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March 20, 2010 5:44 pm

This year, COMA’s Mushroom University is designed to help students see details of fungi that would be easy to overlook in the field. While our focus is on non-gilled basidiomycetes – chanterelles, jelly fungi, coral fungi, toothed fungi and gasteromycetes – many of the lessons we are learning apply to all kinds of mushrooms.

Most of us will be in the field somewhere, collecting and observing members of the fungi family. We will have two questions about everything we find:

What is this mushroom? and Can I eat it? (more…)

January 29, 2010 12:56 pm

I collected a large amount of  tree ear (Auricularia auricula) and black jelly roll (Exidia glandulosa) mushrooms during this past week’s January thaw. Of course they may all be Exidia glandulosa.

As mycology evolves and knowledge is gained, much of what was once published is now being revisited. I’ve been enjoying my first fungi of 2010 in a rich mushroom soup perfect for a bitter cold winter days.

When everything else is dormant or frozen, it’s nice to find something new to go with my pine needle tea.

December 17, 2009 8:30 am

Any opportunity to hear Gary Lincoff speak is a worthwhile investment. You’re learning without even realize it while being entertained.

Know Your Mushrooms, the DVD gives you a chance to see this remarkable award-winning film.

I’m not a DVD collector, so I don’t fork over the cash unless the product is worth watching over and over.

November 26, 2009 8:11 pm

This holiday has got to rank up there with my steam pit Thanksgiving experience. While most of my fellow Americans were gathering their foods from retail stores, George, Amy and I enjoyed foraging two coastal areas rich in wild edibles.

I expected to find glasswort and Irish moss seaweeds. I’m still figuring out what to do with them. I didn’t expect to find more fresh oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) than I’ve ever seen in my life.

Even their spore prints were festive:

These fresh, insect-free, aromatic, abundant, mushrooms grew in greater abundance and larger diameter than I have ever seen. I could not take enough pictures to convey the fact that we may have gathered 15-20 pounds.

As soon as I walked in the door, I got busy cooking. First I  roasted two pans of oyster mushrooms, (sliced and coated with olive oil).  They’re a crisp, tasty snack right out of the oven. The leftovers were mixed in with steamed kale.

Next, I added chopped fresh oyster mushrooms to stuffing. Finally, I steamed oyster mushrooms and garlic in kale broth. I’ll freeze this for winter use.

I still have a refrigerator full of oyster mushrooms to share.

I am blessed in so many other ways – how do I begin to express my gratitude?

October 23, 2009 7:21 am

I knew the mushroom I harvested was Flammulina velutipes, but I still made a spore print and studied the details of the cap, underside and stem.

The consequence of making a mistake and collecting Galerina autumnalis are frightening.

One of the most compelling writers in the world of mycology is Dr. Tom Volk. Re-reading his words scared me witless. Here’s an excerpt from his article on Galerina autumnalis which set off an episode of self-doubt that kept me studying this for hours:

The toxin in Galerina (and in the death angels) is a relatively small protein of eight amino acids, a cyclopeptide called a-amanitin.  . . . The a-amanitin ultimately affects the central nervous system and kidneys. Unlike many fungal toxins it does not cause symptoms right away. As long as 6-24 hours after ingestion there may be an early feeling of unease, followed by violent cramps and diarrhea. On the third day, there is a remission of symptoms, but this is a false remission. On the 4th to 5th day the enzymes increase, and liver and kidneys are severely affected. Death often follows if a liver transplant or other heroic measures are not performed.

Despite taking responsible steps in my field observation, this is a reminder to never let myself get sloppy when it comes to the “little brown mushrooms.”

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October 11, 2009 9:43 pm

The botanical name for this mushroom is Pholiota aurivella.

Being able to figure out, (using my Audubon guide), that this was a Pholiota species and Stropharia family member, gives me tremendous confidence.

Thanks to  COMA member Dianna Smith I now know the genus.

Armed with that information, I can learn more about this viscid, but apparently edible mushroom with an unappetizing appearance.

October 2, 2009 9:31 am

I could not find this white mushroom with attached gills in any of my field guides in book form:

Without COMA I would have been struggling for days to figure this out. I had not planned to attend the joint CVMS-COMA event. But this one-day foray,  may finally have narrowed the possibilities.

I love the metaphor I learned at the COMA foray. Mushrooms, like people have their childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age, with accompanying changes in appearance. I sure do not look like my kindergarten photo – or even my wedding photo, for that matter.

Can you figure out what this mushroom is?

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September 29, 2009 6:13 am

Chicken mushrooms are abundant and succulent this year. I initially thought the Red Eft was enjoying the mushroom.

According to two people, the salamander is enjoying the insects (possibly Springtails) who are enjoying this mushroom.

I was fortunate to accompany Dianna Smith and George Johanson for a trek to plan the NEMF foray which will take place in late September 2010.  If conditions are anything like this next year, the event will be a huge success.

September 19, 2009 7:59 am

As I cleaned the mold out of the bathroom corners, I thought, “If I were Roz Lowen, I’d put a schmear on a slide and take a close look at this fungus instead of eliminating them with a bleach-dipped cotton swab.”

I actually emailed Roz, who said that yes, she would study the black slime that makes most of us recoil in horror.

Roz’s COMA presentation of  aquatic spores was still over my head, but I came away with enough understanding that these spores have appendages and wondered if I were to try to communicate this to a classroom – would gummy worms help illustrate the lesson?

I’m happiest when I’m learning new things. I learn fastest when mentored. And right now the mushroom world is that wonderful combination of undiscovered natural phenomena and people motivated to help the true seeker.

September 13, 2009 7:06 am

Full credit for this title and the presentation goes to Sue Assinder and Gordon Rutter of the British Mycological Society. I would not have heard of them if I had not begun to spend time on the NAMA – North American Mycological Association website. I would not have made it a point to visit the NAMA education page without the support and mentoring of  Sandy Sheine, mycologist and former COMA President.

That said, I have added my own touches to this brilliant presentation:

Materials:

1. Blank paper and pencils,  pens or markers
2. Drawings or photos of Amanita muscaria
3. One or more round red balloons
4. A roll of biodegradable white toilet paper
5. Water – a bottle with a dropper is ideal

In some mushrooms (like the Amanita muscaria, whose  red cap and white spots often symbolize the idea of “mushroom”),  the mycelia are encased in a membrane called the “universal veil.” When the right amount of moisture is added, the mushroom grows.

To illustrate this: (more…)