6. Steven Bell will set a date and get reservations for nextyear's survivor's banquet. The society needs someone to take overtelephone ID referrals.
Approximately 50 more membership renewals havecome in since reminder cards were sent out.
Taylor Lockwood has designed a postcard withfour beautiful mushroom stamp designs which he will submit to theUS Postal Service. Board members signed the back of the postcard,and Joanne will write a letter from PSMS to accompany it.
CALENDAR
June 8 Membership meeting, 7:30 PM, CUH
June 12 Fungi Perfecti field trip
August 12_15 NAMA foray, Cape Girardeau,Missouri
August 23 Board meeting, 7:30 PM, CUH
August 27 Spore Prints deadline
September 14 Membership meeting, 7:30 PM,CUH
October 9_10 Annual exhibit
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Tuesday, June 8, at 7:30 PM at the Center forUrban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
Our guest speaker for June is Dr. Joseph F.Ammirati. His topic will be "Fungi and Habitats."
PSMS first heard of Dr. Ammirati in 1982 whenDr. Stuntz gave a talk about "the fetid swamp ofCortinarius" and mentioned a young mycologist who might, intime, develop some understanding of the genus. Dr. Ammirati nowchairs the Botany Department at the University of Washington. Dr.Ammirati is a true friend of the hobbyist. He has been ourscientific advisor for 14 years and was advisor for our Barlow Passstudy, the Oregon chanterelle project, and the Pacific NorthwestKey Council. He was foray mycologist for several North AmericanMycological Association forays including the one hosted by PSMS in1993. He has been foray mycologist for amateur societiesinnumerable times and has spoken at their meetings, classes,forays, and banquets. Now, once again, he will address our society.He may mention Cortinarius.
Would persons with last names beginning with theletters F_L please bring refreshments for the social hour? Thanksto everyone who brought refreshments last month.
FROM THE PRESIDENT Doug Ward
The good news is that the morels are starting toappear in many of the usual places. Some even better news is thatRon Post and Brandon Matheny have agreed to co-chair the AnnualExhibit this Fall. Please be receptive to their requests forassistance.
The unusual spring has caused a number ofchanges to the weekend outing schedule. This has pointed out thatit is important to check the the PSMS answering machine, (206)522-6031, as well as the Web site for those with Internet access.Webmaster Steven Bell has informed me that field trip informationwill start appearing in the "members only" section of the PSMSsite, www.psms.org. The name and password information for thatsection are listed at the bottom of this page.
See you at the June meeting.
MEMBERS ONLY WEB SITE Steven Bell
To log onto the "Members Only" section of thePSMS web site, www.psms.org, type the following for "User ID" and"Password:"
See the most recent print version of Spore Prints for thecurrent password
The passwords will be changed regularly, so besure to check the Web Site section of each month's SporePrints.
This will be the last newsletter untilSeptember.
Have a good summer!
St. Edwards Field Trip LynnElwell
St. Edward's was our first Sunday outing inrecent years. St. Edward is a lovely park, and it is a very shortdrive for almost everyone. Harry Chalekian provided coffee. MikeLovelady and Harold Schnarre shared their knowlege and took peopleon walks. The small group of wet 'shroomers found quite a fewoyster mushrooms. (The park has a lot of alder.) Ten or 12 peopleattended. Everybody left by 1:00 PM.
ELSIE BURKMAN COPRINUS PICTUREWANTED
The exhibit committee wants to display a pictureof a Coprinus on this year's poster. Do you have aCoprinus painted by Elsie Burkman that the committee maycopy? Please make arrangements with Patrice Benson.
Elsie is special because, well, she's Elsie. Sheis one of our few remaining charter members and is an artist whopaints with ink from Coprinus comatus, the shaggy mane.Elsie has been coming to annual exhibits for 35 years. Look for herin the exhibit art section this year. You'll be glad you mether.
FUNGI PERFECTI FIELD TRIP UPDATE J.Young
The Fungi Perfecti tour is at 11:00 AM Saturday,June 12th. Fungi Perfecti is Paul Stamets' mushroom cultivation andresearch complex which is seldom open to visitors. PSMS members whowish to carpool may meet at the Tukwila Park & Plan to meet nolater than 9:00 AM. There will be maps available at the Junemembership meeting.
A Chemist Smells Mushrooms D.DeShazer Mycophile, March/April 1999
reprinted from the MSSF Web site
The field of mycology is lucky to have OrganicChemistry Professor William Wood sniffing the odors of fleshyfungi. Dr. Wood has been the Chemistry Department Chair and a pastrecipient of the Outstanding Professor of the Year at HumboldtState University (HSU). He is well known at HSU for his livelylecturing style and wide-ranging research interests, whichencompass the odors of wild mushrooms, the defensive spray ofskunks, and antibiotic compounds.
Recently, Dr. Wood gave a lecture to both theMycological Society of San Francisco and the Sonoma CountyMycological Association that was well illustrated with slides. Itcovered the importance of fungal odors, odor receptor theory,fungal odor history, the chemistry of mushroom odors, and thevariability of mushroom odors. The talk concluded with a shortpresentation of the flavor-enhancing ability of some ediblemushrooms.
The odors of fungi are important and are usedextensively in the literature, in descriptions, and in keys tomushrooms. People smell odors because the odor molecule (called theodorant) fits into a molecular receptor in our nose. It turns outthat ANY similar chemical fitting into the slot of the receptorwill be perceived as a similar smell, even though the chemical isdifferent. DNA research has indicated that we have up to 1000different receptors in our nose. Not every person has all of thesereceptors. Individuals not having a receptor class are "anosmic" tothat class of chemicals and cannot detect it. Another problem inhuman odor perception is "olfactory fatigue" which is caused when ahigh dose of odorant binds tightly to the receptors and blocksthem. When this happens, we cannot detect the odor of further dosesof the odorant. In nature, the chemicals responsible for theseodors are there for adaptive reasons—either to attract orrepulse another creature.
Dr. Wood's research continues to determine thechemicals responsible for other mushroom odors. He indicated thathe hopes to find the chemicals responsible for farinaceous odorsand that this odor is best observed from freshly cut specimens.
He concluded with a discussion of the chemistryand action of flavor enhancers. Many mushrooms contain flavorenhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). This is the samechemical once believed to be responsible for the "ChineseRestaurant Syndrome." It is now known that histamines in soy sauceare the real culprit, not MSG. Another flavor enhancer is5'-guanosine monophosphate (5'GMP). These chemicals are found inPleurotus ostreatus, Coprinus comatus, andLentinusedodes. All three of these edibles enhance the flavor of dishesand contribute to the full, balanced taste of a meal.
A few words of caution for mycologists: Mushroomodors are best noted in fresh specimens because they can changewith time. For some odors, the mushroom must be crushed to releasethe odor. And finally, when describing a fungal odor, avoid generalterms like fruity or fragrant. It is best to connect it to anothercommon smell, such as peppermint or almonds.
Odor Chemical Mushroom
mushroom alcohol 1-octen-3-o1 common mushroom
Red hots methyl cinnamate Tricholoma magnivelare
garlic lenthionine Lentinus edodes
maraschino cherries benzyl alcohol Agaricus augustus
truffles dimethyl sulphide commercial truffles
almond benzyl aldehyde Agaricus augustus
coumarin coumarin Hydnellum suaveolens
anise p-anisaldehyde Hydnellum suaveolens
tooty-fruity 1,3-imethoxybenzene Nolaneafructufragrans
burnt sugar o-aminobenzaldehyde Hebelomasacchariolens
decaying carrion a mixture of many Phallus impudicus
farinaceous or mealy unknown Leucopaxillus amarus
cucumber & farinaceous 2-nonenal Clitopilusprunulus
A Fanciful Report from the PsilocybeFields The Mycophile, March/April 1999
Mike Bloom: On a recent photographicfield trip, I came across a patch of Psilocybe cyanescens.It was tricky to find full fruiting bodies in good shape for aphotograph because the slugs had eaten most of the gills. It leftme with a burning question: Do slugs have enough of a brain tohallucinate? And if, as at least one theorist proposes, eatingPsilocybe caused man to evolve into intelligent life, arethere now super-intelligent slugs sliming their way through theforest?
I'd appreciate any answers. A direct reply froma hyper-evolved slug would be best, of course.
Paul Stamets: My opinion is that slugswhich consume Psilocybe are on a rapid-track of evolution,and if we are not careful, in a billion or two years (plus or minusa decade or so) they will take over mycological societies.
Brad Millar: From my observation of theCongress and other governmental departments, slugs have evolvedquite far, but have yet to gain even the rudiments ofintelligence.
THE ROLE OF FUNGI IN SOIL SusanGoldhor
Boston Mycological Club Bulletin, March 1999
Soil is not just particles of minerals; it is ahighly variable ecosystem in which fungi play major roles. ElaineIngham, the co-founder of Soil Foodweb, Inc., an innovative companybased in Oregon, writes in last August's BioCycle, that onecan compare soil to a brick house. Bacteria make the `bricks";i.e., they glue the minute mineral particles of clay (colloids,silt particles, sand grains, etc.) together and to the organicparticles in soil, using extracellular slime. But fungi act as thebricklayers, gluing together the composites formed by bacteria.Root hairs also help. And finally, the "rooms" in the house areformed by the larger organisms, such as protozoa, beneficialnematodes, soil arthropods, and worms. Without bacteria and fungi,we wouldn't have soil; we would just have anaerobic dirt. Ateaspoon of healthy lawn soil should contain about 600 millionbacteria, about three miles of fungal hyphae, 10,000 protozoa, andup to 30 nematodes. A teaspoon of compost could have much more; forexample, up to several hundred miles of fungal hyphae!
Not only do bacteria and fungi hold soiltogether, they hold fertilizer in the soil. Without healthybacterial and fungal populations, fertilizer washes out of soil andinto water supplies. In many cases, soil has become dirt; itsoriginal ecosystem wiped out by overuse of chemical fertilizers,herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. To turn that dirt back intosoil, it's helpful to use compost. But, as we learn more about therelationships between soil and what grows in it, we are learningthat compost is as complex and variable as soil.
One way in which composts are now categorized isby their fungal_bacterial ratios. Experts now recognize threecategories: bacteria-dominated, fungi equal to bacteria, andfungi-dominated. Which is better depends on what you want to growin that soil. Lawns, vegetables, and row crops seem to do better inbacterially dominated soils (which tend to be mildly alkaline),while trees do better in fungally dominated soils (moreacidic—no wonder New England soils want to grow trees!).
Attempting to keep up with the times, I went totalk to a company selling mycorrhizal spores for soil inoculation,since I intended to plant trees. `Which should I buy?,' I asked,eager to support fungal ventures. We had a long talk, at the end ofwhich the salesman finally asked where I was going to plant them. Itold him they would go into a yard that was mostly woodland."Listen," he said, "you don't need our stuff. All the fungi we sellare already there. Just plant your trees."
TRUFFLES Susan Goldhor
Boston Mycological Club Bulletin, March 1999
A number of our fellow mycophiles' newslettershave contained articles about the recent genetic examination ofblack truffles (Tuber melanosporum), which grow mostly inSpain, France, and Italy, and show variability in several traits,included taste and odor—the most valuable and delicious beingfrom the Perigord region of France.
An article by Bill Freedman in the October issueof Mycena News (Mycological Society of San Francisco)reports that European investigators found that the quality of blacktruffles has everything to do with where they grow and little ornothing to do with genetic variability. In fact, although summerand autumn truffles showed significant genetic variability, blacktruffles showed almost none.
Bill writes, "The difference in geneticvariability is explained in this way: The black truffle ripens inwinter and is not tolerant to frost. Their restricted appearance insouthwestern Europe is thought to be due to glaciation about 10,000years ago. As the glaciers moved southward, they wiped out most ofthe broad-leaved hardwoods on whose roots the black truffledepended for nutrition. The glaciers melted before reaching theshores of the Mediterranean Sea, depositing soil, seeds, and sporesfor both trees and fungi. The lack of genetic variation suggeststhat the origin of the black truffle came from a limited, perhapsrecent, source. Perhaps only a few trees initially survived beingcarried down from the North and the fungus may not have had time toexperience significant genetic changes."
The same article reports that two Americanfarms—one in California and one in North Carolina—aregrowing black truffles, and the USDA is considering truffles as analternative crop for tobacco farmers. As someone who has tried someof the California truffle products and once had the ecstaticexperience of eating the true Perigord truffle, I hope they takeinto consideration the question of location in flavordevelopment!
HOW DID TWO FELLOWS FROM TULSA COME TO BEEXHIBIT CHAIRS? Dick Sieger
PSMS is having an annual exhibit this year onlybecause Ron Post and Brandon Matheny agreed at the May boardmeeting to be co-chairs. They are taking on a big job that usuallystarts 15 months beforehand. The exhibit will be at CUH onOctober 9 and 10, so they have just 5 months in which to catchup. They need a great deal of help from the rest of us.
Ron Post was exhibit publicity chair from1988_1990. Then he worked for several years to produce a wonderfulmushroom conservation pamphlet and video presentation. Along theway, he was elected to the board. He became the PSMS conservationand ecology chair in 1991. He helped convince the state legislatureand Forest Service to write laws and regulations beneficial tomushroomers. He sought someone to replace him as chair in 1993 butcontinued to hold that position for 3 more years. Ron coordinatedPSMS's participation in the Man in the Biosphere chanterelle studyand has been our book sales chair since 1997.
Brandon Matheny joined PSMS in 1995 andtook off running. By October he was leading a group of mushroomersat The Mountaineers/PSMS foray and in December was one of theidentifiers at a field trip. Two months later, he organized amicroscope study group and in May became education chair. A yearlater, he was elected to the board. To keep busy, he helped installthe shelving in our office. He has been microscopy chair at theexhibit for several years and is one of its principal identifiers.Needing more of a challenge, Brandon entered graduate school at theUniversity of Washington last year. He is studying Inocybeand working toward a Master's degree.
Help them catch up!
POLENTA and BOLETUS STEW GeorgeRafanelli
Stew
1/4 lb. butter
1 medium onion
Parsley, chopped
2 fryers, cut up
Salt and pepper
Tomato paste, small can
Chicken broth (home made or canned)
1 quart fresh Boletus
Melt butter in a large roast pan. Add choppedonion and parsley. Cook on top of stove until onion is transparent.Salt and pepper the chicken pieces and fry them in the pan over theonions. Put in the oven on broil until chicken is browned.
Mix tomato paste with the chicken broth and pourover the chicken. Add enough broth to cover the meat. Addmushrooms.
Cover the roasting pan and cook in 350_400ºoven. Taste stew after 1/2 hour and add salt and pepper ifrequired. Cook until chicken tests done.
Polenta
11/2 qt. water
2 teaspoons salt
11/2 cups yellow cornmeal
In a heavy 3_4 qt. sauce pan, bring water andsalt to a boil. Pour the uncooked corn meal slowly into the boilingwater, making sure that the boiling never stops. Stir constantly tokeep the mixture smooth. Reduce the heat and simmer the polenta,stirring frequently for 20_30 minutes or until it is so thick thatthe spoon will stand up unsupported in the pan. Turn out on a largeplatter to serve.
Slice from the platter into dishes at the table.Cover with a generous serving of Boletus stew.
Eat heartily! (Feeds six hungry people)