Long Island Botanical Society newsletter

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May - June 1993 Vol. 3, No. 3

In This Issue

Mushrooms
of the Sand Dunes

Lance T. Biechele has submitted an article about
mushrooms that grow on sand dunes. You may
remember that he submitted an article about Liverworts
and Roy Latham which was published last issue.

Eugene C. Ogden, former NYS Botanist, submitted
an article about pollen studies at Brookhaven National
Labs.

We have renamed the Conservation column, the
new name is Conservation Corner. Louise Harrison
has submitted a column by Gail S. Shaffer, Secretary
of State of New York State. The article is about the
Long Island Sound Coastal Management Program.

The field season is upon us once again. There are
numerous listings of field trips under the society news.

Executive Board Meeting: Eric Lamont has called
a meeting of the Executive Board for May 25th, All
members are welcome to attend. Details in the society

PROGRAMS

11 May 1993 - 7:30 pm, Paul Tee e k "Evoluti >n of
Photosynthetic Pathways,” Museum of L.L Natural
Sciences USS Bldg., SUNY at Stony Brook,

8 June 1993 - 7:30 pm, Skip Blanchard, ”Instarit
Speciation in the Marvelous Malvaceae,” Upland Farm
bam. Long Island Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.

♦Refreshments start at 7:30 p.m., the program starts
about 8:00 p.m.

Tricholoma flavo virens

from: Lang & Hora. 1963. Collins Guide to
Mushrooms & Toadstools. Collins, London.

One of the most interesting and surprisingly rich
mushroom collecting areas on the eastern end of Long
Island is located outside of East Hampton in the sandy,
pine barrens of the Promised Land, along Lazy Point
Road to Napeague. What makes this region remarkable
is that the mushrooms do not make their appearance
until the first, frosty nights during late October and early
November. The naturalist can spend endless summers
in the area and never appreciate the mycorrhizal garden
expanding there under his feet in the sand.

My first introduction into this area was back in
1976, along with a few members from the now defunct
group of the Eastern Long Island Friends of Mycology.
We were specifically looking for Tricholoma
flavovirens , which throughout Europe is known as T.
equestre or "the man on horseback." These good, edible
mushrooms with their greenish-yellow caps, and bright
yellow stem and gills epitomize this group of ’late fall’
fungi found in the pine barrens at Napeague.

Long Island May - June 1993 Page 19

Botanical Society

Along with T. flavovirens it is not unusual to find
T. terreum, or the ’Mouse Tricholoma', another edible
species with its grayish cap and white stem and gills.
However, because this species can be confused with
other poisonous, grayish-colored Tricholomas , they
should be left only to the experts! When collecting
these mushrooms for the table, always cut the stalk off
just below the cap and brush them off gently to avoid
getting sand into the gills.

It is Leccinum aurantiacum , ’the Red-capped
Scaberstalk’ however, that is really the prize of the
dunes. This member of the bolete family has pores
rather than gills. Often the reddish cap is 6" across and
the stalk which is dotted with blackish scales sometimes
reaches 7" tall and is usually an inch thick. Although
the flesh bruises grayish to purplish-black when cut, this
does not, in any way, affect the quality of this excellent,
"sehr guter Speisepilz."

Another Boletus species, Suillus pinorigidus, the
’Slippery Jill’ is common in the pine needles throughout
the region during this time of the year. This mushroom
has a viscid or glutinous cap which, along with the
pores, needs to be removed before it can be eaten.
However, the mushroom is often riddled with insect
larvae and these tunnels can be seen when the cap is
removed from the stem. It is not recommended for the
table.

A rather familiar genus of mushrooms frequent in
the pine barrens is Laccaria with its purplish or
brownish colors and waxy gills. Laccaria laccata, ’the
deceiver,’ is one of the most variable mushrooms of the
group. Also frequently collected is L. trullisata, the
’sandy tallowgill’ with its bright purple gills and root-
like base which is deeply buried in the sand. The latter,
a rather attractive species, is not edible because it is
almost impossible to remove the sand that is inherently
embedded in the gills and flesh.

Another common mushroom of the region is
Chroogomphus vinicolor , the ’wine-cap Gomphidius .’
The gills of this species descend along the stalk,
(decurrent) but the most obvious characteristic is the
blackish spores that are often left as a deposit on the
stems. This is another edible mushroom that sometimes
occurs in large numbers here in the sand dunes.

A review of the mushrooms from any region would
not be complete without including the Amanitas. Two
species of this dangerous family are 'all too frequent
during this season. Amanita muscaria var. formosa , the
’Yellow-orange Fly Agaric’ is widespread and
conspicuous throughout the sandy pine barrens.
Although less common, A. citrina f. lavendula (without
any common name) is no less poisonous. It is a
beautiful mushroom with a distinctive lavender tint in
the cap and veil.

The purpose of this paper was to introduce the

naturalist to the wild mushroom larder found in the late
fall of the year under the scrub oaks, Quercus ilicifolia
and pine, Pinus rigida prevalent in the sand dunes at
Napeague and Montauk. The region is a delight to the
mycophagist supporting at least nine species of
mushrooms. It is important to remember, however, that
no mushroom should be eaten until it has been
positively identified by a specialist. -Lance T. Biechle

Lance T. Biechele also sent an announcement of a
display of 51 mushroom paintings by Mary Banning.
Ms. Banning was a schoolteacher and natural historian
in Talbot County Maryland, Between 1868 and 1888
she created a remarkable book of watercolor illustrations
of mushrooms. She donated the work to the New York
State Museum where Charles Peck worked.

The works are on display at the Talbot County
Historical Society (Maryland) through July 31. For
more information call (410) 822-0773.

Shoreham-Wading River
High School

Plant Sale and Inventory
&

Fun Fair

May 15, Sat., Science Museum and nature trail at
Shoreham-Wading River High School, route 25A,
Shoreham. Starting at 9:30 a.m.. a perennial-herb
workshop and sale will feature discounted prices
from a local grower. Afterwards, Dr. Margaret
Conover will coordinate a species inventory of the
nature trail through the pine barrens woodland on
the school grounds. Participants will then proceed
to Reppa Pond in Wading River for another species
inventory. Call Dr. Margaret Conover at (516) 821-
8155 for additional details.

Jun 5, time TBA, Science Museum ar Shoreham-
Wading River High School, route 25 A, Shoreham.
During the Science Fun Fair, the official opening of
the nature trail will be held. Dr. Margaret
Conover would like botanists to be on hand to
explore the vegetation with the vistors and to
manage the LIBS booth. Please call her at (516)
821-8155.

Long Island May - June 1993 Page 20

Botanical Society

Long Island
Pollen Studies

Some 30 years ago Gilbert Raynor, a meteorologist
at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and I collaborated
on a study to determine the accuracy of a device used
for determining the concentrations of airborne pollens.
"Pollen counts", especially for ragweed ( [Ambrosia ), are
often reported by the
news media. This
pollen sampler was
merely an exposed
microscope slide,
with an adhesive
coating, mounted
horizontally under a
rain shield. Also, we
wished to measure
any variations in
height above ground,
as samplers on
buildings usually
indicated higher
counts than those at
ground level.

We installed two of these "gravity- slide" pollen
samplers at each of the eight working levels on the 420’
meteorology tower at BNL. One slide of each pair was
oriented N-S; the other E-W. At four of the levels
detailed meteorological data were continuously being
recorded in the meteorology building. At these levels
we also installed volumetric, filter samplers which had
been tested to be sufficiently accurate for determining
concentrations of airborne particles from the BNL
reactor chimney.

The slide samplers caught more pollen at the higher
levels but with the filter samplers the reverse was true.
And the slides oriented N-S mostly captures more pollen
than those oriented E-W. So we needed the use of a
wind tunnel. The nearest was at New York University,
some 70 miles away. The meteorologists suggested
having one built at BNL and how much money could I
put into it. Well, I had no unassigned funds. I worked
for the State of New York. I had to* submit my budget
a year in advance and lucky if I got half what I needed.
But time, tide and pollens wait for no man. They wait
for no woman either, so perhaps I should say that they
wait for no person, in this research of value to all
personkind. However, the National Institute of Allergy
was interested and I received a grant to determine what
kind of sampler would be most suitable for sampling
airborne particulates in the size range of pollens.

So a wind tunnel was built and tests indicated that
with normal variations in wind speeds, directions and
turbulence, the "gravity slide" sampler might vary as
much as 500%. The filter sampler was acceptable for
particles less than 5 microns but for pollens (20-100
microns) the error could be as great. The greater
average wind speeds from the N or S directions and
turbulence apparently caused the increased pollen catch.

The most practical sampler that was commercially
available appeared to be the rotorod sampler. Because
the rods were difficult to read, we made a modification
that rotated standard microscope slides, obtaining the
sample on the slide edges. These slides, in a special
holder, are rather easy to analyze. It is called the
rotoslide sampler and is recommended by the American
Academy of Allergy. Unfortunately the inaccurate
gravity slide sampler is still being used for reporting
"pollen counts" in many areas. Using the rotoslide
sampler during nine ragweed seasons, the concentrations
at the different tower levels averaged about the same.
Using a charter plane over the tower between 1 ,000’ and
10,000’ we found Ambrosia pollen in quantity to 2,000’.
Also a surprising amount of
Rumex pollen.

With additional federal
grants (especially from EPA)
and generous cooperation at
BNL (especially the Biology
Dept.), Gil and I were able to
make extensive studies on the
occurrence and dispersion of
airborne pollens on Long
Island and upstate NY.

Extensive data were obtained
on the dispersion of
Ambrosia , Phleum , Zea,

Kochia and Ricinus. These
data are published in botanical, meteorological, medical,
agricultural and other scientific joumals.-Eugene C.
Ogden

A Society is Born

At the April Meeting Eric Lamont announced the
formation of the South Fork Natural History Society.
The society’s goal is to "promote the understanding and
appreciation of the area’s extraordinary flora and fauna."
The society sponsors walks, field trips, conferences and
they publish a newsletter. They are currently working
to create The South Fork Museum of Natural History.

If you are interested you may write to: South Fork
Natural History Soc., PO Box NATURE, Amagansett,
NY 11930 or call 516-267-7944. I am sure they will be
pleased to send you one of their color brochures.

Pollen of Ambrosia trifida from
Wodehouse. 1935. Pollen Grains.
McGraw-Hill, NY.

Pollen of Rumex
acetocella from
Wodehouse. 1935.
Pollen Grains. McGraw-
Hill, NY.

Long Island May - June 1993 Page 21

Botanical Society

Conservation Corner

To bring LIBS members up to date on some of the
work of the Department of State’s Division of
Coastal Resources, I am submitting the following
article by the Secretary of State. The article was
prepared for the Long Island Sound Study Update.-
Louise Harrison

Long Island Sound
Coastal Management
Program

by Gail S. Shaffer, Secretary of State, State of New
York

To address the specific environmental, economic,
and social needs and unique priorities of each of New
York’s coastlines, New York State is beginning the
process of replacing the State’s Coastal Management
Program with regional programs. This initiative is in
response to one of the major recommendations of the
Governor’s Task Force on Coastal Resources, which
released over 100 recommendations in November of
1991.

The New York State Department of State is
preparing the first such regional program: the specific
needs of the shorelines of Westchester, the Bronx,
Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties will be addressed
in the Long Island Sound Coastal Management Program.
Clear guidance will be developed for the best uses of
the lands and waters of the Sound. When complete and
approved, the Long Island Sound Coastal Management
Program will replace the State Coastal Management
Program for this coastline.

Recognizing that the State’s marine coast is a
significant region where human use and enjoyment me
be balanced with protection of natural resources through
wise stewardship, the Department of State also has
chosen Long Island for its first regional office.

With the many individual efforts now underway to
study the Sound and improve water quality, advance
living resources habitat protection, provide increased
public access, and support appropriafe land uses, there is
a wide base upon which to build a Sound-wide
management program. Among these efforts are the
Long Island Sound Study, New York State’s Open
Space Conservation Plan, New York’s economic
development strategies, and local waterfront
revitalization programs, which provide for
comprehensive land and water use management in many
of the Sound’s communities. The Long Island Sound

Coastal Management Program will incorporate the
separate efforts into a coordinated, enforceable program
to address the many urgent issues facing localities, the
State, and the federal government.

Geographical areas that are critical to the economic
future and environmental quality of Long Island Sound
will be identified in the program. The Governor’s Task
Force on Coastal Resources directed these elements be
included to enable New York State government to set
priorities for public investment and assistance in both
the protection of outstanding, sensitive natural areas and
promoting economic activity.

Existing Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs
will be reflected in the Long Island Sound Coast
Management Program, and in turn, the new program
will provide improved guidance to municipalities that
are commencing or revising their own coastal
management initiatives.

A draft program will be available this summer,
during the season throughout which a great many people
turn their attention to the outstanding estuarine and
shoreline resources of Long Island Sound. Public
review and commentary will enhance the outcome of a
comprehensive management program best suited to the
region’s specific needs and priorities. The State
anticipates and will encourage all with an interest in the
future of Long Island Sound to review the draft and
provide feedback.

Society News

March meeting

Moreno and Dorothy Tagliapetra-Cherbavaz
gave a slide show on the rare orchids of NYS. and
commented on their difficulties in photographing them.
The slides were of surpassing beauty and presented
some plants which many of us had never seen.

April meeting

Barbara Bently of SUNY at Stony Brook
discussed her work on the ecology of lupines. She has
been experimenting with the effect of increased C02 in
the air on the plants’ growth, ability to fix nitrogen by
their root nodules, production of alkaloids, and
relationship to herbivores (caterpillar).

Eric Lamont announced that The Nature
Conservancy has consolidated the two LI Chapters into
one, and Sara Davidson is the new Executive Director.
The Headquarters will be in Cold Spring Harbor.

Long Island : May - June 1993 Page 22

Botanical Society

Henry Bookout, who wrote two articles about
quillworts for the newsletter, donated his quill wort
collection to Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Gordon Tucker, of the NYS Museum, asked Eric
Lamont and Ed Horning (from Fisher’s Island) to meet
with NYS Senator Lavalle. There was a proposal to
eliminate 13 jobs at the museum. After this meeting the
positions were restored to the budget.

Dorothy & Moreno Tagliapietra-Cherbavaz will
be forming a task force under the LIBS Conservation
Committee, to address the issue of habitat destruction of
orchid populations in East Hampton. If anyone is
interested please contact Eric Lamont.

Nominations

Eric Lamont announced that in the July-August
Newsletter a request for nominations will go out to the
membership. In the September-October issue we will
present the slate to the membership, and at the October
meeting we will vote on the slate.

Executive Committee

Eric Lamont is calling a meeting of the Executive
Board for May 25th at 6:30 (before the Flora Committee
meeting) at the Planting Fields Arboretum Library. All
members are welcome to attend. For directions to PFA
call 516-922-9200.

Programs

11 May 1993 - Paul Teese will present a talk on the
"Evolution of a Photosynthetic Pathway". This talk
will be about his research on the evolution of a C3-
C4 intermediate photosynthetic pathway in a
tropical Asteraceae. The talk will be at the
Museum of L.I. Natural Sciences, E.S.S. Bldg.,
SUNY at Stony Brook.

***Note that this talk was originally scheduled for
April because of a mix up in the schedule.***

8 June 1993 - Skip Blanchard, Biology Department,
Long Island University/ C.W.Post Campus will
present a talk on "Instant Speciation in the
Marvelous Malvaceae." The is talk will review
Chromosome-pairing detective work that clarifies
evolutionary relationships among the Seaside
Mallows and their relatives. The talk will be at the
Uplands Farm bam, Long Island Chapter of the
Nature Conservancy, Cold Spring Harbor.

Field Trips

May 1, Sat , Shinnecock Hills. The walk led by Eric
Lamont, is being jointly sponsored by LIBS and
the South Fork Natural History Society. Contact
Eric Lamont for more details (516) 722-5542.

May 8, Sat, 2 P.M., Shu Swamp, Mill Neck, Carol
Johnston and Tom McCloskey will lead this joint
trip with the photo committee of the Long Island
Chapter of the Sierra Club. Bring your camera as
we share the experiences of nature photography.
Slide film and tripod will be helpful. Trails may be
muddy, so dress approriately. Meet at the Shu
Swamp parking lot across the street from Mill Neck
LIRR station. Rain cancels; call Tom McCloskey
(785-7329) between 12 noon and 1 P.M. on the day
of the trip if in doubt.

May 15, Sat, 9:30 a.m.. Science Museum and nature
trail at Shoreham- Wading River High School. See
page 10 of this issue

May 22-23, Sat & Sun, the SUNY Museum will have a
field weekend in the Shawangunks, staying at
Ashokin Camp and exploring Lake Mohonk and
Minnewaska State Park. Contact Glen Richards if
interested (632-8230).

June 5, Sat, time TBA, Science Museum at Shoreham-
Wading River High School, see page 10 of this
issue.

June 5, Sat, Bob Zaremba will lead a NYFA trip to
Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. Call him at
518-869-6959 for more details.

June 19, Sat, 9:30 a.m., Wildflowers of Connetquot
State Park in Oakdale. Eric Lamont will lead a this
trip through pine barrens, upland and wetland
habitats. Advance reservations are required. Call
park office at 581-1005. If you are unable to keep
your reservation, please call and cancel so that
others may attend. Entrance fee is $1.00 per adult.

July 11, Sun, 10:30 A.M., Plants and butterflies at the
Edgewood Oak Brush Plains. Skip Blanchard, who
did some Natural Heritage Program work at this
interesting site in summer ’92, will talk about and
point out butterfly-plant relationships. Participants
may want to bring lunch or a snack. Canceled if
raining. Directions: from LIE Exit 52 or Northern
State Parkway exit 43 go south on Commack Road
(rte. 4) about 2 or 3 miles, respectively, to the
entrance to the site on the left. There is no sign,
but there is a gate to as dirt parking lot surrounded
by an earthen embankment. Contact Skip at (home)
(516) 421-5619.

Long Island May - June 1993 Page 23

Botanical Society

LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY
Founded: 1986; Incorporated: 1989.

The Long Island Botanical Society is dedicated to the
promotion of field botany and a greater understanding of
the plants that grow wild on Long Island, New York.

President
Vice President
Treasurer
Recrd Sec’y
Cor’sp Sec’y
Local Flora
Field Trip
Membership
Conservation

Education

Hospitality

Program

Editor

Eric Lamont
Chris Mangels
Carol Johnston
Barbara Conolly
Jane Blanchard
Skip Blanchard
Glenn Richard
Lois Lindberg
Louise Harrison
John Turner
Margaret Conover
Mary Laura Lamont
Nancy Smith
Joanne Tow
Eric Lamont
Steven Clemants

Membership

Membership is open to all, and we welcome new members.
Annual dues are $10. For membership, make your check
payable to LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY and
mail to: Lois Lindberg, Membership Chairperson, 45 Sandy
Hill Rd„ Oyster Bay, NY 11771-3111

LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 905
LEVITTOWN, NY 11756

Long Island
Botanical Society

May - June 1993

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