Sam's Corner
First Quarter of 2005
Topics
Massabesic Revisited 8/29/04
Delta Institute Trip 9/19/04
A Thank you and an Aborted Foray !! 10/16/04
Fungi at Hedgehog Mountain, Freeport 10/24/04
October 30, 2004, at Laurie Leonard’s, Falmouth
Amanita ristichii – rediscovered !!
Massabesic Revisited 8/29/04
Back to top
Let me share some of the highlights -
Amanita albocreata - mistaken for something else but it has no veil - is white with scales and striate. Take a spore print - it should be amyloid. Try to key it out in Phillips. Amanita flavoconia is mistaken for frostiana , which has inamyloid spores. Cortinarius iodes - iodes has reference to its blue pileus, which is very glutinous - as is the stipe. C. semisanguineus is good as a dye source. Lactarius piperatus is one of the species that is white, has close gills and is very hot! Lactarius chrysorheus and L. vinaceofufescens have yellow milk and are acrid. Tricholomopsis (=Collybia) platyphylla is a good source for insects. When you dig it out of the rotted log look for the diagnostic white "shoe string" rhizomorph.
Boletus hortonii (= subglabripes var. corrugis) has a pileus that stains red in KOH. Boletus piperatus is a small bolete with red pores, bright yellow stipe at the base, and is peppery. What is its look-alike!! Did you know that Strobilomyces floccopus has black spores and the tubes turn red when cut? Do you know its look-alike? I think it should be named old lady not old man of the woods!
Coltricia cinnamomea has a silky brown cap and is found in abundance along logging roads. Do you know why? Cerrena (=Daedalea) unicolor has a special fascinating story. It produces a "scent" that attracts a wasp with a long ovipositor - the wasp is called Megarhyssa. It drills into the wood to deposit eggs. When its eggs hatch, the larvae parasitize [another larvae] the horntail larvae that feeds in the wood. Let me know if you are interested in the entire drama - I will send a print out!!
And lastly - the ascomycete Hypomyces lactifluorum parasitizes species of Russula and Lactarius - but 95% of the time, Russula brevipes. The "embalming" turns the specimen orange and gets its name, the lobster fungus. Rick Tibbetts sells these "mycological lobsters" for $12/lb.!!!
Delta Institute Trip 9/19/04
Back to top
Back to MMA Home
Twenty-three people came to find about 70 species . Here is the story for some of the species.
Gilled - Amanita flavoconia mistaken for frostiana - which has striations on cap margin, white collar at top of bulb and spores that are inamyloid with Melzer's (take spore print on glass or foil to get accurate Melzer's reaction). Coprinus atramentarius - good edible but no alcohol with meal. Look-alike is quadrifidus, which will make you sick. Hygrophorus unquinosus - sticky grey cap, white gills; H. pratensis - salmon color cap, gills free (see Audubon). Can you separate Hygrophorus coccineus, puniceus, miniatus? Laccaria ochropurpurea looks like large L. amethystina - found frequently on pathways. (See the two photos in Audubon.)
Boletes - spadiceus (see photo in Phillips) brown tomentose cap, large yellow pores, flesh turns blue-green in dilute ammonia. Tylopilus felleus - people are mistaking this species for edulis. Compare the pore colors and the color of the spore print. Suillus pictus - good edible when not too old.
Toothed fungi - Hydnum repandum - very good edible. (see Phillips)
Ascomycetes - Hypoxylon fragiforme (see Audubon) - interesting fungus to watch over time. First, (very common on beech) it has 3 color changes. Young = grey. This is the imperfect stage with conidia. Second stage reddish = beginning of perfect stage. Black - these are the ascospores. Mark a beech log and keep dates. Neolecta irregularis - yellow earth tongue resembling a Clavaria.
Poroid-Gilled - Lenzites betulina - This is a colorful fungus when fresh. The "gills" are actually "stretched" pores. How many more hosts can you find for this species?
I hope many of you are looking in your books.
A Thank you and an Aborted Foray !! 10/16/04
Back to top
Thank you! Thank you, generous people for the cord of wood!!
Since Seanna Annis cancelled the trip to Orono, Dot, Gary, Kendra, Marie and Cheryl had a foray with me in North Yarmouth. Here are a few entities we found or brought.
Gilled - Lyophyllum decastes, Tricholoma sejunctum, lavender Cortinarius, Galerina umbonatus, Cystoderma sp., Entoloma abortivum
Poroid -- Polyporus brumalis, Lenzites betulinus
Toothed - Hydnum (=Hericium) erinaceum
Puffball, etc. (=Gasteromycetes) - Scleroderma citrinum, Phallus impudicus, Ischnoderma resinosa, Ganoderma (lucidum, tsugae)
Here are a few interesting notes on several species. For me the most interesting was the Phallus impudicus - which is called stinkhorn or phallic fungus. It contains the spores - and attracts insects. We left one specimen of the path. When we returned an hour later there were 7 flies "eating" the black liquid. Remarkable attractant. Cantharellus umbonatus (= cantharellula) is always found with haircap moss (Polythriam) and has a pronounced umbo on the pileus. Galerina autumnalis is a very poisonous fungus - with brown spores, brown pileus, gills, and stipe. It has a very distinctive ring on stem. Grows on decayed wood. It is as toxic as Amanita virosa and attacks the -liver - the poison symptoms may not appear for 2-10 hours. Look at the pictures in your mushroom books.
You should learn the two interesting species of Ganoderma - viz lucidum and tsugae. Both have a "red varnish" on the upper surface - lucidum is found on deciduous wood and is believed to be Ling Chih, the Chinese mushroom of immortality. A candy made of Ling Chih is sold in Chinese stores. Do you know which species is for on conifers or deciduous wood? Consult Audubon and Cheryl.
I would like to see someone follow G. tsugae from day 1 to day 60 - to report the anatomical changes. What color are the spores? What remarkable decorations do the spores have? What insects live in tsugae? What does Stamets sell this species for? I am offering one spore art for the best story…..
Fungi at Hedgehog Mountain, Freeport 10/24/04
Back to top
Twenty-five seekers came to Hedgehog Mountain preserve. About 75 species got names - 20 did not.
This is a remarkable area - it is one of the few places in the state that contains Leatherwood, Dirca palustris, also known as rope bark. Belongs to the family Thymelaeaceae. The shrub Daphne belongs in this family, also.
We found the following interesting fungi:
Gilled - Armillaria mellea, ostoyea; Collybia maculata, Cortinarius alboviolaceus, Coprinus comatus, atramentarius, micaceus; Crepidotus mollis (= fulvotomentosus); Entoloma abortivum; Hypholoma capnoides; Galerina autumnalis; Lepista nuda; Panellus serotinus; Pluteus cervinus; Rozites caperata; Russula brevipes; Stropharia aeruginosa; Tricholoma orirubens, sciodes, sejunctum; Tricholomopsis decora.
Boletes - Suillus grevillei, luteus.
Polypores - Oxyporus populinus; Polyporus brumalis; Steccherinum (=Hydnum) ochraceum
Jellies, Tooth & Leather - Hericium erinaceus, Hydnochaete olivaceum
Puffball - Lycoperdon pyriforme
Ascomycetes - Bisporella citrina; Scutellinia scutellata
Slime molds - Lycogala epidendrum (two stages); Metatrichia vesparium, Trichia scabra
For me the following were the most interesting.
Crepidotus fulvotomentosus because of its descriptive name (tell me why). Armillaria mellea, Entoloma abortivum - because the Armillaria is connected to the aborted form of Entoloma. Lepista nuda because it "mimics" Cortinarius alboviolaceus. Stropharia aeruginosa and Tricholoma orirubens because of their beauty. Oxyporus populinus and Hydnochaete olivaceum because of their unique host relationships. The 3 slime molds because of their fascinating 3-stage transformation in 24-36 hours. As the poet said - not all that glistens is gold!!
October 30, 2004, at Laurie Leonard’s, Falmouth
Back to top
People brought 50 entities. I will write about the following:
Gilled - Cystoderma amianthinum is a difficult genus to identify. Belongs to the family Agaricacae with Agaricus, and Lepiota. Have included it to force you to look it up in Phillips and the Audubon field guide. All species have white spores; some like amanthinum have amyloid spores; most have a "booted" stipe and prominent annulus.
Hygrophorus flavodiscus - has white gills and sticky yellow cap. Good edible.
Laccaria ochropurpurea - I call it the "path" Laccaria since it grows in large numbers on "walkways". You can mistake it for a Cortinarius
Phyllotopsis nidulans - mock orange oyster. Has pink spores - belonged to the genus Claudopus - smells bad!!
Paxillus involutus - What happens to the gills? What color are the spores? Some reports say it can cause kidney problems - Why is it called involutus? What are the other species of Paxillus?
Polypores
Lenzites betulinus - This can be called the gilled polypore. The beautiful picture in Audubon Field Guide should have been turned over so you can see the "gilled" pores. What is its look-alike on coniferous wood?
Poronidulus (=Polyporus) conchifer - Why is it named conchifer? (See #485 in Audubon) This is a remarkable fungus that resembles an ascomycete. These cups are called "splash" cup and are the imperfect stage of the fungus. Oidia = "imperfect" spores - the perfect = teleomorph grows from the edges of the cups - to form the "shelves"! Find some on elm (its only host) and follow the sequence. Fascinating morphological drama - I have twigs you can borrow!!
"Jelly Tooth" - Pseudohydnum gelatinosum this jelly-like entity with spines on the underside is really a true jelly, family Tremellaceae - see the strange basidia under the compound scope. Found on coniferous wood. It is edible!! I make a mixture with "honey water". Heat lightly for 5 minutes and serve to your surprised guests.
Ascomycetes - Helvella crispa = fluted stem asco - find it and enjoy the beauty and the interesting spores.
Amanita ristichii – rediscovered!!
Back to top
In 1906, Krieger found a beautiful white Amanita in New Hampshire. It had a large volva, ring and pink gills. He did not give it a name but he painted a picture and deposited the picture with the fungus in the Farlow Museum in Boston.
My daughter, Ruthie, and I saw the beautiful painting and got a duplicated copy - 78 years later I found the same species in Mimi Orr's woods in Windham. My special friend, Dr. Tulloss, conferred mycological immortality on Sam by naming it Amanita ristichii. That same year we found other specimens in Maine. In 1986 my friend, Ted Herman, also found it. Several years ago it was found in Montreal!! If you buy Sam's Corner, you will see Yves Lamoureux' gorgeous photograph on the back cover!!
A mycological drama!!!