C589,lzzoS

Newsletter of the Triangle Area Mushroom Club

PO. Box 2604, Chapel Hill, NIC. 2751 5

FIG. I. FA1RY-B1NG FUNGUS.

Volume 3

Number 1

January/February

19 8 4

Correspondence

Please send all membership and newsletter correspondence to Joan Zeller, 700
Morreene Rd . , Apt. C-U, Durham, NC 27705 (phone 383-7 1 54).

Mark Your Calendar :

January 9: Two films from the Mori Mushroom Institute in Japan, originally produced
for the International Congress of Edible Mushrooms, featuring laboratory &
commercial cultivation of shiitake, enokitake, Fleurotus , Pholiota, Auricularia,
and Volvariella. According to the review in the Boston Mycological Club Bulletin,
the films include some "sensational time-lapse sequences". Meeting at 7:00pm at
the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. See map on page 9.

February 13: Dr. Terry Johnson, Professor of Botany at Duke University, will speak
on "Mycology in China." Meeting at 7:00pm at the North Carolina Botanical Garden
Chapel Hill. See map on page 9.

March 12: to be announced

DUES - Seeing Red?

If there is no red 84 on your mailing label, wt k»*e not yet received your 1914
dues, and this is the last issue of The Funuifile you will receive. Please send dues
($6.00 individual, $8 00 family, $12.00 NAMA ) , along with application from Sept/Oct
or Nov/Dec Fungi file to Joan Zeller, 700 Morreene Rd . Apt. G-ll, Durham NC 2 7 705.

Ane r i can Rock Garden Society: Helot

The American Rock Garden Society has asked us to provide a mushroom display
booth at their 50th anniversary gathering to be held in Asheville the week of June 5.
We desperately need a volunteer to take r espons i b i 1 t y for organising this display,
and people to help with the design and artwork. Although the booth need not be manned
(and need not actually contain mushrooms), this might be a good time for the club to
hold a mountain foray. But without help, none of this will happen, and the ARCS is
counting on us. Please volunteer! Contact Joan (phone number above).

of light has a great effect on the size and
form of Shiitake Then the temperature of
incubation is reduced to I 3- 1 8°C and the
bags are kept in the dark for another 10
days After 10 days of dark incubation, the
bags are opened to allow fruiting and
aeration, 200 lux lamps are used and
temperature is oscil lated between I0-I8°C
Temperature fluctuation is necessary for
mushroom formation During this time the
relative humidity required for the proper
fruiting is about 80 ; Each bag can produce
as much as 600 g of mushrooms at one
time and the harvest can last as long as 10
months or more

The types of mushroom houses vary In
Taiwan mushroom houses are constructed
of bamboo and plastic The frames are
made up of bamboo and walls are covered
with plastic which can hold moisture and
insulate Rows of shelves are built inside to
hold the mushroom bags Sometimes, the
bags are just placed on the ground

Shiitake mushrooms have been used in
the Orient as food ingredients and reme-
dies for many hundredsof years Presently.
Shiitake is commonly found in oriental
grocery stores and in tasty oriental dishes
around the world It is indeed one of the
most important ingredients in Chinese
cooking Besides the delicate taste which
makesdried Shiitake sell for uptoS20 00a
pound in gourmet shops. Shiitake has
twice the protein value of the common
mushroom, and contains a II eight essential
amino acids in proportions similar to milk
and meat

According to recent studies done in the
United States and lapan. Shiitake can
possibly be used as an anticarcinogenic
medicine and is also effective in lowering
cholesterol levels in the blood

Traditionally, the Shiitake mushroom is
cultivated on hardwood logs in natural
environments This method has been
applied in lapan and China for many years
and is called bed log cultivation It not only
requires a long time, usually more than
one year from the time of inoculation of the
mushroom spawn to the harvesting of the
first crop, but it is also inevitably influenced
by weather conditions Recently the method
of cultivating Shiitake has been modified a
great deal New techniques and "short
cuts have been developed and these have
eased much of the laborious work of Shiitake
growers By using sawdust of hardwood
and other ingredients and growing under
controlled environmental conditions, one
has devised a "plastic bag method" with
which only 2 to 4 months are required for
fruiting

The most important feature of the new
cultivation method is to give the nutrient
medium covered with prevalent hyphae a
sudden temperature change treatment In

nature many fruit bodies of Shiitake burst
through the log surface on a warm day that
sets in after sudden cooling of the ambient
atmosphere on previous days.

The substrate employed for growth is
sawdust which is supplemented with a
number of nutrients The sawdust may
come from a variety of hardwood trees,
such as oak. shii. chestnut, hornbean or the
like The sawdust is usually 75 to 85 percent
in weight of the final medium A wide
variety of starch sources may be used, such
as rice, potato, corn, wheat and tapioca
The amount of starch is usually 7 to I 5
percent in weight Milo, yeast, soya meal,
sorghum and the like can be used as
sources of protein, comprising about 1 to
10 percent in weight However, the com-
bination of starch and protein source
materials comprises at least 8 percent and
not more than 25 percent of the dry weight
The additive, such as calcium sulfate, is
about 3 percent of the weight Finally, the
water added to the mixture is about I to I 5
parts by weight of dry mixture.

After mixing the above ingredients to
insure substantial homogeneity, a heat
resistant plastic bag. which is impermeable
to microorganisms and sealed against par-
ticulate matter, is filled with the mixture
The bag is plugged with cotton to allow for
the passage of air. and is sterilized at
super-heated steam temperature, normally
about I20°C for 60 minutes The pH after
sterilization is in the range of 4 5 to 6 The
Shiitake spawn is inoculated under aseptic
conditions after the bag is cooled to the
ambient temperature The bag is incubated
in darkness at a temperature in the range of
24-28°C for 20 days until mycelia have
spread throughout the entire bag The bag
is then incubated with 50 lux lamps for
30-60 days depending on the strains
employed During this time, the intensity

Lent'mus edodes is the scientific name for.
this lapanese forest mushroom having the
common name Shiitake It is a non-
pathogenic fungus that is heterothal lie.
Fruit bodies are normally formed from
dikaryotic mycelia which are composed of
bi nucleate cells with clamp connections. A
dikaryon can be obtained by the fusion of
two compatible homokaryons which are
haploid and uninucleate and are com-
posed of two different incompatibility fac-
tors that are not linked Many dikaryotic
strains of Shiitake, including commercial
strains, are nowavailable from the America
Type Culture Collection

This article is reprinted
from the October 1983 issue
of the American Type Cul-
ture Collection Guar ter 1 y
Newslett#r by the kind
permission of the author,
Dr. S.C. Jong.

For help understanding the
list paragraph, see "Myco-
logy Demystified" on page 6

Page 3

Mushr ooa Cultivation

As we fit by our fireplaces on a chill winter's eve and dream about neit
summer's gardens (at least some of us), we should pause and reflect that vegetables
aren't the only edibles which may be grown by the home ga r dene r / ei pe r imen t e r / hobby i s t
/mycophile. Mushrooms have been cultivated for hundreds of years, and there is no
reason why you, as a concerned TAMC member, shouldn't do your part to promulgate this
ancient and noble undertaking. Ve present a special issue of The Fungi file, devoted
to your cultivating or reading enjoyment.

The Who 1 e Mushr oom Cultivator's Catalog
Mail Order Sources

Agr i -Truf f It , c/o M. Francois Picart, Box 6801, Santa Rosa, CA 95402,
(707)525-8334: oak & hazelnut seedlings artificially mycorrhixed by black
Perigord Truffle (Tuber me 1 anospo r urn )

American Type Culture Collection, c/o Professional Services Dept., 12301
Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852: a private non-profit institution dedicated
to the preservation & distribution of authentic cultures of cells &
microorganisms, including an extensive bank of edible mushroom cultures. "The
ATCC restricts its distribution of cultures to those trained in microbiology
who have access to a properly equipped laboratory. Requests for cultures
should show, by a business letterhead or requisition form or in some other
way, that this condition is met."

Far Vest Fungi, c/o Rick Kerrigan, P.O.Box 763, Vatsonville, CA 95077: shiitake,
oyster, common button mushroom growing kits (MiniFarms); also other spawn,
growing supplies, & dried mushrooms; send self addressed stamped envelope for
inf orma t i on

Fungi Perfecti, P.O.Box 7634, Olympia, WA 98507 (206)786-1105: Coorinus comatus,
St roohar i a spawn; send $2.50 for catalog

The Kinoko Company, P.O.Box 6425, Oakland CA 94603, (415)562-3671: spawn and
kits for Agar i cus campes t r i s . shiitake, enokitake, oysters, Aur i cu 1 ar i a
polvtricha; organic compost, casing fiber; also dried mushrooms, mushroom
herbal teas, books on medicinal properties of mushrooms; send SASE for
inf orma t i on

Kurtzman's Mushroom Specialties, 445 Vassar Ave., Berkeley, CA 94708, (415)233-
0 555: spawn for various Pleurotus species, Agar i cus b i s p o r u s & bitorquis,
F 1 ammu 1 ina velutipes, shiitake (2 species), Volvariel la volvacea , and soon
Stropharia r uqos o-annu lata, equipment including thermometers, ps y chr ome t e r s
large plastic bags, agar; also over a dozen books & pamphlets on cultivation,
as well as identification books; publisher of The Spawn (see below)

Mushr oompeop 1 e , P.O.Box 158, Inverness, CA 94937, (415)663-8504: spawn for
Agar i ens bisporus, spawn plugs for 2 strains of shiitake, Perigord Truffle
inoculated oak & filbert seedlings, media & supplies for sterile work,
including autoclaves & laminar flow hoods, supplies for growing & pest
control, 20 books & pamphlets on cultivation, other field guides, cookbooks

Mycotech Biological Laboratories, Box 1465, Chico, CA 95927-1465, (916)893-4422:
media, labware, laminar airflow glove boxes, HEPA filters

Dr. Byong Yoo , P.O.Box 290, College Park, MD 20740: shiitake inoculating chips

Page 4

Mag a i i ne

The Spawn : quarterly newsletter published by Kurtiman's Mushroom Specialties
(see above), "has been planned as a way to exchange ideas, eiperiences, and
other information from [their] customers It also includes cooking news, a
question S answer form, & other useful news for amateur mushroom growers.
Some of [their] growing instructions will also be included from time to time
as a bonus." Cost is $5.00 for 4 issues.

Books (Many books, too numerous to list here individually, have been published on
mushroom cultivation. Many of the companies listed above, particularly
Mushr oompeop I e and Kurtxman's, include these books in their catalogs )

Mushr ooms i n the Garden by H. Steineck, ca 150 pages, This is an English
translation of P i 1 1 e jm Garten, to be published by January 1985. It discusses
the suitability of numerous species of mushrooms for growing in one's own
backyard, their requirements, and how to grow them Also discusses their
cultivation in house and cellar, and their use as ornamentals as well as
supply for food Special pr epub 1 i ca t i on price $8.95 from Mad River Press, Rt .
2, Bos 151-B, Eureka, CA 95501.

North American Mycological Association Cultivation
Gamble, 522 Sixth St., Annapolis, MD 21403

Commi 1 1 ee

chairman, Rick

Book Rev i ew

by Bill Roody

The Mushr oom Cultivator : A Practical Guide t o Gr owing Mushr o oms a t Home by Paul
Stamets and J. 5. Chilton. 1983, Agarikon Press, Olympia, VA . 415 pages paperback,
119.95*. B&V photos & color plates.

Riding the coattails of the current American enchantment with wild mushrooms is
a growing number of home cultivators. The quest for consistent sources of
hallucinogenic species has certainly influenced the rate of recent my cocu 1 1 u r a 1
development, but a broader spectrum of enthusiasts is seeking exotic and healthy
alternatives to the supermarket Agar i cus . Raising mushrooms at home also appeals to
those with natural gardening and permaculture instincts.

Until now, the popular "how to" mushroom growing books have focused only on the
standard Agar i cus varieties, shiitake, and a few psychoactive species, mainly
Ps i 1 ocybes . The Mushroom Cultivator represents a notable gain not only in the number

of species treated but also in scientific precision
and detail.

The guide begins with an in depth look at
mushroom biology, cultural techniques, equipment, and
substrate preparation. This is followed by specific
"growth parameters" for 15 choice edibles and
hallucinogens including Agar i cus b i t o i gu i s ,
brunnescens , C o P r i nu s coma t us , F 1 arnmu 1 i na v e 1 u t i pe s ,
Len t i nu s edodes , Lep i s t a nuda , Panaeo 1 us cvanescens ,
,£ . subba 1 1 ea t us , Pleurotus os t r ea tus , Ps i 1 o c v be
cnbens i s , P_ . cvanescens , P me i i c ana , F_. t amp anens i s ,
Strppoharia rugoso-annu lata, and Vo I v a r i e I la vol vacea .

There are individual chapters covering mushroom
genetics, cultural problems and solutions,
identification and control of contaminates, and
invertebrate pests. The unique chapter on cultural

Page 5

contaminates includes t dichotomous key and detailed descriptions of thirty-three
molds and other potential contaminants. One of these, Fusa r i um , is highly tone and
has reportedly been employed in biological warfare by
the Soviet Union in Afganistan and Cambodia. The media
referred to it as "yellow rain."

Included in the book are eight separate appendices
of various charts, figures, tables, and resources.
There is also an eitensive bibliography.

The Mushroom Cultivator is by far the most
comprehensive and definitive guide for the mycocultural
hobbyist and entrepreneur to date, a first rate
ach i e vemen t .

"[Available for $14.95 plus shipping from author's firm:
Fungi Perfect! (see page 3). according to the

Sept embe r /October
Washington , DC ]

1 983 Capitol Hushrumor s , newsletter of

FIG. 9. TRUFFLE.

the Mycological Society of

Compos t inq and Mushr 00m Growing by Steve Warner

Some mycophagists might lose their appetite if they knew that the grocery store
Aqaricus was grown in a compost derived from straw and horse manure! Rick Kerrigan,
a commercial grower in California, tells us how to prepare such a compost for (from?)
these delectables in the December 1983 issue of Organic Gardening . The January issue
will have Part II: How to grow mushrooms.

A Word on Cult ivat ion by Royce Harvey

[Note: this article is taken from the December 1 983 The Spot e Print , Journal of the
Los Angeles Mycological Society. Dues, including subscription, are $10.00 a year
($7.50 students) to Membership Secretary Travis Dinoff, 558 Alta Mesa, Riverside CA
92507, for those who wish to keep up with Royce Harvey's tips.]

In a brief article each month, I will share my cultivation experiments covering
various aspects of my "home cultivating."

I have been down the "heart breaking" road many times of trying to get a culture
started on agar from a field specimen. After much patience and perseverance I have
succeeded with this method...

After collecting mushrooms, get a young fresh specimen to your work area as soon
as possible. The working area should be pre-ster i I ited with a solution of 10% bleach
and 90% water, cleaning everything that you will use thououghly. I then slice the
mushroom vertically from the base of the stem right through the cap, being extremely
careful not to touch the inner part of the mushroom. Then from the center of the
upper part of the stem (an area that has never been exposed), I remove a small
portion with a tweezers that has been flamed and cooled. [Fung i f i I e Associate-
Ed i t or -by-De f au 1 1 ' s suggestion: Instead of slicing the mushroom, and possibly
contaminating the inside with material from the surface, you might try tearing it
open, then removing a piece of tissue with a sterile implement. This technique has
worked very well for me.] This portion is then placed on sterilited agar in a
sterilized baby food juice jar with a two-piece plastic cap. There should be some
kind of life within a week. ..good or bad! If it is black, green, creamy color, dark
blue, red pink, grey, or any color but white (mycelium) you have successfully grown
contamination! It is now time to clean, r e-s t er i I i x e , collect fresh specimens and

Page 6

begin again, testing your patience and perseverance siS »*ke a trip to the market for
some delightful Aoa r i cus !

Myco 1 oqy Demvst i f i ed by Steve Warner

Beginning a new feature, which may appear here again subject to popular acclaim.,
we present a new column which hopefully will clarify many burning questions, but will
at the very least give you some incredibly obscure words to drop at parties.

Sex
number o

in fungi
f interac

FIG. 8. MORLL

is a potentially very complicated topic, since there are a great
tions which may occur. For the sake of brevity I'll stick to the
process as it occurs in the Basidiomycetes, in which
most of the edible fungi of interest are found. Most
Basidiomycetes produce sexual spores upon a structure
called a basidium, thousands of which are located on
the surface of the gills of the mushroom's cap Most
of these fungi are hater othal I ic , that is, they require
the interaction of two genetically compatible and
complementary individuals for a successful mating to
occur (like the birds and the bees, except you can't
tell the boys from the girls by just looking). Mating
occurs by the fusion of two different hyphae and the
exchange of nuclei. Now, here's where these fungi are
unique. The unmated septate (segmented) hyphae arise
from germinated bas i diospores , each hyphae containing
many copies of one nuclear type (homokar jot ic ) , one
nucleus per segment. Each of these nuclei contains one
copy of each gene and is thus haploid Most other
organisms, and also some primitive fungi, fuse haploid
nuclei during sex to yield diploid nuclei. Mushrooms,
however, do not fuse these exchanged haploid nuclei so
that the mycelium now contains two nuclear types which
may be independently expressed, and are required for
mushroom and basidiospore formation. This new mycelium
is termed dikaryotic Many dikaryotic hyphae possess
clamp connections, which are unusual morphological
features whose function is unknown.

November 1 4 Mee t i nq

On November 14, Dr. La
State University, presented
of the 180 se 1 f -teaching sli

rry Grand, Professor of Plant
"Guide to the Boletes of Nor
des he uses in his course at

by Odile Gould

Pathology at North Carolina
th Carolina" containing many
NCSU .

The Boletes is a baffling but very interesting group, as many of its members are
succulent and abundant in our area. Differences between genera ( St r ob i 1 omy ces ,
Bo 1 e t e 1 1 u s . Gyroporus , Su i 1 1 us , Xe r ocomus , Pulveroboletus , Boletus. Tv 1 oo i I us , and
Lecc inum) are clear enough. However, variations in the species make identification
tricky; in some cases it is necessary to resort to microscopic observation of the
spores. Dr. Grand cautioned his audience "never to jam a species into a description;
you may end up in the hospital."

After the slide show, the speaker helped identify the specimens collected during
the Saralyn foray. Dr. Grand delighted us as much for his enthusiasm as for his great

knowledge .

We also enjoyed some P 1 eu r o t us ostreatus gathered and cooked by Bill Burk
Mcllvaine would no doubt have described Bill's dish as "tender and toothsome."

Mushrooming with Julia or Child's Play

Co tromping through the mud with Julia Child as
she collects chanterelles as an accompaniment to
"Braised and Stuffed Beef." This show wi 1 1 conclude
Public Television's current series "Dinner at
Julia's" on January 29 at 10 pa on VUNC-TV (channel 4
in the Triangle). (Incidentally, the mushrooms Julia
collected had been planted that morning - we should
be so lucky!)

Illustrati ons

The pictures reprinted in this issue originally
accompanied an article entitled "Some Vegetable
Eccentricities" in Scr i bner ' s Mont h 1 y , October 1 875.

FIG. 6 STARRY PIFF-BALL

The Botanical Bookstore

The Audubon Soci et y Field Cu i de t o Nor t h Amer i can Mushr ooms by Lincoff if
available at the special price of $9.95 + .95 postage (regular price $12.50) until
February 15, 1984 from The Botanical Bookstore, P.O. Boa 1406, Youngstown, OH 44501.
(Latin name labels - see Fungi file Sept/Oct 1983 p. 42 - are also available postpaid
for $3 50 with a book order, 14.00 without.) The Botanical Bookstore has an
eitensive catalog containing books on mushrooms, other wild edibles, wildflowers, &
trees, many at discounted prices.

No. 1 984?

In response to all those who have asked the big question "Where is the 1984 Mad
River Press mushroom calendar?," we are printing the reply received from the company
by Ed Haynes: "Dear Customer: The Mad River Press has decided not to publish a 1984
calendar. However, there is a good possibility that we will publish a two year
calendar beginning with 1985..."

We urge anyone interested to write to the MRP, Rt 2 Bok 151-B, Eureka, CA 95501
and let them know that there is interest in future calendars.

Len m and Mushr ooms by Sam Baron

You don't have to be a Bolshevik to love mushrooms and mushrooming But it is a
fact that Lenin, the founder of the Bolshevik Party, was a fanatical mushroom hunter
His wife Krupskaia wrote: "Ilyich used to say that he did not like mushrooms and
would not pick them; but now you can't drag him out of the woods - he is in a real
raae about mushrooms." The writer N Valentinov, who spent several months in close
contact with Lenin in 1904 reported: "He had several fits of this rage. In the
summer of 1916 Lenin and Krupskaia were hurrying to catch their train, along the

Page 8

mountain paths that led from the holiday home at Schaudivise, near Zurich. It
started drizzling, and soon the drizzle turned into a downpour. Lenin noticed some
white mushrooms in the woods, grew excited at once, and began to pick them,
regardless of the rain. 'We got soaked to the skin,' Krupskaia wrote, 'and missed
the train of course.' All the same Lenin completely satisfied his rage for
mushrooms; he stopped gathering them only after he had filled a whole bag "

Anyone who was so crazy about mushroom hunting couldn't have been all bad. In
this respect, if not in others, we have to recognize a kinship between ourselves and
the maker of the Russian revolution.

Joe ' s_ Restaurant

"Joe's celebrates one of nature's most savory gifts" - the wild mushroom So
says Travel -Ho I i day Magazine (Winter 1 9 8 3 ) about the restaurant with the unassuming
name in an unassuming little brick building in a working class neighborhood in
Reading, Pennsylvania. Joe's Restaurant has received four stars from the Mo b i I
Guide , the Travel-Hoi iday Award ("...the restaurant is one of the best in the country
and certainly one of the most unusual"), and attracted the attention of chefs like
James Beard and Craig Claiborne. The main feature - over a dozen original wild
mushroom dishes. The restaurant opened as a tavern in 1916 by Polish immigrant Joe
Czarnecki, and became a speakeasy, then a restaurant again, before being taken over
by Joe Jr. Having learned a love of wild mushrooms from his mother, Joe Jr. began
creating dishes around them, and started a tradition. Since 1974, Joe's has been run
by grandson Jack, who prepares all the food except desserts and pastries (which he
leaves to his wife Heidi). Jack is currently writing a mushroom cookbook to be
published next year by Atheneum.

All mushrooms used in the restaurant are gathered by the Czarnecki family.
Obviously, to tide the business over the winter and through the dry years, they must
preserve their finds from the fruitful times. Jack has developed an alternative to
the common methods of drying and canning (which they also use), which he described in
a talk at the 1982 NAMA Foray in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania He has graciously
allowed us to reprint the following from the handout which he had available at that
time.

Fresh Mushr oom Preservation with Br ininq Me t hod

by Jack Czarnecki

FIG 5.

PUFF-BALL.

Salting mushrooms for preser
alternative to canning or drying th
salting is readily achieved at home
that fresh mushrooms can be prese
solution, after cleaning and blanchi
be helpful.

The quantity of brine to be pr
about one half of the capacity of
will hold the mushrooms. The
earthenware or glass. Fill boiling
amount of water and add 7 ozs. of
quart of water. Stir to dissolve
resulting brine.

Select healthy and solid spec
Tr i cho 1 oma , Armi 1 1 ar i a , Lact ar i us .
other solid species can also be used

vation is a useful
em. Preservation by
when it is understood
rved in a 70% salt
ng. A litle more may

epared should equal
the container which
container should be
vessel with estimated
kosher salt for each
salt Cool and hold

ies from among the
and Russu 1 a However,
It is recommended

Page 9

that a containeer hold only one species.

Soak mushrooms to loosen debris. Wash well and remove stems Blanch mushrooms
in a 5% salt solution for S minutes after boil. (5% salt solution equals 1/2 ots of
salt for each quart of water.)

Drain and cool.

Scald an earthenware or glass container which will hold the mushrooms

Arrange the mushrooms layer by layer, gills or pores down, until the container

is nearly filled, covering each layer with the cool brine.

Place a weighted cover over the mushrooms. Cover all with clean cheesecloth
Thereafter mushrooms can be added or withdrawn for use as desired BE SURE

MUSHROOMS ARE ALWAYS COVERED WITH BRINE AND ALL SIGNS OF MOLDINC REMOVED WHEN

NECESSARY, ADD 70% BRINE SOLUTION TO COVER.

Use as you would fresh mushrooms after desalting in fresh cold Water for 48

hours. This time can be reduced with frequent water changes.

Fried Lep i o t a Procera courtesy of Jack Ciarnecki

1 or more large caps of Lep i o t a procera 4 oxs . butter

1 whole egg, blended salt, pepper

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (dry crumbs will not do)

Remove stem for mushroom. Wash well and pat dry. Season blended egg with salt
and pepper to taste.

Dip both sides of mushroom in blended egg. Heat butter in iron skillet until it
bubbles gently. Place mushrooms in pan and fry until brown on both sides.

Ac knowl ed ciemen t s

Thanks to Sam Baron, Bill Burk, Jack Ciarnecki, Odile Gould, Royce Harvey, Ed
Haynes, S.C. Jong, Bill Roody, Steve Warner (Associate-Edi tor-by-Def aul t ) , and Joan
Zeller ( Ed i t or-by-De f au I t ) for their contributions to this issue.

The Last Word

Some day man will live on the moon, and eventually, he/she will probably grow
mushrooms, among other edibles. When this finally happens a 'giant L e p i o t a ' for
mankind will be said to have been taken....

M.C. Boi

Page 10

FIG. JO. LATTICED Fl'NCUS.

Triangle Area Mushroom Club
P.O. Boi 2604

Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2604

lui h 0^ Li br*>-y Ol V~/)

IF THERE IS NO RED 84 ON YOUR LABEL, WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED YOUR 1984 DUES

CSS9 222 c
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£»*?!'■'.•> >■ fry u» " *-, /• '■

FIG. I. FAIRY-RING FUNGUS.

the funaifile

Newsletter of the Triangle Area Mushroom Club

P.O. Bok 17061, Durham, North Carolina 27705
Volume 3 Number 2 March/April 1984

Correspondence

Please send all membership correspondence and newsletter submissions to Joan
Zeller, 700 Morreene Rd . Apt. G-ll, Durham, NC 2 770 5 (phone 3 83 -7 1 5 4 ). All other
mail'ings, including exchange newsletters, should be sent to the new address above.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
Meetings:

March 12: "Ul t r as t r uc t ur e & Diversity of Mushrooms", NAMA slide/tape show by Paul
Stamets. Photographs made with the scanning electron microscope, which reveals
the three dimensional details of spores & tissue more realistically than other
microscopes. Meeting at 7:30 pa at the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel
Hill. See map p20 .

April Id: (No t e THIRD Monday ) "Medical Aspects of Eating the Wrong Mushroom" by Dr.

Shirley Osterhout, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Director of the

Poison Control Center at Duke Medical Center. Meeting at 7:30 pa in room 143
Jones Building, Duke West Campus, Durham. See map p 1 8 .

May 14: Dr. Tom Mitchell, Associate Professor of Microbiology & Director of the
Clinical Mycology Laboratory at Duke Medical Center, will speak on a topic to be
announced in the next Fung i f i I e . Meeting at 7:30 pa in room 143 Jones Building,
Duke West Campus, Durham. See map pl8.

Forays :

April 21: Bill Burk will lead us in search of MORELS. Meet at 10 am in the
University Mall (Chapel Hill) parking lot near the Texaco Station (corner of 15-
501 Bypass 6 Estes Dr.) Bring lunch & collecting gear. Rain or shine.

Future forays: If you would like to lead a foray, either as technical or site
leader, or if you have any suggestions for new sites, contact Dianne Berg (Chapel
Hill: 933-9628). Forays will be scheduled from May through October.

Page 12

Organ iiati on a t Last! (sigh. . . )

A committee consisting of Catherine Gutmann, Ed & Elaine Haynes, pat McConnell,
Jacques Poirier, and Joan Zeller has written a set of bylaws S constitution for
TAMC . A copy of these articles will be included in a future Fung i f i I e , at which time
a special meeting will be announced to vote on acceptance. Any comments or sugges-
tions are welcome.

Are there any lawyers oat there? In trying to discover the advantages and
feasibility of incorporating and/or obtaining non-profit status (especially concern-
ing liability questions), it is important that we consult with a lawyer. If you
know of a lawyer who would be willing to donate some time to us, please call Ed
Haynes (Durham: 493-7703) or Joan Zeller (Durham: 383-7154).

Cultivation

Are you considering trying your thumb at cultivating mushrooms? Get in touch
with Billie Sessoms (383-5853, Durham), who has volunteered to coordinate a group for
exchange of information, ideas, and moral support.

Check-In For Vi Idl i f e

North Carolina taxpayers should pay special attention to line 21 of the NC
Individual Income Tax Return Form. This line enables you to donate part or all of
your tas refund to the NC Nongame Wildlife Fund, which will aid nongame, endangered
and urban wildlife (such as the bald and golden eagles and loggerhead sea turtle).
If you do not get a refund, you can still contribute by sending a check to the NC
Wildlife Resources Commission, 512 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27611. (Indicate
that your contribution is for the Nongame Wildlife Fund.) All contributions are tax-
deductible neat year if you itemize nonbusiness deductions.

December 1 2 Me e t i nq by Ed Haynes

On December 12, the TAMC met for a combined member slide show and pot luck
dinner at the home of Ruth Lang. Slides of interesting and exciting mushrooms were
shown by Jack Billman, Joan Zeller, and Janice Ovelmen. The dinner was enjoyed by
all. Particular thanks are due to Ruth for making her home available to us.

January 1 1 Mee t inq by Elaine Haynes

January's meeting was held at the N.C. Botanical Garden. The program was two
interesting films produced and distributed by the Mori Institute of Japan. Both
concerned the cultivation and life cycles of c omme r i c i a I 1 y produced mushrooms,
primarily shiitake. There were many impressive time-lapse sequences of mycelia
growing, fruiting, and sporulating. It was noted that over 6000 varieties of the
shiitake mushroom have been identified by the industry's mycologists in their search
for commercially useful stock.

Shiitake ( Lent inus edodes ) is grown commercially by a "seed wedge" technique
whereby cultures are inoculated into mixtures of sawdust and nutrients, incubated
until good growth occurs, and then wedges of the sawdust mixture are inserted into
logs of the shii tree. The logs are left stacked neatly until conditions are right
for fruiting and harvest.

Other commercial production methods were demonstrated also. The beautiful

Page 13

Vo 1 v a r i e I I a bomb vc ina was shown growing on huge bales of straw. Bottle culture of
enokitake ( F I ammu 1 ina velut i pes ) was demonstrated. P 1 eu r o t us , Pho 1 iota, and Aur i cu-
1 a r i a were other genera for which cultivation methods were discussed.

Another aspect of the films was a presentation of some research on potentially
useful aspects of the shiitake. Studies mentioned were on the use of shiitake as an
anti-cancer agent, as a cho 1 es t er o I - 1 ower ing agent, and as an inducer of interferon.
It was also noted that shiitake is more nutritious than most mushrooms, having
especially high vitamin D2 levels.

After the movies everyone enjoyed the good food provided by Ruth Lang and Mrs.
Burk. Also thanks to Dot Wilbur and Jim Ward for making it possible for us to use
the Botanical Garden's facilities, and to Chris Gould for providing the projector.

February 1 3 Meet ina : Mvco I oqy in China

Our speaker for the February meeting was Dr. Terry Johnson, Professor of Botany
at Duke University, who prefaced his talk with the confession that his attraction to
mushrooms is purely academic - he has absolutely no interest in eating them. He
spoke of mycology in China, especially the impact of the Mao regime and the Cultural
Revolution. From 1924, with the first Chinese scientific mycological publication,
interest grew in the science until 1948. At that time, mycology passed from the
hands of the scientists to the hands of the government as people and efforts were
massively redirected to meet the goals of the new leadership. Fungi then became im-
portant in 3 practical areas: as causes of plant diseases, as medicine, and as food.

During this time, the Chinese discovered a way to use antibiotics to fight
certain plant diseases, which Dr. Johnson had been taught was not possible. On the
other hand, some of their agricultural methods seemed rather shortsighted, evidenced
by Dr. Johnson's pictures of ruined rice and mulberry crops, the results of being
planted too closely together. Quality was often sacrificed for quantity, result-

ing in lower yields and wastage.

The silk industry was affected by poor management of mulberry orchards and
diseases of the silk worm. (Dr. Johnson mentioned infection of the pupae by Co r d y -
ceos as a particular problem).

Medicinal use of fungi, as well as other plants, was emphasized with the spread
of barefoot doctors. Dr. Johnson brought in 2 remedies - mixtures of dried fungi &
herbs prepared by a commune pharmacy - to be drunk as infusions to aid arthritis and
migraine headaches. Ganoderma I u c i d a , known there as the "immortal fungus," is
popular as a diuretic and antiinflammatory agent.

According to Dr. Johnson, natural habitats have been replaced by cultivated
fields, and overuse of the land has depleted the soil to the point where the natural
fungal flora is now severely limited, especially in eastern China. The relatively
few (edible) wild fungi that appear are quickly picked by the Chinese as food. It
was not uncommon, Dr. Johnson said, to see roadside stands offering wild mushrooms,
just as we see apples 5 pumpkins being sold here.

Dr. Johnson's talk was illustrated, among other things, by various bits of
party propoganda, and by slides he brought back from his trip to China in the 1970's.
We thank him for his views and a fascinating glimpse at a very foreign culture.
(Thanks to Catherine Gutmann for the cookies.)

Page 14

Cordyceps

by Joan Ze 1 1 er

One of the oddities of the fungus world - which might well explain the usual
disgust the general public has for mushrooms, were it not for the fact that probably
few people know about it - is the genus Cordyceps . Members of this Ascomycete genus
are parasites, and while some, such as C. pphioqlossoides and C. capitata, grow out
of other fungi ( E 1 aphomyces , a false truffle), others prey upon insects. If you come
upon a brightly colored finger or club shaped stalk in the soil and excavate a few
inches, you may well find it growing from a mummified larva.

The hapless larva ingests the spores, which
then germinate, and mycelia begin to grow without
affecting the insects life cycle or appearance.
(Some sources say the spore lands on the insect
and the germ tube penetrates the cuticle.) When
the insect burrows for pupation, the mycelia grow
more rapidly, finally killing the host and taking
over the entire body. At this point, what was
once an insect is nothing but a bundle of mycelia
inside the original skin. This process was
described in "Some Vegetable Eccentricities" in
the October 1 875 Sc r i bne r ' s Monthl y (from which
the illustration accompaning this article, as well
as that in the masthead, are taken): the fungus
"feeds upon the substance of the insect to such an
extent that its vital fluid, passing into the
tissue of the parasite, causes the animal to
become exhausted, and dooms it to give up its last
drops of life's blood that this fungus may live "
The mummified mass remains in the ground, and at
the proper time, pushes up its carpophore, with
numerous perithecia (the asci & spore bearing
bodies) embedded near the tip.

Cordyceps sinensis is known in China as "Hia tsao torn tchom," the "Summer Plant,
Winter Insect," and in fact, early writers thought that the fungus was merely a stage
in the life of an insect which "buries itself and begins to vegetate. By the end of
July, the tree arrives at its full growth and resembles a coral br anch . . . bear ing
several little pods which, dropping off, become worms and from thence flies" (V7.P.K.
Findlay, Funqi:Folklore, Fiction, Fact , Mad River Press, 1 9 82 ).

Cordyceps sinensis was described as early as the 1760's in Tibet. It
exported to China, where it was extremely valuable as a drug: it is said to
antityphoid and antibiotic properties. The fungus (with attached insect) is
considered a great delicacy there. On the other hand, epidemics of Cordyceps
been known to cause panic in the silk industry. C_. r ob er t s i i , from Australasia,
known as the "Vegetable Caterpillar," can reach 15 inches in height, and is used in
tatooing. Closer to home, C. ca p i t a t a , parasitic on E 1 aphomyces (which itself is
considered to be an aphr odas i ac ) , is valued by Mexican shamans as a fertility symbol
and aphrodasiac because of its shape and rapidity of growth, as well as an aid to
telling the future. And even closer to home, C. melolanthae produces an orange
yellow fruitbody from beetle larvae from June to September. C. m i I i t a r i s , said to
be the most common in this area, and to possess antibiotic properties, parasitizes
Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, and fruits with a reddish orange carpophore from
September to November.

FIG. 14 CATER PI LLAK FUNGUS.

was
have
also
have

Page 15

Talc i ng Better Mushroom Photos

Far t I : Phi losophy and Equ i pment by Kerry Givens

(Kerry has won several awards in the North American Mycological Association's annual
Photo Contest . )

Regardless of how much technological gadgetry it is buried under nowadays,
photography remains a media of artistic expression. For this reason, an apology is
in order: this article is really just a collection of basic ideas aimed at producing
pictures that are artistically appealing to me. I recognize that not everyone shares
my tastes. (Take my kitchen, for example. Its decor is an intensely personal and
artistic reflection of myself, a sort of Contemporary American Slovenly. Yet few
other folks find it appealing.) Every photographer differs in his definition of an
artistic image, so I'm sure that certain points in this article will elicit
disagreement. To these photographers I apologize. I admit that this entire article
just reflects my own opinion. Of course, it happens to be right.

Get t ino Started

This article is really meant for those of you who already own a 35mm camera and
a few odd accessories. More accurately, it is aimed at those of you who have already
spent a few hundred dollars, but haven't gotten totally depressed with your first
efforts and given up. I'm always hesitant to advise folks who haven't picked up
their first camera yet - the initial investment is high and, worse yet, so is the
chance of immediate discouragement. The problem is: even though it's 1984 and we've
put men on the moon again and again, technology still hasn't produced a simple
"po int -and-shoot " 35mm camera for close-up photography. The only good way to produce
consistently good mushroom photos is to understand your equ i pment . Fortunately,
there is nothing difficult involved. Just learn a few basics and practice. I owned
my camera for years until I finally made an effort to understand why my pictures were
uniformly hideous. Within a few months, my pictures had improved remarkably. Since
then, photography has become a joy instead of wasted film and missed pictures.

So, where do you learn the "basics?" Some are found in the excellent articles
and books listed under "Additional Reading" at the end of this article. A few basics
even found their way into this article. By far the best way to pick up good camera
know-how is to find a willing and knowledgeable teacher, someone who has digested all
the literature for you, someone who knows which gimmicks are useful and which ones
are just dead weight in your camera bag, someone who has also experienced the heart-
break of goofed-up pictures - but figured out why. I'm fortunate in having known
such a person, a rising young nature photographer named Jeff Lepore. Much of the
information that follows comes from my years of tutelage with Jeff - grueling hours
in the field, Jeff taking the pictures while I positioned the alligator or poisonous
snake or scorpion or whatever. (How happy I was to get my own camera!) Anyway, this
article cannot be written without a brief salute to Jeff. Besides, he would kill me
if I didn't mention his name.

The Came ra Body

Let me say from the outset that top-quality mushroom photos can be produced
using virtually anv of the contemporary major-brand cameras. True, professional
nature photographers heavily favor Nikon equipment: overall, Nikon's somewhat higher
prices reflect this elitism. Nikon also has a wider array of lenses and neat expen-
sive gadgets than the other manufacturers. Unless you think you may one day go pro
(e.g. sell photos to nature mags), I feel Nikon offers no b i q advantage to the
"weekend" mushroom photographer. On a few occasions, I've tested my Minolta equip-
ment against Nikon stuff, and my photos were every bit as sharp.

The Lens

By my reckoning, there's only one kind of lens for mushroom photography: the
macro lens. The macro lens does everything a "normal" lens can do, plus enable you

Page 16

to focus close-up on small subjects. (Do not confuse macro lenses with the extremely
popular "mac r o - f ocus i ng " t e I epho t o- z oom lenses available in camera stores everywhere.
True macro lenses are specially designed to give super -h i gh-qu a I i t y , d i s t o r t i on- f r e e
images of close-up subjects. "Mac r o- f ocus i ng " t e 1 epho t o-zooins cannot make the same
claim to optical quality, however versatile they are. They are also bigger and
clumsier than most true macro lenses, and often do not deliver as much magnification
as those lenses.) Macro lenses come in a variety of focal lengths - roughly, 50mm-
100mm-200mm. In practical terms, the bigger the focal length, the farther away from
the subject you can stand. Most of my mushroom photography has been done with a 55mm
macro. With a macro of this size, one must get very close (often within 7 or 8
inches or closer) to the subject. This can sometimes be a nightmare, especially when
you have a big, heavy tripod attached to the camera. Occasionally I have damaged or
completely smashed the mushroom I had planned on photographing while trying to posi-
tion the camera close enough. Fortunately, such heartbreak is rare, so I do not
hesitate to recommend 50mm macro lenses to readers of this article (I recently
switched to a 100mm macro lens and now enjoy twice the working distance offerred by
my 55mm. I would advise any other mushroom photographer to do the same, but not
everyone can stomach the pricetag of the 100mm lens - about S250, discount. The 55ma
macro, in comparison, is a little easier to swallow at about $140, discount.)
The F i Im

Unless you're a devotee of that hazy, soft-focus, romantic look of old movies,
you should strive for sharpness in your mushroom pictures. Sharpness is second only
to proper exposure in making or breaking a photo. Many a fine mushroom photo has
been discarded by magazine and textbook editors simply because it wasn ' t sharp .
Especially if you use slide film and like to project your pictures for friends,
sharpness is critical - remember you'll be blowing up the image many times its
original size when you project it. At such magnification, fuzziness becomes very
evident .

There are many components to obtaining a sharp picture - the quality of the lens
and camera, the shutter speed and stability of the camera, the photographer's ability
to focus correctly - but the bo 1 1 om I ine is: any photograph can only be as sharp as
the film in your camera. The "sharpest" films available today are Kodak's color
slide films, Kodachrome 25 and 64. These films also offer the advantage of very
accurate color rendition. Their biggest disadvantage is that they are "slow" films
requiring fairly long shutter speeds, up to many seconds long if you're photographing
mushrooms in poorly-lit settings. This problem is compounded by the fact that small
aperture settings (such as fl6 or ill) are generally a must in close-up photography -
this, too, means that a fairly long shutter speed will be needed. If you are accus-
tomed to hand-holding your camera during shots, you can therefore expect some prob-
lems with Kodachrome film: slow shutter speeds and hand-held cameras do no t produce
sharp pictures. There are two solutions to this problem: 1) use a tripod to steady
the camera during slow exposures and/or 2) use an electronic flash.

The Tr jpod

I think a solid, sturdy tripod is an absolute must-have for mushroom
photography. Not only will it enable you to use slow shutter speeds, but it will
also free your hands and in general make things more comfortable during the act of
picture taking. (Anyone who has tried to balance themselves on their knees and
elbows to avoid lying on muddy ground while trying to steady the camera and focus on
a tiny Cantharellus cinnabarinus knows the discomfort to which I refer) Tripods for
mushroom photography need some sort of low angle setting to get the camera nearer the
ground. The best solution is a tripod whose legs can be bent out at 90° angles such
that the tripod squats flat on the ground. A variety of manufacturers make tripods
with this feature, including Gitxo, Vivitar, Slik, Cullman, and Bogen. I think the
eiact tripod selected should reflect the individual's general photographic needs,
finances, and physical strength- For instance, I use a Gitzo Studex Performance

Page 17

tripod, definately not a cheap tripod (don't ask) and extremely heavy by most photo-
grapher's standards. However, the weight insures rock-steadiness and hence sharp
pictures. For those of you who don't want to be weighted down on the trail, the
Bogen 3022 'pod is an extremely well-built, reasonably priced choice. In addition to
being fairly inexpensive, Bogen tripods have a variety of accessories available,
including interchangeable heads, etc. I used a Cullman tripod for about 5 years
until it literally disintegrated from abuse. Today's Cullman 'pods have too many
plastic parts for my taste, but are very portable and can be positioned with great
speed. Gitzo makes a mind-boggling array of extras, but it's all expensive. (The
tripods generally start around $150.)/ Depending on the exact model purchased, expect
to pay anywhere from $45 to $100 for a good tripod.
Electronic Flash

There are some situations where you just can't rely on natural light to get a
picture. In evergreen forests, for instance, light levels may be so low that shutter
speeds longer than 30 seconds would be required (at £22 with Kodachrome 25 film).
Generally speaking, ultra-long exposures create special problems: first, they're
difficult to calculate accurately; and secondly, Kodachrome isn't designed to be
exposed at such a slow rate, which leads to odd color shifts. (This phenomenon is
called reciprocity failure. There are ways to get around it, and these will be
discussed in Part II.) Another problematic lighting situation is full sunlight.
Direct, bright sunlight tends to create distracting shadows, obliterating the gills
and the natural hues of the 'shrooms. Electronic flash can be a considerable help in
both- these situations.

Because Kodachrome is relatively I i gh t - i ns ens i t i ve , you need all the flash
power you can get. Flash output is reported by the manufacturer in terms of guide
number - the higher the value, the brighter the flash. To explain the derivation and
ramifications of this number is beyond the scope of this newsletter's printing costs
All you really need to know is that you want a flash with an ASA guide number of at
least 50. Unfortunately, most of the flash units in this high-power bracket tend to
have extra features that are basically useless and costly. For instance, many
flashes have an "automatic" setting that enables the flash itself to precisely regu-
late the amount of light needed for any given picture. A good idea, but it doesn't
work properly when photographing close-up subjects, mainly because it is very diffi-
cult to aim the flash's light sensor accurately at a small subject - especially
narrow, little mushrooms. Vivitar has tried to solve this problem by creating a
nifty fiber optic "extension cord" which clips to the front of your lens, effectively
aiming the flash's sensor much more accurately by bringing it closer to subject. The
problem I see with this "Macro Flash Sensor" gadget is that the cord connecting it to
the flash is mounted on top of the camera. This is about the least effective place
to put your flash when doing close-up photography! Especially with mushrooms, one
needs the freedom to position the flash at a much lower angle, to illuminate the
gills and avoid harsh shadows. (Not to fret! There j_s a way to get perfectly
exposed flash pictures, and I'll be boring you with the details in Part II of this
article.) The take-home message: buy powerful, and avoid extra trappings. Most
camera manufacturers now have their own line of flash units, but with few exceptions
I find these to be underpowered and overpriced. Numerous "independent" brands of
flash are now available to choose from. I've been using Sunpak equipment for years
now and have been impressed with its durability and simplicity. Vivitar makes decent
flashes as well. Nowadays one can obtain an adequate flash unit from about $45 to
$85, but remember that you'll really need two if you're determined to produce
consistently pr of es s i ona 1 - I ook i ng images. One flash alone simply creates too many
shadows; the second, if placed d iscr imina t e I y , will "fill in" these dark areas,
producing a much more pleasing effect. More on that later.

A final word on equipment: by far the cheapest way to buy photographic gear is
through the enormous New York City dealers who advertise in multipage ads in the back

Page 13

of magazines like Popular Photography and Modern Photography. Generally you can get
what you need in 10 days or less, especially if you order COD. And the phone call is
toll-free! Whenever possible I try to find the item I'm interested in at a local
camera store, just to assess its quality and convenience. Literature from
manufacturers can help, too, so a few sources are listed below:

Bogen Photo Corp.
100 S . Van Brunt St .
P.O. Box 448
Englewood, NJ 07631

Carl Heitz, Inc.
34-11 62nd St .
P.O. Bos 427
Woodside, NY 11377
(Gitzo tripods)

Sunpak Division
Berkey Marketing Co.
Woodside, NY 11377
(flashes; also distributes
SI ik tr ipods )

Vivitar Corp.
1 630 Stewar t St .
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(tripods, flashes)

In Part II of this long-winded article, I'll try to stir you back to conscious-
ness by talking about the actual process of taking the definitive mushroom photo,
5tart-to-f inish.

Additional Reading
"Shooting Nature,"
Resources Magazine,
the best all-around

Parts I & II, by John Shaw and Larry West.
July/August 1982: pp38-47 and Sept/Oct 1982:
primer on basic nature photography I've read,

Michigan Na t u r a I
pp 3 8 - 4 5 . Probably
written by the top

two photograhers in the business. Perkins Library at Duke gets this periodical

The Manu a 1 of C I ose-Up Photography by Lester Lefkowitz. New York: Amphoto, 1 979. The
1 ong-and-shor t of mushroom photography is getting an understanding of close-up photo-
graphy - how close-up lenses work, problems with d ep t h-o f - f i e 1 d , the need for elec-
tronic flash, etc. I highly recommend this occasionally technical but extremely
readable volume on the subject.

The Comp 1 e t e Book _o_L Wildlife and Na t u r e Photography by Michael Freeman. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1981. This extremely handsome book touches all the bases in a
series of brief "lessons." Although not strictly concerned with close-up
photography, there is a wealth of general information here for outdoor photograhers
who occasionally point their cameras at subjects other than fungi.

1U VA n<

Triinqlt Ktti Hasbro o» Clnb H<»btrship List

-February i ?84-

BARBARA BE AMAH

2513 WILBON ST.

DURHAM

NC

27704

(?1?)477-1845

KENNETH A. BECKHAM

RRt2 BOX 574

HE BANE

NC

27302

(?l?)543-4??l

D I ANNE BERC

RT. 1, BOX 122

PITTSBORO

NC

27312

(?l?)?33-?428

JACK & JOANNA SI LLMAN

3908 FADDINGTON CT.

RALEIGH

NC

27412

(?l?>787-8377

EDVARD $ CONNIE BOCK

2512 N. MAIN ST.

TARBORO

NC

27884

(?1?)823-588S

JOHN S BETTIE BOND

41 6 GRAND BLVD.

BOONE

NC

28407

(704)244-4275

STEFAN BREUER

1315 HORREENE RD. APT. 276

DURHAM

NC

27705

(?l?)383-4?5?

WILLIAM BURK

1122 SOURWOOD DRIVE

CHAPEL KILL

NC

27514

<?l?>?42-4387

AGNA CALINCAERT

711 CHURCHILL DR.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

(?l?)?2?-3?08

ALISON CHAMBERS

2924 CHAPEL HILL RO.

DURHAM

NC

27707

(?i?)48?-8154

ELISKA CHANLETT

422 GREENWOOD RD.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

(?19)?42-5553

EUNICE CRONIN

1827 HART ST.

GASTONIA

NC

28054

(704)844-2001

MADELEINE DUVIC

124 SUMMERLIN DR.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

(919)942-1213

J.H.B. i LOIS GARNER

351? RACINE ST.

DURHAM

NC

27707

(919)489-8937

KERRY T. G I YENS

90S CLARION DR.

DURHAM

NC

27705

(919)383-4045

CHRIS & ODILE GOULD

41 GREEN MILL LANE

DURHAM

NC

27707

(919)493-1194

DAVID GREEN

1-7 COLONY APT.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

(919)929-9748

MARGE 4 CHET GROCHOLA

RTE. 7 BOX 601

CHAPEL HILL

NC

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(919)933-4100

LAURA GUTMAN

2403 WRIGHTWOOD AVE.

DURHAM

NC

27705

(919)489-5934

CATHERINE A. GUTMANN

24 H STRATFORD HILLS APTS.

CHAPEL KILL

NC

27514

(919)947-2990

ROGER H. HAGLES

2206 BYRD ST.

RALEIGH

NC

27403

(919)787-0388

ED S ELAINE KAYNES

3447 HOPE VALLEY RD.

DURHAM

NC

27707

(919)493-7703

STEPHEN 4 SUSAN HELMER

RT 5 BOX 3 ISA BOWDEN RD.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

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(919)947-4544

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912 W. SOUTH, ST.

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(919)833-7057

JANICE HOPE

4409 ELECTRA DRIVE

RALEIGH

NC

27407

(919)834-2209

KEITH HOUCK

105 PINEGATE CIRCLE, I?

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

CLARKE JOHNSON

RT 11, TIMBER ROCX FARM

KINGSPORT

TN 37443

(415)323-4027

EMILY JOHNSON

RD 13 SUNSET DRIVE

EXPORT

PA

15432

(412)327-4294

WALLACE V. KAUFMAN

BOX 54B, RT. 1

PITTSBORO

NC

27312

(919)542-4072

KRISTOFER KLEIN

1? SCOTT PLACE

DURHAM

NC

27705

(919)489-2934

CARL W. K0LLHE9

2114-101 AVENT FERRY RD.

RALEIGH

NC

27404

(919)851-8545

RUTH LANG

1504 KENT ST.

DURHAM

NC

27707

(919)489-5349

GERTRUDE LONDON

1199 CYPRESS RD.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

(919)929-4783

BILL * CONNIE LONG

STAR ROUTE

AFTON

HI

49705

(414)525-8400

STEPHEN F. MARSH

852 TRYCN ST., APT. t3

RALEIGH

NC

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OWEN 4 PATSY MCCONNELL

2808 BUTNER ST.

DURHAM

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BONNIE MCFARLANE

1315 HORREENE RD. APT. 276

DURHAM

NC

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(919)383-4959

SANDY HOY

1717 SNOW HILL ROAD

BAHAMA

KC

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WILLIAM 4 BARBARA OLIVER

1304 BRUCEKOKT DR.

GARNER

NC

2752?

(919)772-3978

JANICE L. OVELHEN

813 LOUISE CIRCLE

DURHAM

KC

27705

(919)383-7311

ROBERT G. PEASE

2114 WOODLAND AVE.

BURLINGTON

NC

27215

(919)584-7449

JACQUES C. POIRIER

210 W. LAVENDER AVE.

DURHAM

NC

27704

(919)477-5837

GEORGE 4 MARY PYNE, JR.

804 VICKERS AVE.

DURHAM

NC

27701

(919)488-1442

SHERRIE RAKOFF

204 HILLSBOROUGH RD.

CARRBORO

NC

27510

(919)933-8407

BILLIE V. SESSOMS

802 DULUTH ST.

DURHAM

NC

27705

(919)383-5853

HUB & MORE EN ANN SIMMONS

RT 3 SOX 215AA

WAKE FOREST

NC

27587

(919)554-4243

BRUCE SIMONSEN

1717 SNOW HILL ROAD

BAHAMA

NC

27503

(919)477-2579

GERDA 5TADELMAIER

?04 BROOKS AVE.

RALEIGH

NC

27407

(919)834-7742

ALLEIN STANLEY

RT. 3, BOX 1

STATESVILLE

NC

28477

(704)872-7972

JEAN B. STEWART

112 GLEKDALE DR.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

(919)942-2902

COLIN C. THOMAS, JR.

408 HORGAN CREEX RD.

CHAPEL HILL

NC

27514

(919)942-4845

page 20

PHYLLIS S MITCH VINSON
LELAND VON BEHREH
JANES L. VARD
STEVEN WARNER
FRANCES ZELINSXI
JOAN ZELLER

623 THALIA PT. RD.

401 NIAGARA

RT 1 BOX 2S4

SOX 15, POLK'S LANDING

ALVAH'S LANE

750 HORREENE RD. APT. G-ll

VIRGINIA BCH. VA 234S2

EAST ALTOH IL 62024

CHAPEL HILL NC 275H

CHAPEL HILL NC 27514

CUTCHOGUE NY 11935

DURHAM NC 27705

(804)486-4776
(618)257-8517
(917)727-7666
(919)933-6879
(516)734-6853
(719)383-7154

The Last Word

As we all know, this is the time of year when we should all look out for the
Geas t r urn bunny .

Triangle Area Mushroom Club
P.O. Bok 17061
Durham, NC. 27705

NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION

WILSON LIBRARY 02^-A
CAROLINA CAMPUS , UNC-CH

C589. 222.05
F9Bt

P.O.

Newsletter of the Triangle Area Mushroom Club

Box 17061, Durham, North Carolina 27705

JtrmilUriM mt/irm.
Fro) tine plants .riant; from the mycelium (KJUiwui/Aa).
(After 6gurc la Easier aad Praari'i " Plaaarafamilien.")

Volume 3

Nuabar 3

Hay/Juna 1984

Corr«a2ondenca

Plaaaa sand all corraapondanca and neweletter aubalaaiona to Joan Zallar, 700
Horreene Rd., Apt. G-ll, Durham, NC 27705. All othar sailings, including exchanga
newelettera, should ba sant to tha address above.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Meetings:.

May 14: Dr. Tom Mitchell, Associate Profesaor of Microbiology & Director of tha
Clinical Mycology Laboratory at Duke Medical Canter, will apeak on "Fungal Infec-
tion*. ** A small number of fungi causa infections for huaena and other aniaala.
These rare organiaaa will ba pictured and diacuaaed. There will alao ba an
opportunity to aak queationa about the new Constitution and Bylawa, and upcoming
election of officers. Meeting at 7:30 pa in room 143 Jones Building, Duke West
Campus, Durham. See aap p. 28.

June 11: Business Heating and Mushroom Identification Session. We will first vote
to ratify tha Constitution and Bylawa (sea copy inserted in members' newslet-
ters), and then hold elections for President and Secretary /Treasurer. (See CLUB
BUSINESS) . The business aaeting will be followed by a muahrooa identification
seaaion, ao bring your mushrooms (with prepared spore prints if possible) and
field guidea. Meeting at 7:30 pa in room 143 Jones Building, Duke Wast Caapus,
Durham. See aap p. 28.

Hay 12, Sat.: Tooth Farm in Chatham Co., home of Jeff & Libby Sheer. Meet at Texaco
Station 10am. Contact peraon: Joan Zeller (383-7154).

Hay 26, Sat.: Mason Farm in Chapel Hill. Meet at Finley Golf Course parking lot 10
aa. Contact person: Dianne Berg (933-9628). See Mason Farm below.

June 10, Sun.: Chatham Co., land of Alice and Jaca Phalan-Hobbs. Beech, poplar, &
low wet areas, site of 2 successful forays last year. (Remember the bamboo
foreat?) Heet at Texaco Station 10aa. Contact peraon: Dianne Berg (933-9628).

For ay. * :

June 23, Sat.: Hason Farm in Chapel Hill. Heet at Finley Golf Course parking lot 10
am. Contact peraon and technical leader: Jack Billman (787-8377).

page 22

July 8, Sun: Saralyn area of Pittaboro. Site of aeveral very prolific past forays.
Meet at Texaco Station 10am. Contact person & technical leader: Wally Kaufman
(542-4072).

July 21, Sat.: Mason Fare in Chapel Hill. Meet at Finley Golf Course parking lot 10
as. Contact person and technical leader: Owen McConnell (477-5178).

august 25, Sat.: Mason Far a.

September 23, Sat.: Mason Far a.

October 27, Sat.: Mason Far a.

MOTES: Other forays will be scheduled for August -October and announced in the next
newsletter. Please contact Dianne Berg if you would like to lead a foray or have any
ideas for new sites.

Texaco Station meeting site: University Mall parking lot in Chapel Hill, corner
of Estes Dr. & 15-501 Bypass.

Maagn Farm: meet at Finley Golf Course parking lot in Chapel Hill, Old Mason
Farm Rd. off 15-501 Bypass between Hwy 54 (Raleigh Rd.) and NC Botanical Garden.

ES£3Z lQf2£!2U2B

Wear raingear if appropriate and sturdy, comfortable shoes, such as (broken- in)
hiking boots. (Remember, this is snake country.) Insect repellent is usually a good
idea; so is toilet paper - these sites have no facilities. Also bring a basket or
box for collecting, wax paper or bags for wrapping specimens (not plastic wrap or
baggies - these encourage sweating and early decay), knife, field guide, notebook,
whistle (see WJUatles^op.) , and compass if you have one. And don't forget lunch.
Trips will not be cancelled for rain, unless there is a deluge. (If questionable,
call contact person in the morning to see if it is deluging.)

Foray Etiguette

Some etiquette is important in the field, to preserve the habitat, and also to
not interfere with the enjoyment of those who come after you. Although the coda
"Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" may not literally apply to
mushroom hunters, its spirit is still appropriate. (Do be certain you have permis-
sion to pick.) Though the main body of the fungus is the mycelium underground, which
is not destroyed by picking the mushroom, try to leave aoae individuals to ensure
spore dispersal. Disturb the environment as little as possible, replacing duff and
leevea, and leave discards and cuttings out of sight. Remember, the effects on the
environment are aagnified when groups are at large, ao be extra conacious of leaving
the area as natural as you found it.

Another thing to think about when on a foray with a group is that others nay
wish to see the mushroom in situ. When you come upon a particularly unusual or
striking specimen, let the others know, so that they may appreciate it in its natural
setting before you pick it. (This is especially a plea from photographers. And
please be considerate; over-anxious collectors have been known to pluck auahrooms
right out of the viewfindert)

page 23

Wh^atleetop

For quick and aaay coaaunication in the field, the Colorado
Hy co logical Society uaea the following whiatle code, which we
could adopt: One blaat ■ **Coae to aet" or MCoae aee what I've
found t," Two blaata » "I ai here ! , " Three blaata * "I aa loat!"

ISfon Farm by Dianne Berg, Foray Chair

In return for a apeciea llat of the auahrooaa we find, the
lorth Carolina Botanical Garden haa generoualy granted peraiaalon
for TAHC to uae ita Haaon Fara reaearch area for a aeries of
aonthly foraya. Haaon Fara ia the area described by John K.
Terrea in hla delightful book Froa Laurel Bill to Si lor 'a Bog -
The Walking Adventures of a Naturalist. Located adjacent to Finley s.youn^c.m.n

— — * — s ™ — " * ■ specimen older than a.

Golf Course in Chapel Hill, Mason Fara preaents within its
confines a wide range of coaaunlty typea froa aountain habitata

with disjunct aontane apeciea through piedaont to coastal plain- like floodplain
habitats. Two areas, the century-old Big Oak Woods and the Shagbark Hickory forest
which growa over a diabase dike, are regiatered as unique natural areas with the
North Carolina Natural Heritage Prograa.

The land, which only recently escaped the threat of the aouthern 1-40 connector
loop around Chapel Hill, la primarily flat, lowland triaasic basin floodplain. Thia
lowland contrasts with typically upland piedaont hill area above the pond. Lowlands
are also juxtaposed with a steep, rocky gorge formed by Norgan Creek aa it cuts down
through an outcrop of diabase rock creating a protected north-facing alope which
harbors a population of Mountain Pink <?hodgdendron catawbienae) usually found only
at elevations greater than 3000 feet, and other diajunct aontane apeciea of both
planta and aniaals.

If you're interested in knowing more about both the land and ita social hiatory,
aost area libraries have John Terrea' book - it 'a worthwhile reading.

Meet Steve Hall, Haaon Fara Caretaker, at 10am on Saturday May 26, at the Finley
Golf Course parking lot for the firat of our foraya in thia unique and, we hope,
aycologically exciting netural area. In caae of rain, drought, or other inhoapitable
weather conditions, we will go froa the parking lot to a local addreaa to be
specified at the tiae, and ahare alidea, and possibly recent fungal finda. (Bring
alidea to show & any other fungi you've found.)

CLUB BUSINESS
BUiiBffiS 8§*ting

On June 11, we will hold our firat buaineaa meeting, to ratify the Conatitution
and Bylawa and elect our firat officers. Copies of the Consiti tuition and Bylawa are
enclosed with member's newsletters, and are further explained below. The alate of
officers is: President Ed Haynea

Secretary /Treasurer Jacquea Poirier

If you are unable to attend, please submit a proxy to someone who you know will
be attending (or send to Joan Zeller, addreaa p. 21). Current Faaily aeaberships will
each be able to caat 2 votea.

£2Q?tituti2Q & Bylawa

An explanation of two aspects of the Constitution and Bylawa aay be in order:
Meabtrfblpj: Notice there are now three typea of aeaberahipa. Individual member-
ships reaain the same. Family memberships have been replaced by a coabination of one

page 24

Individual aeabership plus on* Associate membership for each additional family sea-
bar. This was dona in order to clarify how aany votes each "Faally aeabership" will
be allowed. (For the upcoaing balloting, each Faaily aeabership will be able to cast
2 votes.) Individual neabere and Aaaociate neabera have equal rights, but only the
Individual aeaber will receive publications. Corresponding aaaberahipa are aeant to
accomodate thoaa living outside the area, who cannot attend functions, but wish to
receive the newalatter.

Officers: Only two elected officera are provided for at thia tine: Preaident
and Secretary /Treasurer. At aoae future date, growth of the club aay warrant split-
ting Secretary /Treasurer to two aaparata positions. The Editor and Program and Foray
Chairs are appointed officers, and along with the elected officera* sake up the Board
of Directora. A description of the duties of the officers follows.

spore- (spor), n. [= F. spore, < NL. tpora, a
* spore, < Gr. avopd, a sowing, seed-time, seed
sown, seed, produce, offspring; cf. crropof, a
sowing, seed-time, seed, produce; < amipetv,
hw, scatter; cf. sperm1.'] 1. In hot., a gen-
eral name for the (£>?n
typically unicellular KySy

e

10

0

reproductive bodies
which, directly or in-
directly, are capable
of reproducing the
plant. The name ii given
to all the reproductive
bodies of cryptogamous
pint*, which axe the
analogues of the seeds ot
the higher or flowering
plants, from which they
further din" er by having no
embryo. In the majority
of caaea a spore consists ot
a nucleated mass of proto-
plasm inclosing starch or
oil aa reserve nutritive ma-
terial, surrounded by a cell-
wall In those cases in
which the spore is capable
of germination immediate-
ly on the completion of Its
development, the cell-wall
is a single delicate mem-
brane consisting of cellu-
lose ; but in those cases
in which the spore must
pass through a period of
quiescence before germi-
nation, the wall is thick
and may consist of two
layers, an inner, the en-
,dotpore, which is deli-
cate and consists of cellu-
lose, and an outer, theezo-
tport. which is thick and rigid, frequently dark-colored,
and beset externally with spines or bosses, and which
consists of cutin. In certain plants, as some algte and
fungi, spores are produced which are for a time destitute
of any cell-wall. They are further peculiar in that they
are motile, on which account they are called zoospores.
In the various divisions of cryptogams the spores are pro-
duced in many different ways and under various condi-
tions. 8ee acidiotpore, atcotport, bitport, carpospore, efda-
mydotpore. clinorpore, maermprrre, microspore, oospore, pro-
totpore. ptrudntpore, pyenidiotport, ttyiotpore, UlexUotpon,
ttrtuporc, uredoepore, zoospore, rygotpore, etc
2. In zool., the seed or germ of an organism,
of minute size, and not of the morphological
value of a cell, such as one of the microscopic
bodies into which the substance of many proto-
zoans is resolved in the process of reproduc-
tion by sporation ; a sporule ; a gemmule, as of
a sponge. — 3. In biol., an organic body of ex-
tremely minute size, and not subject to ordi-
nary classification ; a sporozoid or zoospore ;
a living germ, as a seed of certain diseases. —
4. Figuratively, a germ; a seed; a source of
being.

The ipora of a great many ideas are floating tbout in
the atmosphere. 0. W. Holm**, Old VoL of Life, p. 46.

i. Of Lynpodium ettnatu-m.

3. Of Stlagirulla marfinata, ger-
niiaatiQg. y Qi Italics lacustns.

4. Of £auiselum at w*j<f. 5. Of
MarsiUa quadrt/otia. 6. QiSai-
vinia natans. 7. Of Maratlia
/raxinrfolia. 8. Of Antmia
sp. 9. Of Polypodium annum. 10.
Of Pamttlia ctiiarvs. II. Of Par-
mslia faruttna. 13. Of Crra-
mtum purpwtum. 13. Of Calf
chmte fulvxnata.

Duties of Officers and Directors

Xb§ Er§ilj|*s£ will officiate at all business
aeetinga 6 will serve as chief executive officer to
oversee all prograaa to carry out the purposes of the
club. This will involve appointing an Editor, and
Program and Foray Chairs, calling board meetings as
necessary, and keeping in touch with the various
officers and chairs as overall coordinator of the
club.

The Secretary /Treasurer will conduct
correspondence with other organizations and
individuals, handle membership matters, manage
finances, keep accurate records, and prepare and
praaent the annual financial report.

The Editor will coordinate publication and
distribution of the newsletter, which will include
announceaenta of upcoaing buaineaa aeetinga, regular
aeetinga, foraya, and club news, aa well a* other
iteaa of nycological intereat.

The Program Chair will be responsible for
arranging speakers or prograaa for regular aeetinga,
for securing a meeting place(a), and arranging for
necessary equipment, much aa alide projectors and
tape players. In addition, the Program Chair will
see that publicity and refreahaenta are provided
(through designated chairmen) . The Program Chair
will inform the Editor of all pertinent inforaation
to be announced in the newalatter.

The Foray Chair will be responsible for
coordinating field trips throughout the collecting
season. This will involve arranging aitea (Including
getting any necessary permission for the group to
attend & collect) and knowledgeable leader a, and
informing the Editor of all pertinent inforaation to
be announced in the newalatter. At each foray, the
Chair will arrange for someone to meet the group, and
will designate someone to keep a record of identified
finda.

Appointed Directors

Dianne Berg haa agreed to remain Foray Chair,
and Joan Zeller will continue aa Editor. Ve still

page 25

• Program Chair.

it! Volunteer now!
poet ion. )

P.S. Thank* to
meetlnga.

Fame and glory await you! Don't let someone elee beat you to
(Seriously, folks, we really need someone to take over this

Dave Hlggins for volunteering to coordinate refreshments at

March 12 Meeting

by Bill Burk

Through one of the North American Mycological Association's
educational progress, club members and visitors were awakened froa
winter's aycological doldruss by Paul Stasets's spectacular slide
show, "The Ultraatructure and Diversity of Mushroona in the Class
Baaidiomycetea." An expert on Psilosy.be sushrooas, Peul hes aore
recently centered his research on the cultivation of aushrooas.

The slide program waa accoapanied by a sound track to explain
each picture. Ultrestructural views of aushrooas afforded
intereating inaights beyond the light microscopic level to the
veritable lllliputian world of the details of mushroom spores,
gills, and other structures. From eerly hyphal atages through very
young, initial fruiting bodies, the development of Psilocybe
cubensia was depicted. Ultrestructural views of the surfece of spores of several
Baaidiomycetes ahowed how they can differ. Some spore surfaces were smooth, spiny,
warty, or net-like. In addition to the uaual 4 spores to the baaidiua (the structure
bearing the spores of Basidiosycetes), viewers saw 2, 3, 7, or 8 spores borne on e
besidlua. The program offered a unique gliapae into the ultrestructural marvels of
the mushroom world.

Hedtfehof-mushroom (Hydnum Mr
£tttm), one fourth natural size.

daCurrent Events

May 11, 1984. Greet Smokies National Park: Asheville Mushroom Club FORAY. See
Welcome Asheville Cjub page 29.

Hay 18-2o7~ 19847 Terra Alta, WV: EDIBLE WILD PLANTS WEEKEND taught by Bill Roody
(see July 27-29 & August 3-5 workshops below). Program will Include herveating
techniques 6 equipment, methods of preparation, field ldentificetion, non-food
uses of plents, survivsl foods, poisonous plants, and eco-concious foreglng.
Cost: 540, includes meals & lodging (cot in tents). Contact: Nature Education
Department, Brooks Nature Center, Oglebay Park, Wheeling, WV 26003. Late reser-
vations can be aade by calling (304) 242-6855.

June 23-29, 1984. Black Mountain, NC: NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION BLUE RIDGE
SUMMIT. "Spend your deys hiking a wooded mountain trail, investigeting wild-
flowers end mushrooms, butterflies end birds of the southern Appalachians..."
Also: backpacking, hiking, mountain ecology, folk mualc, Appalachien crafts,
adult adventure courses, herb gardening, ft evening owl prowla. Coat: fl45 per
edult program fee, 9238-363 per adult aeels & lodging. Contact: National Wild-
life Federation, 1412 Sixteenth St., N.W., Waah. D.C. 20036.

July 27-29, 1984. Elkins, WV: AUGUSTA HERITAGE ARTS WILD MUSHROOMS WORKSHOP.

August 3-5, 1984. Elkina, WV: AUGUSTA HERITAGE ARTS WILD MUSHROOMS WORKSHOP. "An
introduction to field ldentificetion of wild mushrooms, edible or otherwise.
Where, when & how to collect choice edibles 6 how to evold dengerous look-alikes.
Eaphesis on gllled mushrooms." Orientetion, field trips, cooking ft testing ses-
sions. Bill Roody, leader of these workshops, is founder ft contributing editor
of Coltsfoofc, a wild plant lore journal, and contributor to Zh9 ESiB3i£ilt» A
free-lence naturalist, he hes taught many workshops on wild plant utilization.

page 26

•uahroom identification, and edible wild planta. Coat: 050 either weekend,
approx. 05 materials fee, 020 per day room & board. Contact: Augusta Heritage
Arte Workshop, Davis & Elkina College, Elkina, W 26241 for information on these
and other fascinating workshops (including: Herbs, Weeds For Your Needs, Woods-
lore & Bushcraft, and Woodalore & Herbs). (Contact Joan Zeller if you are
Interested in attending any of these workshops.)

August 16-19, 1964. Glsssboro, MJ: NINTH ANNUAL NORTHEASTERN MYCOLOGICAL FORAY.
Attending eycologists will include Dr. Rolf Singer, who will speek on the
Agaricales, Dr. Marie L. Farr, who will speak on the sliae sold*, and Dr. Tina
Gillian, who will talk about Harass! us. Jane Grigson, author of Ihe Byfihroga
£eas£, is tentatively scheduled to speak on sycophagy. Cost: 0100 will cover all
expenses including lodging & eight seals beginning with Thursday evening dinner.
Contact: Northeastern Myco logical Foray, Box 533, Merrick, NY 11566.

August 23-26, 1964. Tellurlde, CO: FOURTH ANNUAL TELLURIDE WILD MUSHROOM CONFERENCE.
Designed for persons lntersted in the study snd cultivation of wild mushroom* .
Major consideration will be given to the cultivation of diverse mushroom species,
emphasizing practical principles and techniques. Daily forays will be led by
experienced guides in the surrounding mountains. Participants include Dr. Andrew
Well, Gary Llncoff, Bob Harris, and John Corbin. Contact: Fungophile, PO Box
5503, Denver, CO 60217-5503.

September 14-16, 1984. Terra Alta, WV: MUSHROOM WEEKEND led by Walt Sturgeon.
Program will include field trips for collection & study, sessions on
identification end specifics on certain mushroom genera, hallucinogenic fungi,
mushroom diversity, search for luminescent fungi, end a sycophagy session on
preparation of edible fungi for table use. Cost: 640, includes seals and
lodging. Contact: Nature Education Department, Brooks Nsture Center, Oglebey
Park, Wheeling, WV 26003.

September 14-16, 1984. Cairo, WV: NATURE WONDER
WEEKEND (wild foods). Contact member Hub Simmons,
Rt. 3 Box 215AA, Wake Forest, RC 27587 for
further info.

September 20-23, 1984. Dorset, Ontario: NORTH AMERICAN

MYCOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION FORAY.
September 29-0ctober 16, 1984. JAPAN MUSHROOM STUDY

TOUR, led by Gary Llncoff, Emanuel Selzman, and

Andrew Weil, focusing on the wild mushroom flora

of Japan. Forays will be held in areas

surrounding the cities visited and exchange

sessions will be conducted with Japanese

mycologists. Ample time will be provided for

sightseeing and other leisure activites. A

prelisinary partial list of cities to be visited includes Sapporo, Kyoto, Ht.
Fuji, Nakono City, and Tokyo. Contact: Emanuel Salzman, c/o Fungophile, Box
5503, Denver, CO 80217-5503.

October 5-6, 1984. Manteo, NC: OCTOBER MARSH & SEA FEST. Contact member Hub Simmons,
Rt. 3 Box 215AA, Wake Forest, NC 27587 (556-6263) for further information.

November 29-December 13, 1984. TRUFFLING THROUGH EUROPE. Led by Gary Menaer, Gary
Llncoff and Andrew Weil. The focus of this gourmet tour through the truffle
regions of Europe will be on the harvesting, processing and eating the various
truffles. Cost: 02098 (includes airfare from NY). Contact: Mr. Frank Pipal,
Educational Tours, Inc., 5935 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629.

Voivaria vsti.tr ta.
m, mature fructification ; 6, young fructification ; c, ipores.

page 27

Roadside Forag?rs| Bevara.!

In the March 1384 issue of The Mycena News, newsletter of the Myco logical
Society of San Francisco, Inc., Dr. Bill Freedaan issues this warning to roadside
foragers:

"Research on the lead content of plants and sushrooss along roadways reveals
concentrated levels within the tissues observed. Lead falling from the air onto the
ground is combined with organic compounds capable of being absorbed by the plants and
fungi .

"There is a sharp gradient in the asounts of lead found as you leave the high*
way. "Tolerable" residues were aeasured beyond fifty feet from the roads. It has
been recommended, therefore, that wild food gatherers restrict their collecting to
without fifty feet of any automotive roadway to avoid the risk of lead toxicity. As
you say Know, once lead enters your body, it reaains in your tissues for many years.
It can accumulate to cause irreversible damage to your bones and nervous system."

Anyone who has spent much time in Chapel Hill has probably heard the name Coker:
Coker Arboretum, Coker Hall, Coker Dr. Besides being the co-author of The Boieti of
North Carolina with which many members are familiar, who was this man?

William Chambers Coker:, North Carolina Botanist and Mycologist by Bill Burk

On October 24, 1872, William Chambers Coker was born to James and Susan Coker in
Hartsville, South Carolina. From his early years Coker showed a keen interest in

learning about nature. After graduating from
the University of South Carolina he held a vice-
president position in a bank, but later decided
to study at Johns Hopkins Universtiy where he
graduated in 1901.

In 1902, Dr. Coker began his academic
career at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. During the next 51 years he
completed 137 publications, with 7 titles being
books, 6 of these in mycology. Coker was a
botanist of extremely wide breadth - with
research and interests touching on local floras
of Chapel Hill (and also the Bahamas and
Hartsville, SO, mycology, and landscape
architecture.

Through Dr. Coker 's collecting and
direction the mycological herbarium at Chapel
Hill was developed. Many of Coker 's
publications remain classics. His mycological
books covered very large groups of mushrooms:
the boletes, hydnums, clubs & corals, and
Gaateromycetes (puff balls, etc.). Many of Dr.

page 28

Coker's monographic journal articles on fungi appeared in the Journal of The Eli aha
Mitchgil Scientific Society and included the Amanitas of the southeastern United
States, North Carolina Collyblas, Lactarias, M^cenas, Thelephgr aceae , and Vol varies.

Until his health declined , Dr. Coker devoted himself to botanical research.
William Chaebers Coker died on June 27, 1953. His legacy, especially in mycology,
remains the foundation for the study of fungi in North Carolina.

FLASH.: Existence of Morels Verified^

Excited shouts of "I found one!" echoed through the area 2 dozen times as about
18 members and guests actually gathered morels on the April 21 morel hunt. Bill Burk
led us to the plot along 15-501 where he and others had found morels in the pest,
and made believers out of a good many of us. Most of the morels (predominately
Horchella esculent a, with a couple of H. angusticeps thrown in) this time were found
under beech trees, and by first time morel finders. (The only other identified
species was Urnyl§ gratgriua , )

Others reporting morels this year: Allein Stanley in Statesvllle found 130(f)
on March 25. In early April, Kerry Givens identified some on the lawn, of folks who
asked him about the edibility of the mushrooms which hsd been popping up for the last
5 years! Chris Carter found 15 in Chapel Hill on April 16.

Book Review by Bill Roody

Hushrogma §nd Toadatoglaj, A Color Field Guj.de by U. Nonis. English translation
by Lucia Wildt. 1982 Hippocrene Books, Inc., New York. 229 pages; Herdcover 912.95.

This book is well made and should last forever considering the amount of use it
is likely to get. Originally published in Italy, it, like aeny European guides.
Includes some species either unknown or uncommon in this country. Most of the 168
mushrooms described however are found in the U.S.

A brief introduction orients the novice to the whys and the wherefores of
mushrooming after which follows the species descriptions and color plates. These are
artificially arranged according to dominant color of the mushroom. Unfortunetely,
the color fidelity is generally poor. There are no dichotomous keys.

A redundant pictogram, which takes up nearly half a page, accompenies each
species description. In it are 100 mushroom characteristics depicted in symbols.

page 29

Those features which apply to the species shown on the saae page are color accented
in yellow. The idea is to show at a glance important distinguishing characters and
therefore expedite the identification procedure. The net result, however, is just
the opposite, at least until one coasits the entire pictograa to aeaory. Until then
it is necessary to shift back and forth froa the explanatory key to the ayabols
inside the front cover. The whole affair is awkward at best.

One unusual feature included in the pictograa is the naxiaua elevation of the
species' habitat. Also useful is a glossary of etyaology to assist the reader who is
trying to sake sense of the Latin naaea and teres.

The author has personally tested 1287 species for edibility and includes his
recoaaendations for those covered by this guide. It is best to keep in aind that
edibility is not necessarily consistent for European and Aaerlcan variants. Although
Paxillus involutua is considered poisonous by many in this country, the author
regards it as safe if gathered when very young and cooked well. Another nushrooa
generally avoided in the U.S. is the lurid bo 1 eta (Boletus lyr^dus) . It, too, is
apparently eaten in Italy "if properly cooked.** On the other hand, the clubfoot
clitocybe (Clitocybe clavipea) is listed as inedible though it is enjoyed in this
country where it is often abundant when aore esculent species are scarce. Soae
individuals experience an uncomfortable reaction when consuaing this auahrooa and
partaking of alcohol at the saae seal or within a few hours before or after. It is,
however, not dangerous and recovery is rapid and coaplete.

Mushrooa toxicity is dealt with only briefly in the introduction. There ere no
warnings about hazardous look-alikes in the species descriptions.

As a field guide for North Aaerlcan collectors, this book has little to
recoaaend it.

Welcome Ashevillf CluM

The TAMC now has a fellow club in the state: the Asheville Mushrooa Club was
organized in September and has 13 dedicated funglphiles of
varied aycological backgrounds and levels of experience,
according to their secretary Theresa Ray. They have Invited ua
to their first foray on May 11 at the Greet Snokies Netionel
Park (one quart of aushrooas per person per day is allowed) to
search for aorels. They are also planning a prograa this
suaaer with Dr. Ron Petersen of the University of Tennessee.
Mo details have been worked out yet, but they will keep ua
inforaed and hopefully aore information will appear in the next
£ungifil§. If you are interested in the May 11 foray or the
Petersen prograa, contact Theresa Ray, (704) 926-0167. We wish
the club lots of luck end look forward to getting together with
then.

Hyahrooi Magazine

The spring 1984 issue of Mushrooa Magazine is off the
press, and includes articles on how to collect auahrooa books, H*£^.^!«."d '»

how to collect auahrooa postcarda, and even how to collect
plain - and fancy - auahrooaa.

An introduction to using scientific keys is featured, elong with samples of
different kinds of mushroom keys and a complete key to Helyellaceae provided by the
Key Council of the Pacific Northweat.

In a section reprinted froa David Arora's book Mushrooms Demystified, the author
dlcuaaea why the auahrooa in your hand may not fit the detailed description in a key.

page 30

It may be the key's fault, it may be your fault, or it may be the mushroom's fault,
Arora says, and he explains why.

Also included in this issue is a spore print format which can be reproduced on
copy machines and used to organize mushroom sightings.

Subscriptions to the quarterly Magazine are 012 a year fros Mushroom Magazine,
Box 3156, University Station, Moscow, Idaho 83843. (Subscriptions start with the next
issue to cose out, but back issues are available at 03 each, postpaid.)

gypophl lately

The following countries have announced or already issued postage stamps
depicting mushrooms in 1984: Brazil (Oct.), Christsas Isl. (May), Fiji Isl. ,
Hungary (?), Solomon Isl., Tristan da Cunha, Vanuatu, Vietnaa (sale prohibited in
this country), and Zaabia (?). For these and other philatelic auahrooaobelia, or an
updated (March 1984) checklist/pricellst, contact TAMC member Bill Long, Star Route,
Afton, MI 4970S. (Although he doesn't ask for it, return postage would probably be
appreciated. )

Snakes for Sa^eJ.

Member Agna Calingaert

truffle (truf'l), n. [Formerly also trufle; = D.
truffel = G. trufel = Sw. tryffel = Dan. troffel,
< OF. trufle, with unorig. I, for trufe, truffe, F.
truffe = Pr. trufa = Sp. trufa, truffle ; prob. < L.
tubera, neat. pi. (taken later as fern, sing.) of
tuber, an esculent root, a tuber: see tuber. Cf.
F. tartoufle, < Olt. tartuffola, tarioffalo (Milan-
ese tartuffol, Venetian tartufola), truffle (>G.
tartuffel, kartoffel, potato), also tartuffo, tartufo,
truffle; prob. < L. terrse tubera, 'earth-tubers':
terras, gen. of terra, earth ; tuber, tuber. Cf . tri-
fle1.'] A subterranean edible fungus, especially
of the aseomveetous genus Tuber. The common
English truffle, T. mttivum. Is roundish Id shape, and la
covered externally with polygonal warts. It is Slack out-
ride, and brownish veined with white inside, and grows
in calcareous soils, usually under birch- or oak-trees.
Truffles are much esteemed as an ingredient in high-
seasoned dishes. As there is no appearance above ground
to indicate their presence, dogs and pigs are frequently
trained to find them by the scent, ana scratch or root
them up. Many persons also become expert in selecting
the places where
they are likely to
grow. The most
famous field for the
production of truf-
fles is the old prov-
ince of Pgrigord In
France. The com-
monest Bpecies of
the French mar-
kets Is T. melano-
tporum. T. mag-
natum is the garlic-
scented truffle of
Italy. Other edible
species of Tuber are
T. brumale, T.
maentericum, etc.
The celebrated po-
tato-like truffle of
Italy, etc., Is Trr.
fezia lean is. The
false truffle, which
it frequently sold
in the English and

Truffle ( Tubtr mtianaj/om m).
section, ihowing the Interior structure l
/>, an ascos.

continental markets, is Scleroderma mdgan, allied, as Is
the so-called red truffle, ilelanogatter rariegatiu, to the
puHballs. See Tuber, 2, and compare luclcahoc.

A dish of tntflei, which is a certaJne earth nut, found
out by an hogg train d to it, and for which those animals
are sold at a great* price. Evelyn, Diary, Sept. SO, 1644.

truffled (truf'ld), a. [< truffle + -ecP.~\ Fur-
nished, cooked, or stuffed with truffles: as, a
truffled turkey.

truffle-worm (truf'l-werm'), n. The larva of a
dipterous insect which infests truffles.

has the following snakes for sale (or free to a tax-
exempt organization): 12 ft. Burmese python, 6 ft.
boa, and an 8 ft. bullsneke. Call her at 929-3908 if
you can help her out.

Illustrations

The illustrations in this issue are taken from
The Century, Dictionary and Cyclopedia, edited by
william~~Dwight~~i5hItney "coT, MY, 1914.

(Thanks to Roger Hagler.)

Taking Better Mushroom Photos
Part II: Getting the Picture

by Kerry Givens

Our Story So Far: Last time I waxed fantastic
about the sort of equipment I find essential for the
craft of mushroom photography. With the same brand
of nonchalant arrogance I'm now going to outline ay
formula for the use of this equipment. Again I
hasten to fend off clamors of dissent from other
photographers: there are other ways to take
mushroom pictures, but the following techniques work
best for me. So there.

Selecting a Subject

A natural tendency among us amateur
photographer-mycologists is to snap each and every
mushroom species encountered along the trail. I
don't mean to discourage this habit, because
practice is essential to master one's equipment.
However, with time one comes to realize that
outstanding photos aren't made by photographing

page 31

everything you see and hoping that a few turn out well. Instead one must learn to
discriminate among available subjects. The way I do this is by Mf rasing" each
potential subject in ay Bind, imagining what the whole scene will look like through
the viewfinder even before I take out sy camera. The sorts of questions I ask myself
during this process include:

1) Will this fungus fit comfortably into a 35mm slide?
Not all mushrooms look so great when wedged into that little
rectangular viewfinder. Big Lepiotas with huge caps, for
instance - by the time you back up enough to get the whole
cap in the picture, you've included so much distracting
background that the mushroom gets lost. 2) Is the

subject imperfect? (Not to be confused with fungi
Imperfect!.) Don't be too quick to focus on a specimen with
obvious flaws, eg, a pileus with bug holes. I always scan
the immediate vicinity of an interesting mushroom, hoping to
find better examples of the species. Fungi are gregarious
things so the search is often rewarding. If the subject is
a rarity, you "takes what you can gets," but fresh, intact
specimens are always more likely to yield an outstanding
photo.

3) Is the lighting adequate? I definitely prefer subdued natural light to cap-
ture mushrooms in their native habitat, especially when the picture will include a
fair amount of background. (To use electronic flash on such a scene often fails to
illuminate the background adequately, creating the familiar black background or
"taken -at -night" look. This is fine for scientific close-ups of isolated parts of
fungi, but rather unnatural when trying to depict a mushroom in its native habitat.)
The best lighting is even lighting, that is, a scene without annoying highlights and
obscuring shadows. I therefore avoid photographing mushrooms in direct sunlight.
Sometimes, if a willing volunteer is available, you can position a human body to cast
a shadow over the scene to be photographed. True, blocking out light means longer
shutter speeds will be needed - and yes, longer shutter speeds makes getting a sharp
picture a little trickier. But shortly I'll explain how I get sharp pictures with
shutter speeds as long as 20 seconds or more.

By reviewing potential photographic subjects in this manner, I minimize wasted
shots by concentrating my efforts on mushrooms most likely to yield a good picture.
One of the satisfying aspects of mushroom photography is that there are plenty of
photogenic fungi left even after you rule out the specimens that are not acceptable
for photography.

Setting Up

Now the camera comes out of the gadget bag. Before struggling with the tripod I
view the subject from a variety of angles while hand-holding the camera: often you
can find a better view of the mushroom than you originally saw. This is much easier
if you haven't already attached the tripod to the camera t After selecting the best
view, I then attach the tripod. The bottom line here is stability, especially when
taking slow exposures (eg, anything longer than 1/60 second qualifies as "slow" in ay
book). Rock-like sturdiness is essential if you want sharp pictures. This means
making sure the camera is screwed tightly to the tripod, as well as getting solid
three-point contact between tripod and ground. If there's any wobble at all in the
camera-tripod setup, sometimes you can hang a heavy camera bag beneath it to increase
stability.

Next comes focus. As a rule, macro lenses do not deliver much depth-of-f ield;
this zone of sharp focus continues to diminish as you photograph smaller and smaller
subjects. This creates a dilemma: in many close-up photos, you will be unable to get
the entire mushroom, front to back, in focus. What to do? The thing to avoid is a
picture in which the front of the mushroom (part closest to the lens) is out-of-

page 32

focus. This is a basic rule of composition that really applies to all close-up
photography. The way to insure optimum focus is two-fold: . 1) use small lens
apertures (eg, the larger -numbered f -stops, f 22 and f 32) and 2) focus on that part of
the mushroom closest to the lens. Trust ae, it works.

As I mentioned last time, smaller apertures require longer shutter speeds, when
using natural light. Often the required exposure is several seconds or longer when
using a "slow" film such as Kodachrome 25. Unfortunately, most camera meters are
unable to register a shutter speed longer than one second. So how do you figure out
how long you should expose the picture? With the camera in position and focused,
open up the lens to a wide aperture such as fS.6. Now much more light should be
reaching your camera's meter and hopefully the reading will come back on scale.
Let's say your camera meter now indicates an exposure of 1/2 second at £5,6.
Ideally, you want to take the picture at £22 or £32. To compute the necessary
exposure, simply double the exposure time for each f-stop you pass as you count up to
f22 or f32:

I1a§ £§ ill f22 f32

Exposure needed: 1/2 sec. 1 sec. 2 sec. 4 sec. 8 sec.

So, a shutter speed of 3 seconds is required at £32. Sadly, that's not
completely true. Whenever you expose Kodachrome film for longer than 2 seconds or
so, you encounter a problem called reciprocity failure. The crux is - the different
colors of dye in Kodachrome emulsion do not share the same degree of light sensitivi-
ty. So, during a long exposure, certain colors do not develop as rapidly as others.
If you ignore this problem, you end up with bizarrely-tinted slides. The good news
is - reciprocity failure can be corrected. You just have to lengthen the exposure
that you originally calculated. By how much? Kodak has its own data available, but
I've been using somebody else's chart with great success. Here it is:

Calculated exposure Exposure needed to correct reciprocity failure

1 1/2 sec. 2 sec.

2 2 1/2 M

3 4

5 7 1/2 M

6 9 1/2"
8 13

Beyond 8 seconds, a little experimentation is necessary. I usually multiply the
calculated exposure by l.S. If you write real tiny, you can fit this chart on a 2"
square of index card and pop it into the film memo holder on your camera back.

By the way, reciprocity failure is why you automatic camera users cannot rely on
your camera to calcuate an accurate exposure when long shutter speeds are involved.
Automatic cameras don't "know" about RF and won't compensate for it when computing
the exposure time. Let's hear it for all you manual override fans out there!

It's always a good idea to take a few extra shots using exposure times shorter
and longer than what you finally compute - "bracketing" your exposure, as they say.
This is especially true when you've had to open your lens up to (say) £5.6 in order
to get a meter reading. If (for whatever reason) the meter reading at £5.6 Is
slightly inaccurate, you've multiplied that inaccuracy when you multiply the meter
reading to compute the exposure at £32. So don't put all your chips on just one
picture! Take aeveral, at slightly different exposures, to allow for metering
inaccuracy.

(Camera meters are notoriously inaccurate nowadays. John Shaw, a celebrated
nature photographer cited in the bibliography from Part I of this article, recommends
the following simple test of your camera meter: set your ASA (film speed) dial at
the speed you'll be using - let's say 25, in the case of Kodachrome 25. On a sunny
day, set your lens (any kind of lens will work) at £16 and focus on the cloudless
north sky, at about an angle of 45°. If your meter is properly adjusted, it should

page 33

indicate a required shutter speed of 1/ASA setting you selected; allowing for ap-
proximation, a properly calibrated meter should indicate a speed of 1/30 sec. for an
ASA setting of 25, 1/60 sec. for ASA 64, 1/125 sec. for ASA 100, and so on. If your
meter tells you otherwise, then turn the ASA dial until the proper shutter speed is
indicated. That's right, you say have to set the ASA dial at something other than 25
to get properly exposed pix with Kodachroae 25. This say be hard to accept at first;
I know it was for me. But I changed ay ASA dial anyway and now I 'a a better aan for

Now it's tiae to push the button and take the picture. I think a good cable
release is a must for the aushrooa photographer (sorry for not mentioning in last
tiae!). The aain purpose of using one is to reduce vibration by releasing the
shutter without having to touch the camera or tripod; less vibration aeans sharper
pictures. Some of the newer generation of cable release the shutter with an
electronic impulse rather than a mechanical plunger. Theoretically they reduce
vibration even more than the old-fashioned plunger-type releases, but I doubt the
difference is visibly significant. Another way to reduce vibration is to use the
mirror-lock-up button, if your camera has one. The mirror (which enables light to
travel from the lens to the viewfinder) snaps up as the shutter is released. This
"snap** causes a brief vibration that can slightly blur pictures taken at shutter
speeds around 1/30 to 1/4 second; as longer exposures are used, sharpness lost to
mirror slap becomes less and less. On some cameras you can manually lock the mirror
up before you trip the shutter, thus avoiding the dreaded slap. (Of course, you can
no longer see through the viewfinder when the mirror is locked up, so wait until
you're ready to take the picture before you lock it up.) Now you're set. Use slow,
steady pressure on the cable release button to trip the shutter - a sloppy, quick jab
could vibrate the camera as much as if you hadn't used the cable release at all. If
you're taking a picture that requires several seconds of exposure, you should try to
remain very still during the exposure so as not to jiggle the release, tripod,
camera, or subject. When photographing near a road I usually wait until all cars
have passed before tripping the shutter. Fortunately, mushrooms are among the most
stalwart of subjects and rarely wiggle in the wind.

That 'a my basic system for photographing mushrooms. I've deliberately avoided
explaining the use of electronic flash; partly because this installment is far too
long already, but mostly because that's what I'll be talking about next tiae.

it.)

An extensive genus of hymenomycetona map,

generally found growing on the ground in woods

and meadows, especially in pine woods. In BoU-
tmt the poree are easily aeparable from the cap and trom
each other, while In the related genua Polyponu they are
adherent to the cap, and are bound to each other by an
tatentltial ttaue, the tram*. A lew apeciea are edible.

page 34

Bushrooa^Asparagus Salad

by Marilyn Knapp

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. white vinegar
1/8 tap. salt
1/8 tap. pepper

1/2 lb. auahrooas finely chopped

1 lb. aaparagua

1/2 cup aeyonnalse

1/2 tap. chopped freah chivea

Combine flrat 4 ingredients & blend well. Add auahrooaa, aix and set aaide to
marinate for 30 ainutea. Cut aaparagua into thin alicea and ateam until tender,
about 6-8 ainutea. Cool. Add aaparagua, aayonnalae, chivea to auahrooa aixture, aix
carefully. Chill, garniah with boiled egga.

Thanks to THE HUSH RUMOR, newsletter of the Snohoaiah County Mycological Society (in
Washington State) for the above recipe.

The Final Word

One often finds snatches of old songs going through one's aind on these ware
spring days. Juat perhapa, one of theae aay be: "Truffle Off To Buffalo"....

Triangle Area Muahrooa Club
P.O. Box 17061
Durhaa, MC 27705

* •

— » • —
• « — -

UMC- qh

FIG. I. FAIRY-RING FUNGUS.

C589,22Z0$
f98t

the fungiffe

Newsletter of the Triangle Area Mushroom Club

P.O. Box 17061 , Durham, North Carolina 27705
Volume 3 Number 4 July/ August 1984

President: Ed Haynes, 3447 Hope Valley Rd. , Durham, NC 27707 493-7703

Secretary/Treasurer: Jacques Poirier, 210 W. Lavender Ave., Durham, NC 27704

477-5837

Editor: Joan Zeller, 700 Morreene Rd. Apt. G-11, Durham, NC 27705 383-7154

Foray Chair: Dianne Berg, Rt. 1, Box 122, Pittsboro, NC 27312 933-9628

Program Chair: This space available

M mi CALENDAR:

Meetings:

July: no meeting

August: no meeting

September 10: Details in next issue

Foravs :

July 21., Sat: Mason Farm in Chapel Hill. Meet at Finley Golf Course parking
lot at 10 am. Contact person: Dianne Berg (933-9628)

August 5, Sun: Schenck Memorial Forest in Raleigh (!!!). Meet at Scott
Building (across from Flea Market) at State Fairgrounds off Blue Ridge Rd. ,
10 am. Contact person and technical leader: Jack Billman (787-8377). The
Schenck Forest, research forest of NCSU, is abandoned field, covered with
loblolly pine, yellow poplar, gum, and oak, and includes 25 natural acres.
The ashes of Dr. A.C. Schenck, founder of the first forestry school in the
New World, are scattered among the pines.

August 25, Sat: Mason Farm in Chapel Hill, 10am. Contact Dianne Berg. Since
this is such an unpredictable time of year, in case of dry weather, bring
slides, and we will go somewhere in Chapel Hill to show them.

September 16, Sun: (note: target date only, subject to change). Contact person
and technical leader: Odile Gould (41 Green Mill Lane, Durham, NC 27707).
This foray will have a different format from our others. Odile will scout
out likely areas, and depending on weather and mushroom conditions at the
time, will select an exact date, time, and place to ensure a fruitful foray.
She will notify those who have expressed an interest in attending. To be
notified, you must send her a postcard, and tell her how to reach you. This
will not obligate you to go, but it is the only way you will be notified.

September 29, Sat: Mason Farm in Chapel Hill, 10 am. Contact person and
technical leader: Owen McConnell (477-5178).

October 14, Sun: Battle Park in Chapel Hill. Meet at Texaco Station, 10 am.
Contact person and technical leader: Bill Burk (942-6387).

October 27, Sat: Mason Farm in Chapel Hill, 10 am. Contact Dianne Berg.

page 36

Forav Information

Meeting sites; Texaco Station: University Mall parking lot in Chapel Hill,

corner of Estes Drive and 15-501 Bypass.
Mason Farm: Finley Golf Course parking lot in Chapel Hill,
Old Mason Farm Rd. off 15-501 Bypass between
Hwy 54 (Raleigh Rd.) and NC Botanical Garden.

Trips will not be cancelled for rain, unless there is a deluge. If ques-
tionable, call contact person in the morning to see if it is deluging. Bring a
basket or box for collecting, wax paper or bags for wrapping specimens (not
plastic wrap or baggies), knife, field guide, notebook, whistle, compass if you
have one, insect repellent, and lunch.

Officers! (sigh... says Joan)

Congratulations, good luck, and THANKS to the new officers who were elected
at the June meeting. Ed Haynes is our new President, and Jacques Poirier is now
Secretary/Treasurer. Joan Zeller and Dianne Berg are remaining as Editor and
Foray Chair, respectively. Program Chair, are you out there???

In addition, the Constitution and Bylaws were ratified at the meeting.

Ron Petersen Foray

The Asheville Mushroom Club has invited us to attend a weekend foray with
them, featuring guest mycologist Dr. Ron Petersen of the University of Tennessee
on September 8 & 9« The $15 fee includes Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast,
and the club will be able to put up 5 to 10 of us. Contact TAMC member Barbara
Beaman (477-1865) if you are interested, so we and the Asheville Club can
finalize plans. This will be a wonderful opportunity to foray in beautiful and
bountiful country, learn from an expert, and meet some kindred spirits. .. and
only 4 hours away! First come, first served.

"Mushroom Poisoningf Diagnosis and Treatment"

(report on April 16 meeting) by Elaine B. Haynes

On April 16 Dr. Shirley Osterhout, Clinical Director of the Duke Poison
Control Center, gave a very informative lecture on "Mushroom Poisoning, Diagno-
sis and Treatment." Fortunately, most plants and mushrooms are not poisonous,
and of those considered poisonous only a few are potentially lethal. The first
case of mushroom poisoning in American medical literature was reported in 1871.
At the Duke Poison Control Center questions, about plant poisoning are the third
most common ones asked. For the most recent years that statistics were avail-
able approximately five percent of all calls received were about plant poisons;
for 1979 there were 37 mushroom related calls and for 1 980 there were 30. As
many local mushroomers noticed last year, there were there were very few mush-
rooms, and Dr. Osterhout noted there were very few calls about them.

For the poison control physician, mushroom poisoning can be a major diagno-
stic problem because the most frequent victim is a young child, unable to give
much helpful information about what he or she ate, who is most likely
accompanied by a hysterical parent, also not able to provide much help. Identi-
fication of a mushroom species is often very difficult even on an intact speci-

page 37

men with full collection data and a stack of identification guides; identifica-
tion is virtually impossible on the fragments removed from the stomach. For
this reason the emergency room physicain relies more on the symptoms of the
patient than on an identification of the mushroom. The time of the onset of
symptoms after eating the mushroom(s) is important; if the symptoms appear
within six hours then the poisoning, although unpleasant, will almost certainly
not be fatal with adequate treatment. Symptoms of the more dangerous type of
poisoning usually appear much later. But for all types of potential mushroom
poisoning the initial treatment is the same - empty the stomach to get the
poison out of the system as soon as possible. The most reliable way to do this
for a conscious person is to use syrup of Ipecac. The dose is one tablespoon
and one or more large glasses of water. It is also very important to have the
person move around. Dr. Osterhout emphasized this treatment does not make the
patient feel sick or nauseous but simply makes him regurgitate the stomach
contents within 20 minutes. It is much cheaper than a trip to the emergency
room and not as unpleasant as gastric lavage, the procedure of passing a tube
into the stomach and washing out the contents.

In all cases of poisoning the doctor will need to know when the mushrooms
were eaten and when the symptoms began to appear. Other important information
is whether the mushrooms were cooked or raw, if anyone else ate them and is (or
is not) sick, if the patient consumed any alcohol of any type recently (includ-
ing medicines containing alcohol), who picked the mushrooms, . and if there are
any left.

Poisonous mushrooms are divided into seven categories based on the types of
poison involved and the symptoms produced. The largest group is the gastroin-
testinal irritant- type. These produce nausea and diarrhea (which may be very
severe) within 60 to 90 minutes of being eaten. Although the effects of this
type of poisoning can be extremely unpleasant and may last for several days the
result is rarely fatal. The treatment for this type of poisoning is to remove
the toxin by lavage, activated charcoal, and natural means, and to replace the
fluids lost. Dr. Osterhout emphasized if you do become ill with this type of
poisoning, do not attempt to stop the vomiting and diarrhea because these are
the body's ways of eliminating the poison. If the poison is not gotten out you
will only be sick longer.

One of the most peculiar poisons is disulflram, found in Coprinus atramen-
tarius f which possesses Antabuse-like activity. This toxin will only cause
illness if alcohol is consumed, even several days after eating the mushroom.
This chemical is also used as an herbicide on tobacco fields and could con-
ceivably contaminate any mushroom or other plant picked in the vicinity of a
treated field. The effects of this type of poisoning are unpleasant but usually
last only a few hours.

Another group of toxic mushrooms are the Gvromitras. They contain mono-
methyl hydrazine, a poison which not only produces serious immediate conse-
quences but also is considered a potential carcinogen. Monomethyl hydrazine is
a volatile compound and a serious poisoning can result from inhaling the vapors
of the mushrooms while they cook. Poisoning results from interference in amino
acid metabolism and can lead to blood hemolysis, and damage to the gastrointes-
tinal system, liver, kidneys, spleen, and central nervous system. This is one
type of mushroom poisoning in which the effects may be very long-term, even with
treatment.

The next group of mushrooms discussed was the hallucinogens, the Psilocvbes
and a few other genera. These mushrooms present a particular problem because
there are people who deliberately seek the hallucinations induced by psilocybin,
the active component. Besides hallucinations, these mushrooms can also cause
gastritis, drowsiness, and loss of concentration. Dr. Osterhout also emphasized

page 38

that even though most adults can tolerate the effects of psilocybin, children
are particularly at risk and there have been several child fatalities as a
result of either deliberate or accidental ingestion of these mushrooms.

Hie muscarine group of mushrooms includes many Clitocvbes and Inocvbes.
This is the easiest type of mushroom poisoning to treat because there exists a
specific antidote, atropine. Muscarine acts by its anticholinesterase activity,
which blocks the parasympathetic nervous system. The symptoms of this poisoning
are distinctive: the patient may be described as wet, with excess tearing,
salivation, and perspiration.

Ibotenic acid is a poison with exactly the opposite action of muscarine.
Several Amanitas, PanaeolusT and Trlcholomas contain ibotenic acid. Physostig-
mine is used as an antidote with generally good results.

The last and most deadly group discussed was the amanitin or cyclopeptide
containing mushroom. Notable examples of these are Am aril ta phalloides, A.
verna, and A*, virosa. The lethal dose of this toxin is as low as 0.1 mg/kg and
one "average" cap may contain 7 Jng> however the amount of toxin in any given
mushroom has been shown to be extremely variable. Amanitin is a liver and
kidney toxin which affects the function of DNA and RNA. This is the only type
of mushroom poisoning which has a delayed onset; usually symptoms do not appear
until 24 hours after ingesting the mushroom. The symptoms include acute gas-
trointestinal distress, dehydration, liver and kidney failure, heart arrhythmia,
bleeding, and enlarged lymph nodes. The treatment for amanitin poisoning is
generally activated charcoal to remove the poison from the system and supportive
measures until the body heals itself.

In our concern about avoiding poisonous mushrooms, we should not forget
that it is possible to get food poisoning and/or acute allergic reactions from
any mushroom, including commercially packaged ones. Allergies are individual
reactions but can result in acute illness as well as confusion over what is safe
to eat and what is not. Mushrooms for the table should be carefully cleaned,
inspected for vermin or rotten parts, cooked promptly, and stored under appro-
priate conditions, just as any other food stuff.

If you are ever involved in any type of poisoning - mushroom or chemical or
medicinal or whatever - there is a 2 4- hour hotline, toll free, to the Duke
Poison Control Center. The number is 1-800-672-1697. We are very fortunate to
have this service, staffed by knowledgeable people such as Dr. Osterhout,
available at all times.

Toxici tv Reports

The North American Mycological Association Toxicology Committee is at-
tempting to collect and centralize data on mushroom poisoning cases and has
provided a form to document individual cases. Their letter states: "While the
effects of many of the most toxic mushrooms, such as deadly Amanita species, are
reasonably well known, toxic effects of many more mushrooms are less well estab-
lished. Although we want data on all mushroom poisoning cases, it i3 the latter
group with uncertain effects where we feel there is need and opportunity to
collect useful data... We are asking for information from the my cophilic /my oo-
phagia community where there are probably incidents that, for one reason or
another, do not find their way into the emergency medical system." If you are
unfortunate enough to experience any adverse effects from eating mushrooms,
please help to add to the store of knowledge. Call Ed Haynes (493-7703) or Joan
Zeller (383-7154) to obtain a form. Forms are also available from Dr. Kenneth
Cochran, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.

page 39

de Current Events

For items marked by *: see May/ June 1984 Funglf lie for details or contact Joan
Zeller.

July 27-29. ELkins, WV: AUGUSTA HERITAGE ARTS WILD MUSHROOMS WORKSHOP.*
July 30. Durham, NC: Lecture on "Mycetismus" (mushroom toxicity) by TAMC member
Kerry Givens, as part of the Duke Summer (Medical) Mycology Course. Lec-
ture at 11:00am room M422 of Duke Hospital South. Every lecture is open to
the public. Contact Dr. Tom Mitchell (684-5792) for more information about
the course.

August 3-5. ELkins, WV: AUGUSTA HERITAGE ARTS WILD MUSHROOMS WORKSHOP.*
August 13-15. Red River, NM: Ristorante II Porcino ITALIAN COOKING SCHOOL fea-
turing basic sauces in Italian cooking, wild mushroom hunts in the moun-
tains, and preparing, cooking, and tasting wild mushrooms. II Porcino,
specializing in wild mushrooms, opened last year by Master Chef Carlo
Gislimberti in a family resort area in the high Rockies. Also offered
Sept. 4-6. Tuition: $175. Write Ristorante II Porcino, P.O. Box 326, Red
River NM 87558 or call (505) 754-6685.
August 16-19. Glassboro, NJ: NINTH ANNUAL NORTHEASTERN MYCOLOGICAL FORAY. *
August 23-26. Telluride, CO: 4th ANNUAL TELLURIDE WILD MUSHROOM CONFERENCE.*
September 4-6. ITALIAN COOKING SCHOOL. See August 13-15 above.

September 8-9. Asheville, NC: Asheville Mushroom Club FORAY with Dr. Ron

Petersen of the University of Tennessee. See Ron Petersen Foray page 36.
September 14-16. Terra Alta, WV: MUSHROOM WEEKEND.*
September 14-16. Cairo, WV: NATURE WONDER WEEKEND.*

September 20-23. Dorset, Ontario: NORTH AMERICAN MYCOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION FORAY.
At the Leslie M. Frost Natural Resources Centre, surrounded by thousands of
acres of mixed forests and lakelands in the Haliburton Highlands of On-
tario. Registration fee $60 (Cdn.); limited accommodations available $100
(Cdn.) (includes all meals from lunch Thursday to lunch Sunday). For more
information contact Joan Zeller or write NAMA 84, c/o Olga Novick, 55 Lace-
wood Crescent, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3A 223.

October 2-19. JAPAN MUSHROOM STUDY TOUR. (Note change in dates.) Cost $3295.*

October 5-6. Manteo, NC: OCTOBER MARSH & SEA FEST.*

November 29-December 13. TRUFFLING THROUGH EUROPE.*

Sandwich Bag? Available

The best and easiest way to collect medium sized mushrooms is to store them
in wax paper sandwich bags, which have become scarce to non-existent in
supermarkets. These bags are available for $10.07 for a box of 1000 bags from:
Brame Specialty Co., 949 Washington St., P.O. Box 271, Durham, NC 27702 (phone
(919) 683-1331). Ask for Sandwich Bag Plain #204, item #11-00851 . For mail
orders, call your local UPS office, ask for postage on 7 lbs. (per box of 1000),
and include this with your check.

page 40

The Elegant Polvpore by Bill Roody

The elegant polypore or blackfooted polypore is a common and easily recog-
nized mushroom which is widely distributed in North America. It is included in
most mushroom guides as either Polyporus varius or JEj. elegans. The key features
are the thin leathery tan colored caps with cream to grayish tubes beneath. The
pore openings are angular though so small that it is not always apparent. The
pore surface underneath, which sometimes has a slight purplish tinge, descends
the frequently off-center stalk where it is joined with a distinctive "black
foot" at the point of attachment to dead twigs and branches. The cap varies
from round to kidney shape, averaging from one to two inches across. I find it
most often on yellow birch, but it also occurs on other hardwoods and, reported-
ly, infrequently on conifers.

The elegant polypore is too tough and leathery to be considered edible, but
the odor is pleasant, enticing and very "mushroomy". Though overlooked by
mycophagists the blackfoot can be used to provide a rich mushroom broth which
then can be converted into delicious soups, sauces, and gravies. Simply boil
the entire caps, after cutting away the base, until the liquid is dark brown
(about 15 minutes). Strain and discard the mushrooms. The remaining broth is
wholesome and good enouugh to be enjoyed as is or employed in any number of
ways. One way I like to use it is by dicing some onion and sauteing in butter.
Add to this the mushroom broth and bring to a boil. While boiling, stir in
beaten egg and remove from heat. Season with tamari and black pepper and serve.

The elegant polypore can often be found when other mushrooms are in short
supply and has the added advantage of being easily dried for future use.

(The above article is reprinted with permission from the July/ August 1984 issue
of Coltsfoot, a bi-monthly journal founded by Bill Roody in appreciation of wild
plants. Subscriptions are $10 a year, and are available from the editor, James
Troy, Route 1, Box 313 A, Shipman, VA 22 971. Bill is the new editor of the Ohio
Mushroom Society's Spore Print, and will be leading two mushroom workshops in
El kins, WV this summer (see deCurrent Events)).

Mystery Mushroom : £an. loja Identify J£2

This X-rated fungus, drawn here slightly larger than life size by Ruth
Lang, was found growing on dead wood by a stream bed at Mason Farm on June 23.
The two lower layers were black, the stalk was tan, and the tip was
maroon/brown. If you can identify it, please contact Joan Zeller.

page 41

More Kudos J& Kerry

A photograph of ants crawling over gills of a "North Carolina mushroom" won
Kerry Givens an award in a photography contest sponsored by the American As-
sociation for the Advancement of Science, and was published in the June 1984
issue of Science 84. So pay attention to Kerry's articles, folks: he knows
whereof he speaks.

Taking Better Mushroom Photos

Part tit: Jhs. sls& a£ Electronic Flashes

forf How 1 Found Happiness a Flasher) by Kerry Givens

I used to be terrified of my electronic flash. The first few years I owned
my camera, I could barely take an acceptable photo with sunlight; so when I
added a flash to my camera, my pile of discarded slides grew even faster. The
truth is, I just didn't understand the cryptic little calculator dial on the
back of my flash. (I think it reminded me of the ninth-grade physics class in
which I struggled to master the use of the slide rule). So, for years I re-
mained in the dark (so to speak), making wild guesses regarding flash position,
aperture settings, etc., when taking flash photos. You can imagine how ghastly
the results were. In this way I grew to fear and loathe my flash unit, leaving
it at home whenever I could. I think many beginning flash-users become ensnared
in the same trap. This article is aimed at those of you who hate the miserable
gadgets as much as I used to. I hope to convince you that they are vital
accessories for mushroom photographers.

Nowadays, at least 30 or 40 percent of my mushroom photos are taken with
electronic flash. Flash has become an absolute necessity for me since many of
my pictures could not have been produced without artificial lighting. Especial-
ly when using a "slow" (e.g. relatively light-insensitive) film like Kodachrome
25 — the only color film I use for fungus photos ~ photography in dimly lit
habitats can often mean impossibly long shutter speeds. This is especially true
when using a narrow aperture like f22 or f32 (and this is usually the case when
photographing mushrooms, as I discussed in Part II). Furthermore, the more
magnification one uses - that is, the closer you focus - the less light reaches
the film. Again, this spells ridiculously long shutter speeds when using Koda-
chrome and natural light. Unfortunately, Kodachrome simply is not designed to
produce realistic color when subjected to super-long exposure times, say 25
seconds or more. Electronic flash circumvents this problem by supplying enough
light to permit small apertures and fairly rapid exposure times.

Choosing & Flash

Even if you own a flash that's only 2 or 3 years old, it may already be
obsolete by the standards of today's rapidly progressing electronic flash mar-
ket. Below I will briefly summarize the major breeds of today's flashes.
Please note the discussion is far from complete. Every time I open the latest
issue of Popular Photography I see ads for new, gimmick-laden flashes. Many of
the "extras" on today's flashes are of no benefit whatsoever to a close-up
photographer. In fact, it's getting hard to find flashes that do not have at
least a few superfluous features thrown on. A flash-buyer's ultimate selection
of a unit must be therefore tempered by the question "Will I be using this flash
for situations other than close-up photography as well?" Here I will concen-
trate on those features that pertain especially to close-up photography.

Basically, there are 2 styles of flash unit: automatic or manual (and some
units offer both modes). A manual flash emits a fixed amount of light when
fired; since this amount of light is constant with each flash, your lens must

page 42

be set at only one specif io f- stop in order to get a properly exposed picture.
The exact f-stop required will vary from picture to picture depending on the
film you use, the power of the flash unit, and how far away the subject is from
the camera and flash. Thus, the appropriate f-stop must be calculated each time
you take a picture with the flash. Normally this calculation is done using a
calculator dial on the side of the flash — you dial in the film speed and
distance from the subject, and the dial indicates what f-stop should be set on
the the lens. Unfortunately, for close-up photography, the dial is useless
since a slightly different set of calculations is needed (as I'll discuss
later) .

Automatic flashes feature a built-in sensor that "sees" the flash light as
it bounces back from the subject. The sensor "decides" when the subject has
been properly illuminated, and at that precise instant, turns off the flash.
Because automatic flashes can vary their own light output in this fashion, the
photographer is not limited to only one f-stop: instead, he can select any of a
range of 3 or 4 aperture settings. Provided the lens is set at one of these f-
stops, the flash will adjust its light to properly expose the picture. Again,
the exact set of f-stops you can select from will vary from picture to picture
depending on film speed, distance from the subject, and the maximum power of the
unit. So once again, you must refer to a calculator dial to determine which set
of f-stops is permis sable.

Automatic flashes are the proverbial cat's pajamas for candid vacation
photos, wedding photos, etc., but miss the proverbial boat when it comes to
mushroom photography. In Part I of this epic, I mentioned that the sensor on a
typical automatic flash cannot be aimed very accurately when the subject is very
small, i.e. Mvcena- sized. In this situation, the sensor is usually pointed at
something other than the tiny mushroom you're trying to photograph, and the
flash will fail to correctly expose the picture. That's why most automatic
flash manufacturers warn that the flash should not be used at distances closer
than 18" to the subject. Since mushroom photos often require a much smaller
focusing distance, automatic flashes just aren't the answer if you're hoping to
find a "point- and-shoot, " no-calculations- required system. As of May, 1984, I
think the best way to get consistently good flash exposures is to use a manual
flash and calculate the correct settings by hand.

Some photographers may argue that point. Within the last few years, some
top-of-the-line cameras have appeared containing a special, built-in flash-
metering system. The system is referred to as "off the film plane flash meter-
ing." When one of these cameras is coupled to a specially designed flash, the
camera can correctly expose flash photos by measuring the flash light that
actually reaches the film while the exposure is underway. When the meter senses
that the film has received enough light for a correctly- exposed picture, an
electronic impulse from the camera instantly extinguishes the flash. This
technical wizardry really has brought us a little closer to "point and shoot"
flash photography.

But the system still has a few bugs in it. Namely, many photos require the
use of more than one flash unit to achieve natural-looking lighting. In such a
situation the photographer must be able to control the light output of each
flash; one flash unit should provide most of the illumination for the photo,
while the other flashes should be adjusted to provide a much smaller amount of
light ("fill-in" light) to soften obnoxious shadows made by the main flash.
Most of the of f-the-film-plane-flash-meter cameras made today are not designed
to operate in this fashion. When you hook multiple flashes to one of these
cameras, it can usually give you a properly exposed photo, but it's very diffi-
cult to regulate the amount of light coming from individual flashes — that is,
you can't readily balance the lighting effectively. Cost is another considera-

page 43

tion. Although off- the- film- plane flash metering is now appearing on some
lower-priced camera bodies (e.g., Minolta X-570, Nikon FG) , the flashes are
still rather expensive. Furthermore you'll need to buy special extension cords
if you want to position your flashes more than a few inches away from the camera
(almost always the case in my mushroom photos). My nature photography buddies
tend to agree that off- the- film- plane technology needs some improvement before
we'll give up the tried-and-true, time-honored technique of manual flash expo-
sure. My advice to beginning mushroom photographers: keep an eye on develop-
ments in off- the- film- plane cameras for a few more years before owning one.

I need to mention one last variety of automatic flash — the so-called
"dedicated" flash. "Dedicated" means that the flash can perform certain acces-
sory functions when coupled to the correct camera. Most dedicated flash units
will automatically set the camera's shutter speed at 1/60 or 1/125 second (in
case you already didn't know it, all cameras must be set at a specific synchro-
nization speed when using flash, usually 1/125 or slower. If you accidentally
select a faster shutter speed, the flash won't fire until the shutter has
already partially closed. The result is a bizarre, half-black photo destined
for the wastebasket) . Especially when you're a beginning flash-user, it's all
too easy to forget about setting the correct synchronization speed as you fumble
about with your tripod, flash cords, etc., so this feature of dedicated flashes
is useful indeed.

Most dedicated flashes cause a light to glow in your camera's viewfinder
when the flash is fully charged and ready to fire. Furthermore, on many dedi-
cated units, a light on the back of the flash will glow for a few seconds after
the picture is snapped to indicate that the picture was properly exposed.

Remember, dedicated flashes must be custom matched to your make and model
of camera: a dedicated flash designed for Canon cameras will not work properly
on an Olympus body, and so on. Also, older cameras lack the special electronics
needed to interface with dedicated flashes. So, before you buy that dedicated
unit, check your camera instruction manual to see if it's compatible.

I have no problems recommending dedicated flash units to beginning mushroom
photographers; however, remember that a dedicated flash is just another automa-
tic flash with a few high-tech features, and like all automatic flashes, cannot
be counted upon to deliver correctly exposed close-up photos on its own. If you
buy a dedicated flash, I recommend that you buy one that offers manual settings
as well as automatic.

I'll briefly discuss one last feature: power. As a Kodachrome user, I
have developed a true lust for power — flash power, that is. I use some fairly
bright flashes in my work, yet Kodachrome 25 is such a "slow" film that I often
have to hold the flashes only 5 or 6 inches away from the subject for a properly
exposed picture. So... the stronger the flash, the farther away you can hold it
— and if you've ever done much macrophotography with a 55mm lens (which often
requires a very close working distance), you're grateful for every extra inch of
room you can get. Especially when you're trying to wedge two flash units in
near the mushroom, things can get pretty crowded. So buy powerful. As I
mentioned in Part I of this tome, flash power is reported in terms of the
mysterious guide number. This value depends on the film speed (ASA #) , that is,
the faster the film (or the higher the ASA #), the more powerful the flash will
appear to that film. Stated another way, the more light-sensitive the film, the
more easily the flash will expose it. So as you raise the ASA value, the
corresponding guide number is higher. If you plan on shooting Kodachrome 25 to
any great extent, I recommend a flash with an ASA 25 guide number of about 50-60
(equivalent to an ASA 100 guide number of 100-110).

Want to figure out the guide number of the flash you already own? Set the
calculator dial to ASA 25. Then see what f-stop lines up with the 10-foot mark

page H4

on the "distance" dial. To get the guide number, just multiply this f-stop
times Ifl. feet, e.g., f5.6 X 10 ft. = guide number of 56.

Fortunately, there are plenty of powerful flash units out there, waiting to
be bought. Unfortunately, as the power goes up, so does the number of useless
extra features and (you guessed it) the price, too. Some shrewd shopping is
required to zero in on the right unit. These days, Vivitar and Sunpak are
making some good units in the $35 .00-$65.00 range. As I warned in Part I, you
may want to buy two if you're after professional looking results. And if you
don't buy the same model, at least get two flashes with the same guide number.
When you do the calculations to determine flash- to- subject distance (to be
discussed in Part IV), it'll make life much easier.

My fountain pen is running as dry as my wit, making this an excellent place
to stop for now. In the breath-taking conclusion of this series, I'll discuss
power sources for flashes. More importantly, I'll also subject you to my
formula for actually using flashes in mushroom photography. In the meantime,
you many want to check out Popular Photography's SLR Photography 1 Q84 magazine,
an annual publication on newsstands now. There's a swell article on close-up
photography within by John Shaw — even features a mushroom photograph. And if
the $3.95 cover price is too much to bear, you can always sneak in to the local
supermarket and read it there. But you may have to wait until the cheapskates
like me finish reading it.

Farewell ilQ. St eye and me Last Word)

Fungif ile Editor-by-Def ault Steve Warner has recently moved to the
Washington, D.C. area. Thanks for his help in getting computerized. And please
note this will mark the end of "The Last Word"... for better or for worse.

Triangle Area Mushroom Club
P.O. Box 17061
Durham, NC 27705

« *
« •
« •
• « « •

• • • • « •

• ft

• «

• •

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5

FIG. X. FAIRY-RING FUNGUS.

the fijngifile

Newsletter of theTriangle Area Mushroom Club

P.O. Box 17061, Durham, North Carolina 27705
Volume 3 Number 5 September/ October 1984

President: Ed Haynes, 3447 Hope Valley Rd. , Durham, NC 27707 493-7703

Secretary/ Treasurer: Jacques Poirier, 210 W. Lavender Ave., Durham, NC 27704

477-5837

Editor: Joan Zeller, 700 Morreene Rd. Apt. G-11, Durham, NC 27705 383-7154

Foray Chair: Dianne Berg, Rt. 1, Box 122, Pittsboro, NC 27312 933-9628

Program Chair: This space available

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
Meetings:

September 10: Covered dish meal, fellowship, and identification session.
Please bring something to eat (the more mushrooms, the better), field guides
and mushrooms to identify after the eats (if there are no mushrooms around,
bring slides to show). (This will be a good opportunity for those of you
who are interested in purchasing a field guide to use and compare the
various books which are available.) At the home of Ed & Elaine Haynes, 3447
Hope Valley Road (NC 751), Durham, 7:30 pm. See map on page 53.

October 8: "The Rotten World Around Usn video shown by Calvin Wong, friend of
TAMC, who has accompanied us on several forays. Some of you may have seen
this fascinating film on PBS TV last fall. According to the Colorado Myco-
logical Society's Spores Afield, the "film captures beauty of the fungi
world. .. Ecological relationships are shown as the film unravels the mys-
teries of mushrooms and molds, and shows how fungi feed, grow and multip-
ly...They may at times revolt us - yet fungi also cure, feed and delight
us." The time-lapse and microphotography are sensational. (You may never
again feel quite the same about fungi after watching a mold engulf a bowl of
fruit; this film was not made to convert the skeptical to mycophilia.) At
the home of Ed & Elaine Haynes, address above, at 8: 00 pm. Members only,
please. For information, call 493-7703. See map on page 53.

November 12: Slide show presented by member Jack Billman. (Remember Jack's
beautiful slides from last year's December meeting?) (He may also throw in
some underwater shots.) Meeting at 7:30 pm at the NC Museum of Life &
Science in Durham (433 Murray Ave: take Duke St./Roxboro exit off of 1-85
near Northgate Shopping Center & go north; turn right on to Murray Ave. at
second light) .

December 10: Annual potluck and member slide show. Details will be announced in
next issue.

Forays:

September 16, Sun: (note: target date only, subject to change). Contact person
and technical leader: Odile Gould (41 Green Mill Lane, Durham, NC 27707).

page 46

This foray will have a different format from our others. Odile will scout
out likely areas, and depending on weather and mushroom conditions at the
time, will select an exact date, time, and place to ensure a fruitful foray.
She will notify those who have expressed an interest in attending. To be
notified, you must send her a postcard, and tell her how to reach you. This
will not obligate you to go, but it is the only way you will be notified.

September 29 > Sat: Mason Farm in Chapel Hill, 10 am. Contact person and
technical leader: Owen McConnell (477-5178).

October 14, Sun: Battle Park in Chapel Hill. Meet at Texaco Station, 10 am.
Contact person and technical leader: Bill Burk (942-6 3 87).

October 27, Sat: Mason Farm in Chapel Hill, 10 am. Aside from the mushrooms, Jim
Serne, Outings Chair of the Sierra Club Headwaters Group, will be along to
teach us how to find our way around in the woods off the beaten trail - how
to use topographical maps & compass. Bring a compass if you have one. Topo
maps of the area will be available. Contact person Dianne Berg.

Foray Information

Meeting sites: Texaco Station: University Mall parking lot in Chapel Hill,

corner of Estes Drive and 15-501 Bypass.
Mason Farm: Finley Golf Course parking lot in Chapel Hill,
Old Mason Farm Rd. off 15-501 Bypass between
Hwy 54 (Raleigh Rd.) and NC Botanical Garden.

Trips will not be cancelled for rain, unless there is a deluge. If ques-
tionable, call contact person in the morning to see if it is deluging. Bring a
basket or box for collecting, wax paper or bags for wrapping specimens (not
plastic wrap or baggies), knife, field guide, notebook, whistle, compass if you
have one, insect repellent, and lunch.

Dues are Due See renewal form on last page

It's getting to be that time again, folks. Dues for 1985 are payable by
January 1. Although that may seem far off, it's only one newsletter away, and
December is as busy a month for Secretary/Treasurers as it is for the rest of
us. So please keep the last minute paperwork to a minimum for all of us, and
renew early.

A word (or few) about our new dues structure. Remember that the old Family
memberships have been replaced by a combination of Individual ($8) and Associate
($2) memberships. This was done in order to clarify how many votes a "family"
will get. All adult Individual and Associate members have equal voting and
office holding privileges; publications will be paid for by the Individual
member of the family, and everyone will share the incidental expenses. Corres-
ponding members ($7) pay for newsletter subscription only.

Our apologies for raising the dues: we feel we have kept the increase
within reason, but that it is necessary to cover higher costs of the newsletter
and other aspects of the club. Dues were initially set to cover only the costs
of printing and mailing the newsletter, but two years of experience has taught
us that other expenses are involved in maintaining a club. The hidden costs
that have been borne by a few individuals can be now be fairly shared by all.

NAMA membership; The North American Mycological Association is the
national amateur mushroom club. It serves as a network for tying together
mycophiles throughout the continent, and for centralizing data, with a bimonthly

page 47

newsletter and yearly journal. Educational programs and other information
services are also offered. A large exciting foray is held every year, featuring
field trips, classes, workshops, and professional mycologists who identify the
finds for us (and themselves) to study. NAMA is an important resource and, we
feel, deserves our support. Membership, which is optional, is normally $15 a
year, but since TAMC is an affiliated club, our members are eligible to join at
$12 (individual or family). Please send a separate check with your application
payable to NAMA. Note: As of this printing, the NAMA trustees have not yet met
to determine 1985 dues. If dues are raised, and you have paid at the old rate,
we will notify you.

_A Temporary Farewell - and Plea

Jacques Poirier, our Secretary/Treasurer, will very soon be taking a sab-
batical leave of absense in California. He has been doing a wonderful job,
above and beyond the call of duty, and we will certainly miss him.

Members: Consider this a plea for help from your already overworked
officers: is there a budding Secretary/Treasurer out there?

deCurrent Events

For items marked by *: see May/ June 1984 or July/ August 1984 Fungif ile for
details or contact Joan Zeller.

September 8-9. Asheville, NC: Asheville Mushroom Club FORAY with Dr. Ron
Petersen of the University of Tennessee. Several spots are still available
so contact Barbara Beaman (477-1865) immediately if you are interested. Fee
of $15 covers everything including Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast.*

September 12. Chapel Hill, NC: Kerry Givens will present an updated version of
his popular slide show "Creatures Nobody Loves" (including new mushroom
pictures, among others) at the NC Botanical Garden. A nominal fee is
charged, and reservations must be made through the Garden. Call 967-2246.

September 14-16. Terra Alta, WV: MUSHROOM WEEKEND. *

September 14-16. Cairo, WV: NATURE WONDER WEEKEND.*

September 20-23. Dorset, Ontario: NORTH AMERICAN MYCOLCGICAL ASSOCIATION FORAY*
October 5-6. Manteo, NC: OCTOBER MARSH & SEA FEST.*
November 29-December 13. TRUFFLING THROUGH EUROPE.*

Foray Notes by Dianne Berg, Foray Chair

July performed admirably for us. Frequent rains contributed to an unusual-
ly prolific mushroom crop. Our forays this summer have been characterized by
good company, many mushrooms and alas, some bad company in the form of ticks,
chiggers and other six-legged creatures. David Higgins has been keeping a list
of species collected, particularly of those found on our Mason Farm forays. For
Mason Farm, we tried to list the location by recording the nearest experimental
plot-stake number with our finds in the hope that they can be correlated with
habitat data.

Chatham County was again the site of a number of forays this season. Dry
Creek, Alice Phalan and Jace Hobbs' land, always produces for us. Dry Creek is
certainly a misnomer for this swift and beautiful Piedmont stream. Wally
Kaufman's land at Saralyn with its stands of mature beech and oak is another

page 48

site that can always be counted on and this past July 8 was no exception. Wally
showed us how he preserves mushrooms simply by drying them on window screens
placed across sawbenches. As an added treat, he cooked up dishes of Chan-
terelles, Russulas and Lactarius collected on the foray to augment our lunches.

We held a previously unscheduled foray on June 29 > also in Chatham County,
when Jacques Poirier relayed a request to me from Irwin Kremen, who played host
to composer John Cage during his appearance at the American Dance Festival.
John Cage (whom we welcome as a new TAMC member) wanted to see some of the
countryside while pursuing a favorite pastime. The weather was inhospitably dry
so I chose Terrells Creek on the land of Lois Ann and Grimsley Hobbs in the hope
that if there was enough moisture anywhere for mushrooms to be found, it would
be along the banks of Terrells. And if the mushrooms were not forthcoming, we
could at least see a beautiful 1 8th century mill on a equally beautiful creek.
Fortunately, dry weather notwithstanding, the mushrooms were out. John Cage was
able to give us all lessons in collecting for the table. He collected some
boletes and Amanita rubescens for himself. Thanks go especially to the Hobbses
for playing impromptu hosts to us. Grim was recuperating from a knee operation
but Lois Ann came along on our walk and graciously invited us to tour the mill.

Jack Billman led two successful forays for us this summer, one at Mason
Farm and the other in Schenck Memorial Forest in Raleigh. The turnout at
Schenck was tremendous. Notable for sheer numbers of both people and mushrooms.
Many chanterelles were collected along with a voluminous species list - just ask
David I There certainly is an interest in mushrooming in the Raleigh corner of
our Triangle Area.

For the rest of the season, we have September and October Mason Farm forays
to look forward to. September 29th will be led by bolete expert Owen McConnell
and on October 27th we will be accompanied by Jim Serne who will give us a much
needed lesson in orienteering. Odile Gould will lead a special foray in the
Durham area in September and Bill Burk will lead us on a walk through Battle
Park in Chapel Hill on October 14. So the Fall promises good mushrooming. Hope
to see you there.

Data Base of TAMC Forav Finds by Ed Haynes

In the course of putting together the foray lists for our very rich forays
at Wally Kaufman's (see Saralvn Forav Lists p. 49) and entering into this data
base our finds at Mason Farm and elsewhere, we are moving toward the creation of
a central TAMC foray list. When our "official" finds are assembled, they will
be summarized or distributed in the Fungif ile. This ability to see, graph-
ically, what we've found where, will be especially helpful in evaluating our
Mason Farm foray finds, and will hopefully aid stumped individuals trying to
identify local finds. As a part of this data base, to deepen our (emerging)
sense of what comes where and when, we encourage local TAMC members to submit
lists of private forays and of more informal finds (in your front yard, for
example). All we ask is: 1) careful identification - if you've doubts, don't
report it (or say how it differs from what you think it's close to); 2) let us
know when (date) and where (town, address, county, whatever) you found what
you've found; and 3) try to keep to "standard" nomenclature (Miller's book, or
the Audubon guide, but some things may require a wider scope (for boletes, for
example, Coker and Beers may be unavoidable); in these cases, strive for modern
nomenclature and cite your source.) Please send contributions to Ed Haynes.
(All contributors will get copies of their personal lists at the time the TAMC
list is printed out.)

page 49

Saralvn Forav Lists by Ed Haynes

On July 8, the TAMC and a number of welcomed guests enjoyed the hospitality
and the lush mushrooms of member Wally Kaufman's land in Chatham County. The
list of finds from this foray was extensive, including 52 species. In the
course of preparing this list it was felt some comparison might be useful (or at
least interesting) with the first TAMC foray, held on October 9, 1982, also at
Wally's (see November/December 1982 Fungif ilet page 4). The two lists on page
50 are interesting, not only to record what we found, but also to give a sense
of the spring/fall seasonality of North Carolina mushrooms of the Triangle Area.

Eating Smut by Ed Haynes

Smut (smut, sb. . . ( Related to Smut, v.., (f. LG. schmutt f
G. Schmutz. . .also MHG. Smuz, smutz fat, grease....)
1 . A fungous disease afflicting various plants, espec.
cereals. .. .2. A black mark or stain, a smudge.... 3. Coal-
mining. Bad, soft, earthy coal.... 4. Soot or sooty mat-
ter...^. Indecent or obscene language....

(The Compact Edi tion of the
Oxford English Dictionary.
2:2886b)

Well, since we are going to talk about eating it, I guess we'll restrict
ourselves to the first meaning.

In fact, the common black corn smut (Ustilago mavdis) that many of us see
dominating our otherwise unsuccessful corn patches is considered rather of a
delicacy in Mexican cooking. Known by its Nahuatl name of Huitlacoche (huitlatl
= excrement, cochtli = sleep?), the inky fungus is commercially sold and eaten
with relish in many parts of Mexico.

One recipe, perhaps more of a curiosity than something we all will rush out
to cook, has been adapted from Diana Kennedy's Recipes from the Regional Cooks
of Mexico :

Huitlacoche con Calabacitas Estilo Queretaro (Corn Fungus with Zucchini)

Heat 1/4 cup light ( peanut /saf flower) oil and gently fry 2 large green onions
and 1 clove of garlic, both finely chopped, until soft. Add 1 pound diced
zucchini, a little at a time, and fry over a fairly high heat for a few minutes.
Slowly add 1 cup of fresh corn kernels, continuing to stir and fry. Chop
roughly 1 pound of Ustilago mavdis (about 3 cups), add slowly to the frying
vegetables. Add 2 hot green chiles, cut into thin strips, and 1/2 teaspoon
salt, cover the pan and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables
are tender. If necessary, add a little water to prevent sticking. When almost
done, add 1 heaping tablespoon of chopped epazote (Chenopodium ambrosiodes)
leaves, if available; if epazote is not available, don't try to substitute, you
can't. The dish should serve six.

It is important to approach this dish with some thought. You should be
certain that your Huitl acoche is fresh. There is some evidence that, in age,
Ustilago mavdis produces chemicals similar to those in Claviceps purpurea,
ergot, alkaloids closely linked to lysergic acid (LSD).

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page 51

Mushrooms as Carnivores ! by Bill Burk

Much knowledge has already been gathered about different microscopic fungi
that catch or snag various roundworms, more scientifically called nematodes.
These fungi capture their prey by ingenious devices, such as adhesive knobs or
nets, and rings, some of which act as lassoes to constrict the hapless worm.

Recently an article in the journal Science (volume 224, pages 76-78, 1984),
has presented some exciting and interesting information on mushrooms that are
also resorting to methods of attacking or using roundworms for nourishment. As
the early stage of rotting wood is a nitrogen poor substrate, a meal of nema-
todes would thus suggestably provide certain wood inhabiting mushrooms with a
nitrogen supplement.

The investigators tested a total of 27 species of mushrooms for possible
nematode trapping, with 11 species found with the ability of destroying the
worms. Three methods of using roundworms by mushrooms are described. The
oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, and 4 other species of Pleurotus release a
toxin that immobilizes their wormy prey and then penetrate their victims. In
Hohenbuehelia species and another agaric, adhesive devices shaped like
hourglasses are produced on their hyphae. When a passing nematode touches this
sticky device it can not escape and the fungus invades the worm's tissue. The
third way mushrooms dine on nematodes is to produce sticky knobs, not on hyphae,
but on conidiospores. After snagging its victim, the fungus then permeates it.
Two species of Hohenbuehelia use this last technique.

The authors of this article believe that other mushrooms utilizing
nematodes for food will be discovered, but the intricate, ecological
significance of these fungi has yet to be fully unravelled.

(Thanks to Agna Calingaert for bringing this article to my attention.)

Melzer's's Legal

Dickinson & Lucas, in The Encyclopedia of Mushrooms (Crescent, 1983),
define Melzer's solution as being "used for testing the starch (blue-black) and
dextrin (red-brown) reactions of spores." According to Anne Dow, editor of the
Mycological Association of Washington, D.C. newsletter Capitol Mushrumors,
"...the Drug Enforcement Administration has just made Melzer's (which contains
the controlled substance chloral hydrate, schedule IV) readily available to the
amateur mycological public through the Florida Mycology Research Center..." The
following is excerpted from an article Anne wrote in the May/ June 1984 issue of
the newsletter:

"To get a vial of Melzer's, send $10, along with a signed statement that
the reagent will be used only in identifying mushrooms, & not for any other use,
to: Florida Mycology Research Center, Box 8104, Pensacola, FL 32505, (904) 478-
3912.

Not sure what you'd be paying for? No one has described it better than Dave
Patterson in the N.J. Mycological Association's NJMA News (when?), reprinted in
the Mt . Mazama Mvcographia for March '83: 'Melzer's reagent is prepared by
mixing four substances together. In parts by weight they are: water, 20;
potassium iodide, 1.5; iodine, 0.5; chloral hydrate, 20. Unfortunately, chloral
hydrate is a dangerous and controlled chemical which has been used as a nerve
sedative & soporific. It is commonly known as a Mickey Finn (knockout drops).
Film buffs will recall numerous Warner melodramas of the '30s in which the hero
was slipped a mickey in his drink. It was undoubtedly the potion that Sydney

page 52

Greenstreet used to send Bogey bye-bye in their second encounter in The Maltese
Falcon. The Broadway actress & cinema beauty, Jeanne Eagels, died from an
overdose of chloral hydrate in 1 92 9 . f n

Mushroom Morsels by Sylvia Stein

(This article is reprinted from the Fall 1983 issue of the COMA News, newsletter
of the Connect! cut- West Chester Mycological Association.)

From our avid mushroom collector, Ted Matejka, comes this method of
preparing Boletes and other mushrooms. He is glad to share his know-how with
you. And some of us who have tried this system agree this is a great way to
store your mushrooms in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 weeks.

1 . Remove any surface dirt (peel any Suillus)

2. Slice mushrooms and place in pot with water to cover

3. Add a good dash of vinegar and some salt

4. Bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes

5. With slotted spoon lift mushrooms out into a jar

6. Add settled water and just enough more to cover mushrooms

When ready to use remove mushrooms without disturbing any sediment at bottom of
jar. Prepare any way you like.

Flash Fans

Sorry to disappoint all you photography buffs who hoped to see here Kerry
Givens' final tome on how to take close-up flash pictures. The demands of
medical school do not always allow for such extracurricular pleasures as writing
books on one's hobbies. Kerry says next time, for sure.

Free Pamphl et

A 12-page pamphlet Edible &. Poisonous Mushrooms, by Barbara Bassett with
color illustrations has been written to introduce the people of Missouri to wild
mushrooms. It is well done and illustrated. To obtain your free copy write:
The Conservation Commission of Missouri, 1221 S. Brentwood Blvd., St. Louis, MO
63117. (Reprinted from the Many/ June 1 Q8U Mvcophile. newsletter of the North
American Mycological Association.)

The Last Word

Despite comments to the contrary last issue, The Last Word is alive and,
well, under new management. It will appear whenever submissions, anonymous or
otherwise, are submitted. This issue's anonymous contribution:

American democracy can tolerate the occasional red patches in the green
background, occasional bitterness with the sweet. Witness the popularity of the
patriotic song, "God Bless Emetica. "

5J>

S*.u<x*-<j_

Zzfjcnzsn to

uJ — £

Ml

TRIANGLE AREA MUSHROOM CLUB
1985 Membership Renewal/Application Form

Send form and dues to TAMC, P.O. Box 1706 1, Durham, NC 27705 by December 31.
Make check payable to TAMC.

DUES: EJ $8.00 Individual £7 $7.00 Corresponding

£17. $2. 00 Associate (One Associate membership should be obtained for

each additional participating family member.)
EJ $12.00 North American Mycological Association (individual or

family) Send separate check payable to NAMA.

Name(s) :

Home address:

City: State: Zip:

Home phone : Day phone :

Mailing Address:

(Please use campus address whenever possible so that we can save on TAMC mailing
costs. NAMA publications will be sent to your home address unless you specify
otherwise. )

over please

Triangle Area Mushroom Club
P.O. Box 17061
Durham, NC 27705

Please indicate if you can help in any of the following ways:
I~I do occasional errands or phoning

f~l provide host home for meetings /~~7 or for out of town guests/speakers /~~7
f~l help type newsletter (access to Apple or PC computer with WordStar)
I~l write newsletter article
n do newsletter sketches

n present a meeting program (slide show, talk, lab, etc.)
/~~7 supply refreshments at meetings occasionally
r~7 lead a foray

!~I serve as an officer /~~7 or on a committee /~7

f~~7 other

Comments, suggestions:

I hereby release the Triangle Area Mushroom Club and any officer or member
there-of from any legal responsibility for injuries or accidents incurred during
or as a result of any field trip, excursion, or meeting sponsored by the club.

Applicant's signature: Date:

Date:

FIG. 1- FAIRY-KING FUNGI'S.

the fUngifile

Newsletter of theTriongle Area Mushroom Club

P.O. Box 17061, Durham, North Carolina 27705
Volume 3 Number 6 November/December 1984

President: Ed Haynes, 3447 Hope Valley Rd. , Durham, NC 277 07 493-7703

Secretary/ Treasurer: Janice Levitt Ovelmen, 12 Willow Ridge Dr., #8, Durham, NC

489-6241

Editor: Joan Zeller, 700 Morreene Rd. Apt. G-11, Durham, NC 27705 383-7154

Foray Chair: Dianne Berg, Rt. 1, Box 122, Pittsboro, NC 27312 933-9628

Program Chair: This space available

am. ma calendar:

December 10: Annual potluck and member slide show. Bring a dish, and slides to
show, if you wish. Slides can be of mushrooms (pictures you want to show,
or need help in identifying), of TAMC activities, or anything you think we'd
like to see. Meeting at 7:00pm at the home of Ruth Lang (same place as last
year), 1506 Kent St., Durham, phone 489-5369* See map on page 63.

January 14: "Fungi of the Southeast" slide show by member Edmond Badhan, a
mycologist who studied with Ron Petersen at the University of Tennessee, and
who is starting a shiitake farming business. Meeting at 7:30pm at the N.C.
State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh (!!!). Directions in next issue.

February 11: Annual business meeting & elections. Details in next issue.

Dues are Due

See renewal form on last page

Dues for 1 985 are payable by January 1. The old Family memberships have
been replaced by a combination of Individual ($8) and Associate ($2) member-
ships. This was done in order to clarify how many votes a "family" will get.
All adult Individual and Associate members have equal voting and office holding
privileges; publications will be paid for by the Individual member of the
family, and everyone will share the incidental expenses. Corresponding members
($7) pay for newsletter subscription only.

NAMA membership: The North American Mycological Association is the
national amateur mushroom club. It serves as a network for tying together
mycophiles throughout the continent, and for centralizing data, with a bimonthly
newsletter and yearly journal. Educational programs and other information
services are also offered. A large exciting foray is held every year, featuring
field trips, classes, workshops, and professional mycologists who identify the
finds for us (and themselves) to study. NAMA is an important resource and, we
feel, deserves our support. Membership, which is optional, is normally $15 a
year, but since TAMC is an affiliated club, our members are eligible to join at
$12 (individual or family). Please send a separate check with your application
payable to NAMA.

page 56

September Meeting

The September 10 potluck dinner/ identification workshop meeting at the
Haynes' home was highlighted by several things: wonderful food, a description by
Chris & Odile Gould of their trip to China, shiitake grown by new member Edmond
Badhan, and no mushrooms to identify. The last was very apparent to those of
us expecting at least a sati sfving autumn after such a record summer. (Actually
a few people did manage to find and bring in mushrooms, but we never did get
around to working on them. Thanks, anyway.)

The food featured quite a few mushroom dishes, and some of these recipes
will appear in a future Fungif ile.

For those of you who missed the meeting, the Goulds have agreed to write
about the highlights of their China trip in a future Fungi file issue.

Using a kit from Far West Fungi (PO Box 763, Watsonville, CA 95077), Edmond
has succeeded in growing shiitake in his home, and to prove it, he brought in a
log with several fresh beautiful mushrooms, just ready for eating (some had
already gone into the f ettucine/shiitake dish he shared with us.)

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this very pleasant evening.

Meeting PI aces

Now that our membership is more equally distributed among Raleigh, Durham,
and Chapel Hill, we will try to spread our meetings around to be convenient to
everyone. In Raleigh, we will be meeting downtown at the N.C. State Museum of
Natural History, and the N.C. Museum of Life and Science will be our home in
Durham. Unfortunately, we will no longer be meeting at the N.C. Botanical
Garden in Chapel Hill, because they have started a policy of charging $25 for
the use of the room. If you know of any rooms in Chapel Hill which may be
available for our use, please contact Ed or Joan. (The room should hold about
30 people, be appropriate for viewing slides, preferably allow food, and be
free. )

Spoiled Cabbage . No Surviv or Souof & Other Delacacies by Joan Zeller

Bill Roody's Wild Mushroom Workshop, held this past August 3-5 in El kins,
West Virginia, was a mushroom symphony of senses. Aside from the obvious vis-
ible structural and color features we routinely use to identify mushrooms, Bill
taught us to pay more attention to the more often neglected yet important clues
of touch, smell, and taste. Most of us are familiar with the chalky brittle
texture of Russula, but along comes iL. variata - with very un-Russula-likef
unbrittle, greasy gills. laurocerasi, one of the most common fungi of the

weekend, was an orgy of sensations: it's yellowish cap is very slimy and viscid,
the gills waxy, and the scent usually a very pleasant sweet almond/cherry (re-
minding me of Hvdnellum suaveol ens I found in Colorado last summer). lauro-
cerasi actually comprises a complex of mushrooms with varying degrees of these
characteristics; in older books, it is known as JL. foe tens , reflecting the
disagreeable end of the scent spectrum. Others from that end of the scale: the
spoiled cabbage odor of Collvbia polvphvllaf Lactarius vol emus f individual
specimens of which smelled either like fish or burnt cork (not bad, actually),
and the infamous stinkhorn Mutinus caninus. with its odor of carion to attract
flies. Amanita brunnescens had the pleasant smell of potatoes (similar to that
of kj_ citrinaf which was not found this weekend).

Although eating raw wild mushrooms is generally not recommended, tasting

page 57

(chewing a tiny bit to extract the flavor and spitting it out) is OK. Boletus
pjperatus. Lactarius piperatus. and L*. Peckil were distinctly peppery, though
peckii was a bit more subtle and the bitterness was preceeded by a "woodsy"
flavor.

The highlights of the weekend for many of us were the two cooking and
tasting sessions. Following are participants* comments and reactions to the
specimens we tasted. (All mushrooms were sauteed in butter with a little salt
added, unless stated otherwise.) Top favorites were Tvlopilus alboaterr Armil-
lariella mellea. Cantharellus cibariusr Lactarius vol emus , and Russula variata.
Note the diverse range of opinions on the same species! And yes, we really did
eat stinkhorn eggs (some of us, at any rate), Amanita caesarea, and A^. rub-
escens. (Bill strongly cautioned us against eating A*, rubescens on our own.
Amanitas are obviously not a group to fool with without being absolutely sure of
the species you're dealing with. So until you1 re certain you can distinguish A.
rubescens from all the rest, stick to safer ground unless you're with an
expert.)

Tvlopilus al boater: "nice texture," "nice flavor and aroma," "like light
flavored meat" (Bill and one of the other experienced participants were ready to
do battle over who would take this specimen home to cook); Lactarius vol emus;
"my favorite," "I'd give it a 7 out of 10 where al boater is 10," "has a fibrous
granular texture," (after adding nutmeg: "still don't like the texture," "tastes
like nutmeg," "nice," "nutty"); Cantharellus cibarius: (according to Bill, best
cooked long & slow in its juices) "definite taste," "texture like vol emus , "
"delicious," "like cooked carrots or acorn squash;" Amanita rubescens: "de-
licious," "nice texture," "mild," "strong," "tasty," "nice texture," "nice meaty
texture," "not an exceptional flavor," "similar to shiitake in texture," "rich
and chickeny;" A*, caesarea: "distinctive," "more meaty," "like a piece of old
fish," "eggplant texture;" Russula variata: "sweet," "better than v ol emus , "
"firm texture, not chewy;" Armillariella mellea: (doesn't can well - gets vis-
cid) "sweet," "honey flavored," "honey odor," "on par with vol emus" (from a big
fan of vol emus) , "excellent," "delicious," "wish we had more;" Boletus auri-
porus: "all right," "like the firm texture," "crunchy," "slimy," "I'd eat it if
I found it, but am not crazy about it;" B. af finis: "peppery," "nutty flavor, my
favorite;" Suillus pictus: "slimy," "like eating slugs," "not slimy," "strong
flavor," "good texture, resistant to the bite," "would be good on toast," "best
so far;" Gvroporus castaneus: "dusty taste," "smells like humus," "not out-
standing," "could do without it," "above average;" Pleurotus ostreatus: (can be
eaten raw when fresh; good when fried til crispy) "slippery," "very pleasant,"
"distinct flavor, but can't describe it," "not very strong;" Phvlloporus rhodo-
xanthus : "slight bitterness," "not bitter, but sour/ acid," "in wine, it would be
an acidic finish;" Mutinus caninus egg: "strange flavor, not bad," "dis-
tinctive," "don't care for it," "like pig tails or bacon," "like burnt brown
butter," "like asparagus or cauliflower," "best one yet;" Bill's "No Survivor
Soup" containing Amanita rubescens: "best mushroom soup I've ever had."

.Bill Roodv' s Ho Survivor Soup: This year Bill made this with Amani ta rubescens
(see his caution above), two years ago he used Suillus pictus, and I have even
used the lowly Agaricus bisporus. All three were wonderful. (Be sure to use the
exact amounts specified.)

Sautee oni ons and mushrooms in butter (or saf flower oil) . Add small amount
of water. Add cornstarch or (arrowroot) mixed with some water and stir until
smooth. Gradually add milk. Cook until thick enough. Add dry sherry and
tamari sauce (or sov sauce). Add (a tiny bit of) nutmeg. Serve.

page 5 8

Book Review by Bill Burk

Wild and Exotic Mushroom Cultivation in North America: a growers' and gourmets'
guide to the new edible species, by Geraldine C. Kaye. Cambridge, Mass.
(02138): Farlow Reference Library and Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany, Harvard
University (20 Divinity Ave.), 1984. 32 pp. $4.50, including postage.

The author aptly states in the booklet's introduction that "this guide is
designed to help the beginning amateur grower find information, materials, and
equipment. .. the commercial grower to find a market. ..and the consumer who wishes
to expand his or her enjoyment of an interesting food to understand and enjoy
it." A quarter of the text provides bibliographical sources, both general and
very specific for particular mushrooms such as shiitake, oysters, truffles,
morels, etc. Next, listings of mycological associations, cultivation research
centers, amateur cultivation groups, among others, provide excellent directory
assistance for the mushroom cultivator. Other chapters are: Sources of spawn,
equipment, and supplies; Commercial growers/suppliers of mushrooms; Booksellers;
and Indexes and equivalent names.

The author has thoroughly researched the literature and available informa-
tion on mushroom cultivation for North America. With the price right and pages
packed with useful information, anyone interested in growing or eating
mushrooms should include this publication on his/her bookshelf. Most highly
recommended for mushroom lovers.

Children's Books

Do you have any junior budding mycophiles on your Christmas list? Maybe
some of the following books will help encourage or stimulate their interest.

The Mushroom Center Pi saster. by N.M. Bodecker, illustrated by Erik Bleg-
vad, Atheneum Press, 48 pp., $ 1 . 95 > 1 97 4: "This book gives you whimsy and gentle
lessons in ecology. It's a wonderful read-aloud book for grade schoolers, one
which the adult doing the reading will enjoy too." (Thanks to Maggie Rogers in
Mushroom Magazine, Spring 1984).

The Misjudged Mushroom , by Ida Bohatta, English version by John Theobald,
Ars Edition, about $5, 1981: "...little treasure - a fable of good & bad
mushrooms, in full-color drawings & verse." How to tell Agaricus from Amanita.
(Thanks to Anne Dow in Nov ember /December 1 983 Capitol MushrumorsT newsletter of
the Mycological Association of Washington, D.C.)

Lisa and the Grompet, by Patricia Coombs, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co., 32
pp., 197 0: "One of life's saddest phrases, 'My father hunted mushrooms, but I
never did,' would never occur if this book were shared between parent and
child. The mushrooms are never mentioned, they are simply all around in the
pictures, and would make for wonderful discussions after read-aloud time."
"...a somewhat more sophisticated, and certainly desirable, replacement for
'Look Dick, look Jane, see the evil toadstool.'" Large type and simple sentence
structure. (Maggie Rogers in Mushroom Magaz ine . Spring 1984).

The Prize Pig Surprize, story and pictures by Lisa Campbell Ernst, Morrow,
$10.95, 1984: "This is a book tested out by Emily, our 3 1/2-year-old. She
thinks it a wonderful story and enjoys the illustrations. .. This story is all
about dinner and how not to become it by snuffling out truffles." (Thanks to

Elon G. Eidenier in Duke University's Gothic Bookshop's The Gargoyle. September
1 984.)

Mushrooms in the Rain, by Mirra Ginsburg, adapted from Russian of V. Sute-
yev, illustrated by J. Aruego & A. Dewey, Collier-Macmillan, NY, $2.50, 1978: A

page 5 9

frog explains and why there is room for all the animals that escape from the
rain under the expanding cap, because of what happens to mushrooms in the rain.
For 2-4 year olds. (Thanks to Gary Alan Fine in Mushroom Magaz ine « Fall 1984.)

Mushrooms: A. Lerner Natural Science Book, edited by Sylvia A. Johnson,
original Japanese version by Chaim Uri, Lerner Publications Co., 241 First Ave.
N. , Minneapolis, MN 55401, 48 pp., $8.95 + $.85 postage, 1 982: "Discusses how
mushrooms and other fungi get their food, grow, and produce more of their own
kind." Diagrams and beautiful color pictures.

Mousekin's Mvsterv. by Edna Miller, Prentice Hall, $10.95, 1983: "This
beautifully illustrated book tells the mystery of the foxfire effect..." (Thanks
to Maggie Rogers in Mushroom Magaz ine T Spring 1984. Subscriptions to Mushroom
Magazine are $12 for 4 issues from Box 3156, University Station, Moscow, ID
83843.)

Mushrooms of the World Col oring Book, by Jeannette Bowers & David Arora,
Dover Publications, $2.75, 1984.

Essbare und Gif tige PilzeT 1975, ISBN 3-8089-3506-5.

Allerlei .Eilze., 1976, ISBN 3-8089-3507-3. "Two superb little mushroom
picture/coloring books from Germany (with colored & uncolored drawings of the
same species on facing pages)." (Thanks to Anne Dow in Caoi tol Mushrumors. )

Vicarious Mushrooming

In the cold months ahead when the mushrooms are in hiding, the best forag-
ing may well be done between the covers of books. In the next Fungi filef I'd
like to include a list & descriptions of literature (other than texts and field
guides) where fungi or mushrooming play a part. But I need help - I know these
stories and books exist, but I don't know of very many yet. Please drop me a
card if you are aware of anything, along with a couple lines about the relevant
parts. (Send to Joan Zeller, 700 Morreene Rd. , Apt. G-11, Durham, NC 27705.)

EARTHWATCH : TJae Mushroom Connection

The following is reprinted from the Fall 1984 EARTHWATCH magazine.
EARTHWATCH is a non-profit organization which brings together scientists and
volunteers willing to contibute their skills and energy to research expeditions.
For information, write EARTHWATCH, 10 Juniper Rd. , Box 127, Belmont, MA 02178.
617-489-3030. (Thanks to the anonymous member (?) who sent in the article.):

A control subject in a recent study of blood platelet aggregation -
clotting - ruined the experiment when his platelets refused to clump. The night
before, it turned out, he had enjoyed a huge meal of ma-po dou-fu (Sichuan hot
bean curd) complete with the traditional black tree fungus, or wood-ear
mushrooms. The wood-ears, upon further detective work, proved to be the
culprits: a substance isolated from them inhibits platelet aggregation.

The Chinese have consumed vast quantities of wood-ears for a thousand
years. They know them as mu-er (thus the "moo" of northern Chinese "moo-shi"
dishes); what's more, the Chinese hold that mu-er "thins" the blood. The plot
thickens: the Chinese have a low incidence of atherosclerosis - the constrict-
ing of arterial walls that leads to heart attacks, strokes, and other vascular
diseases. Is this merely a coincidence?

Dr. Lloyd Axelrod, a vascular disease and diabetes specialist at the Massa-
chusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School, is intrigued by this
possible mushroom connection. At the invitation of the Science and Technology

page 6 0

Commission of Guandong Province, he, EARTHWATCH, and Chinese officials are
negotiating an 1 8-day expedition in March 1 985 (Mar 18-Apr 4) to explore the
current research status, pharmacological characteristics, cultural uses, and
folklore of the black tree fungus. Axelrod seeks especially epidemiologists,
botanists, statisticians, and pollsters, both for planning and implementing this
multi-disciplinary investigation. Call Catherine Schlager at EARTHWATCH for
more details. (Staging Area: Guangzhou, China; Share of Costs: $3850.)

Taking Better Mushroom Photos

Part IVj. Using Electronic Flash by Kerry Givens

Many photographers would agree that the ideal flash photograph of a
mushroom should be indistinguishable from one taken with natural light; the
illumination should be soft and even. In practice, however, the "natural light"
look can be difficult to obtain when using flash, especially when you're
shooting a slow, light-insensitive film like Kodochrome 25. Although the
average electronic flash may appear blinding to our eyes, Kodochrome 25 has much
dimmer vision (pardon the anthropomorphism) than the human retina. In the field
this means that a great deal of flashpower is needed to illuminate even very
small subjects. In part this is because much of the large beam of flash misses
the tiny mushroom entirely. More importantly, small objects cannot reflect much
light back onto the film. Furthermore, the flash light rapidly disperses once
past the subject; thus, most flashes fail to illuminate the background of a
mushroom photo, especially if the background is more than several inches behind
the mushroom. In many flash photos, the result is often an unnatural black
background.

Are natural looking-flash photos impossible? No, but you won't create any
unless you're aware of the above shortcomings. So, most of what follows is my
strategy for dodging the built-in pitfalls of artificial lighting to produce a
natural-looking mushroom photo.

One Flash or Two?

It seems that few of the currently available crop of nature photography
books advocate the use of two flashes in close-up photography. I think that
this is because most close-up nature photographers are not photographing
mushrooms nowadays; rather, I'm seeing a plethora of photos of frogs, butter-
flies, spiders, and wildf lower blossoms in today's nature publications. Most of
these subjects can be adequately illuminated with a single flash because they
tend to be very flat (e.g., butterflies, a frog floating on the surface of a
pool, etc.), or have no background needing illumination (e.g., a frame-filling
photo of an orchid blossom, or a spider dangling in midair). Furthermore, these
subjects often require no flash at all, because they are frequently found in
well lit settings, unlike most fungi. Also, mushrooms tend to be very three-
dimensional objects. This means that light coming from a single direction, such
as one flash unit, will fail to illuminate some surfaces. These areas will be
consumed by shadows, obscuring the beauty of the specimen. And because most
mushrooms grow attached to the ground by a narrow stalk, any photograph of an
entire 'shroom from a low angle will invariably show a lot of background. As
I've stressed already, a single flash aimed to illuminate the subject will fail
to illuminate much background. Even if it could, you're still stuck with the
ugly black shadow that the mushroom stalk casts on the ground. The only sol-
ution to illuminating the entire mushroom and simultaneously eliminating shadowy
backgrounds is to add another strategically aimed flash.

I can think of only one situation in my mushroom photography experience
where a single flash will provide consistently well illuminated pictures —

page 61

namely, in the very close-up range. When taking close-ups of fungi that are
roughly 1 1/2" or smaller, one usually has to bring the flash very near to the
subject to provide enough light at such high magnification. At this scale, the
flash becomes a fairly enormous source of light relative to the size of the
mushroom. Put another way, imagine yourself being lit up by a flash the size of
your living room wall. When the light-emitting surface of the flash is much
larger than the subject, even very three-dimensional subjects will be well
bathed in light. And, due to the need for very close focusing with small
mushrooms, the area of background is usually also very small. Thus the back-
ground usually is suitably lit by a single flash in this situation.

Obviously, frame-filling close-ups of a very small part of a larger mush-
room — say, a close-up of bits of universal veil on an Amani ta cap — can be
successfully illuminated by one flash for the same reasons. My close-up of ants
on mushroom gills in last June's Science '84 magazine was a single flash
picture, for instance. Unless you only photograph extreme close-ups, however,
single flash photography is inadequate for the majority of mushroom photography.
Nowadays only ten or twenty percent of my 'shroom pictures are single flash
territory. This probably reflects my personal bias, namely, that photos of
entire mushrooms are always more aesthetic than scientific close-ups of isolated
parts. Any way you slice it, two- flash technique is useful to learn — not only
for mushrooms, but for many other situations in nature photography as well.

Setting Up Two Flashes

...requires some planning and practice! Let me reiterate an earlier com-
ment that a good, sturdy tripod is essential in mushroom photography, especially
when you have three objects to hold — your camera and two flashes. What
usually works for me is to mount the camera on the tripod and hold a flash in
each hand. All that's left is to figure out a way to push the shutter release.
One trick is to use an air-bulb cable release: screw the release into your
camera and pop the bulb in your mouth. Once you have the flashes positioned, a
chomp on the bulb is all it takes. However, I found that the cable release was
constantly getting tangled with my flash cords. Worse yet, the technique is not
very sanitary — who knows where that bulb has been before you bought it? Now I
prefer to use my camera's self- timer to trip the shutter. It gives me about ten
seconds to pick up my flashes and get them in position, usually ample time.

If you don't like having your hands full of flash units, there are a
variety of brackets available which hold the flashes on pivoting arms, one on
either side of your camera. If you caught the article on mushrooms in the
November 1 983 issue of Geo magazine, you saw the photo of mushroom photographer
Kit Scates using such a bracket. I have tried several different brackets and
personally have found them to be uniformly awkward and impractical. Some of my
most striking shots have been taken by positioning the flashes a fair distance
from the camera (for instance, behind the subject); few brackets will allow this
sort of flexibility. (I will confess, however, that brackets are super for
those of us who get into places where flashes cannot be set down. Try photo-
graphing singing frogs in the middle of a waist-deep pond and you'll agree.)

There's no law that says you can't sucker a hiking companion into holding
your flashes in position while you snap the pictures. This behavior can rapidly
destroy friendships if abused, however. If you're fortunate enough to have
another photographer as your trailmate, you can swipe his tripod for a few
moments and mount one of your flashes on it. (One friend of mine regularly
totes two tripods into the field for the purpose of positioning his flashes.
Unless you own packhorses, I don't recommend this solution.) Another nifty way
to support a flash is on the Bogen Magic Arm^, a pivoting, lockable arm that
clamps to a tripod leg in seconds. I field-tested one last week and thought it
was great; however, I think many people would find it too heavy for everyday

page 6 2

use. (Bogen's address can be found in the first installment of this series.)
ZLafiii Angle and Distance

When framing a mushroom in the viewfinder, the fungus photographer must be
able to envision how the flash light will fall upon the scene. One of the
pleasant surprises of this business is that a flash sometimes imparts life and
color to a fungus photo that wasn't initially obvious in natural light. On the
other hand, poor flash positioning can easily ruin a potentially great shot.
And of course, you don't know the picture has been bungled until the slides come
back — by that time the mushroom has been eaten by fungus gnats and the oppor-
tunity is lost forever. Some larger studio flashes actually have a built-in
modelling light (basically an ordinary flashlight). This spotlight helps the
photographer roughly judge where the flashes' light will fall. Modelling lights
are a luxury and a bulky inconvenience in the field, however. Today's mushroom
photographer must hedge his bets by positioning his flashes logically.

Humans have a tendency to put the sun behind them when they view close-up
subjects — this way one is looking at the best lit side of the critter and not
squinting in the sunlight. Taking advantage of this human weakness, the most
natural placement for the main flash is close to the line of sight, fairly close
to the camera (say, within 12") and somewhat higher than the subject. I prefer
to light most mushrooms somewhat from an angle — ■ that is, with the main flash
positioned to the left or right of the camera — as opposed to head-on. Even
after you throw in a second flash (described below) , parts of the mushroom will
be delicately shadowed from the glancing main light. This shadowing appears
very natural and adds dimension to the fungus.

A second or "fill-in" flash can reveal details that the main flash can't
"see," such as the gills. As noted elsewhere, it can also soften harsh shadows
that the first flash creates. Finally, if strategically placed, the second
flash can help illuminate the background while the main flash concentrates on
the mushroom. To acheive these effects, the light beam from the second flash
should be roughly perpendicular to the light from the main flash. So, if the
main light is to the right of the mushroom, the second flash should be to the
left. I prefer also to position the second flash at a somewhat lower angle
than the main light. This helps to erase the shadow of the cap on the stem and
gills caused by the higher main light. (Of course, this is not a problem in
capless species like MutinusT CI av aria, etc; in these cases I often aim the
light to assist more in background illumination by elevating it to the same
height as the main light.)

Although the remainder of this article has been written, space constraints
force me to stop here. Unfortunately for you eager flash users, the most
important information - determining flash- to- subject distance - is in the next
installment. Cruel, I know - but nobody ever said that the nature photography
business is all fun and games. So bite your tongue, hang by your thumbs and
hold your breath until then. In the meantime, you might try to get your hands
on a fantastic new nature photography volume by John Shaw, whom I've already
cited two or three times. It's entitled The Nature Photographer's Complete
Guide to Professional Fi eld Technique, available in softback for $16.95. Far
and away it is the best illustrated and most informative nature photography book
available right now. (Although he delves into telephoto stuff and other non-
fungi topics, the practical info in John's text is superlative.) You'll have to
special-order it from your favorite bookstore. It's selling out everywhere.

page 63

TRIANGLE AREA MUSHROOM CLUB
1985 Membership Renewal/ Application Form

Send form and dues to TAMC, P.O. Box 1 7 06 1 , Durham, NC 27705 by December 31.
Make check payable to TAMC.

DUES: / / $8.00 Individual / / $7.00 Corresponding

/ / $2.00 Associate (One Associate membership should be obtained for

each additional participating family member.)
/ / $12.00 North American Mycological Association (individual or

family) Send separate check payable to NAMA.

Name(s):

Home address:

City: State: Zip:

Home phone: Day phone:

Mailing Address:

(Please use campus address whenever possible so that we can save on TAMC mailing
costs. NAMA publications will be sent to your home address unless you specify
otherwise. )

over please

Triangle Area Mushroom Club
P.O. Box 17061
Durham, NC 27705

Please indicate if you can help in any of the following ways:
/ / do occasional errands or phoning

/ / provide host home for meetings / / or for out of town guests/speakers / /
/ / write newsletter article
/ / do newsletter sketches

/ / present a meeting program (slide show, talk, lab, etc.)
/ / supply refreshments at meetings occasionally
/ / lead a foray

/ / serve as an officer / / or on a committee / /

/ / other.

Comments, suggestions:

I hereby release the Triangle Area Mushroom Club and any officer or member
there-of from any legal responsibility for injuries or accidents incurred during
or as a result of any field trip, excursion, or meeting sponsored by the club.

Applicant's signature: Date:

Bate: