1 T M, May/June 2003

In this issue:

President’s Message .................. 2

Forays and Announcements ....... 3

Phytophthora Collection inDanger of Disappearing ......... 5

Dogs & Cats Eat Mushrooms? .... 6

Children’s Corner .................... 7

NAMA Photo Contest Rules ...... 8

NAMA Photo ContestEntry Form ............................ 9

NAMA Foray 2003Registration Form ................. 10

Book Review .......................... 11

Mushroom of the Month ......... 12

V 44:3 M/J 2003 ..

Venez à NAMA 2003—Québec!

Mycology fans from all overNorth America will hold a rendez-vous in Québec during the LaborDay weekend of 2003.

The Province of Québec is alarge territory whose population(7,000,000) is mostly concentratedalong the St. Lawrence River.

Mycology is a very popularhobby in this Province, where sixgroups of amateur mycologists,representing over 2000 members, areactive and united under the Associa-tion de mycologie du Québec (AMQ).Of these, the Cercle des mycologuesde Montréal (CMM), perhaps the

most important single group in NorthAmerica, annually has a member-ship of roughly 1,000 members.

September is the best time ofyear to find mushrooms in theNortheast. During the 1998 North-east Mycological Federation Foray,also held around Québec City, 470different species of mushrooms werecollected.

The Foray site is less than 20minutes from Québec City. Foundedalmost 400 years ago, Québec City isis not only the oldest Canadian city,but, with its fortified walls andgates, its winding streets, its marketplaces and old houses, it is alsoconsidered the most European city inNorth America.

Quite different are the lowercity, at the banks of the St. LawrenceRiver, and the upper city, on thecliffs towering above the majesticriver with its fort, the Citadelle deQuébec, and the dominating ChâteauFrontenac.

Then there is the splendor of thedistant falls of Montmorency, thepark-like scenery of Point Levis, thebeautiful Isle of Orleans, and thelofty range of purple mountains of amost picturesque form scarcely to besurpassed in any part of the world.

“What do I like the most when Icome to Québec City?” considersPeterjürgen Neumannof the CMM.“I like to stroll in the small streets ofthe lower city. I like to walk alongthe Promenade des Gouverneurs,which leads to the cliffs of CapeDiamond, where the Citadelle islocated.

“I like to take the ferry thatcarries me to Levis on the other sideof St. Lawrence, which gives me a

dazzling view on the upper andlower cities and also on the fortifica-tions of the city of Levis.

“I like an outing and the goodeating in one of the countlessgourmet restaurants which areresponsible for the gastronomicreputation of Québec City.

“I like to visit the museums,especially the Musée de la Civilisa-tion, which impresses by its designand the concepts of its exhibitions.To make it short, I like Québec. It isa marvelous city, a beautiful city. Ifyou come to NAMA, take a couple ofdays to stay in the region. There aresuch a lot of exciting places to visit.”

Editor’s note: In the March/AprilM we printed photos ofsome species usually found in theForests of southern Québec in Sep-tember. These photos were by JeanDesprés, from the CD Mille et unchampignons du Québec, edited by theCMM.

Dues are due!T M is getting backon schedule, back to havingcolor photos; McIlvainea is tobe published twice a year, andpossibly also with color; and anumber of interesting and exoticforays are planned. Several newprogram offerings are available,with more in the works. Don’tmiss any of it. Make sure yourdues are in!

2T M, May/June, 2003

The Mycophile is published bimonthlyby the North American MycologicalAssociation, 6615 Tudor Court,Gladstone, OR 97027-1032.

NAMA is a nonprofit corporation;contributions may be tax deductible.

Website: www.namyco.org

Phyllis Cole, President54 Cumbre LaneScotts Valley, CA 95066-3306<president@namyco.org><yamacole@cruzio.com>

Judy Roger, Executive Secretary,Content Editor, Mycophile6615 Tudor CourtGladstone, OR 97027-1032<ExecutiveSec@namyco.org><judyr@hevanet.com>

Judith Caulfield, Production Editor927 Lansing DriveMt. Pleasant, SC 29464<jpendle@cchat.com>

NAMA is a 501(c)(3) charitableorganization. Contributions to supportthe scientific and educational activi-ties of the Association are alwayswelcome and may be deductible asallowed by law. Gifts of any amountmay be made for special occasions,such as birthdays, anniversaries, andfor memorials.

Special categories include

Friend of NAMA: $500–900Benefactor: $1000–4900Patron: $5000 and up

Send contributions toIsaac Forester, NAMA TreasurerP.O. Box 1107North Wilkesboro, NC 28659-1107

Moving?Please send your new address,two weeks before you move, to

Ann BornsteinNAMA Membership Secretary336 Lenox AvenueOakland, CA 94610-4675<Membership@namyco.org>

Otherwise—

You may not be getting your news-letter for a while. Each issue, severalMycophiles are returned as undeliv-erable because of no forwardingaddress on file. NAMA is chargedsixty cents for each returned orforwarded newsletter.

P R E S I D E N T ’S M E S S A G E

Annual ForayHave you registered for NAMA ’03, the annual foray/meeting? To guaranteea place and save $35, be sure to register before August 1. The bilingualannual meeting will be held over Labor Day weekend, 20 km southwest ofQuébec City. See information and the registration form elsewhere in thisissue.

ElectionsAt this business meeting NAMA will select a new President, for the term2004–’06. We will also be electing four regional trustees: Region III (NC,SC, GA, FL, PR, VI), now held by Ken Crouse; Region V (MI, WI, OH, IN,IL), now held by Walt Sturgeon; Region X (WY, UT, CO, AZ, NM), now heldby Dave Wallis; and Region XII (Canada, except BC), now held by PeterNeumann. All NAMA members attending NAMA ’03 are eligible to vote. Tobe elected a regional trustee you must live in the region. If you want toknow more about any of these positions, contact First VP Bob Fulgency,Chair of the Nominating Committee, at <robjoful@aol.com>.

Regional ForayAllein Stanley, former NAMA President, will again coordinate the ongoingregional foray in Wild Acres, NC. It is a very special place, and the forayalways gets great reviews. Limited to 40, this year’s Wild Acres Foray willbe held Sept. 11–14, ‘03. See information elsewhere in this issue, or contactAllein at <astanley@i-america.net>.

Happy hunting!

—Phyllis

NAMA has recently learned of the death of Frank Hoffman on April 10 athis home in Toronto, Canada. Recently retired from the U.S. Air Force,Frank was 60 years old. A loyal and enthusiastic mycophile and NAMAmember, Frank often rode hismotorcycle to attend foraysthroughout the U.S. andMexico. Last January he andhis fiancée, Louise Levine,also attended NAMA’s exoticforay on the Big Island inHawai’i—but for that foray heleft his bike home! Frank wasthe NAMA representative fromthe Mycological Society ofToronto, a willing volunteer,and a devoted friend to manyof us: he will be sorelymissed. Our hearts go out toFrank’s friends and family.

Doing what he loved best (photo by Louise Levine)

3 T M, May/June 2003

F O R A Y S A N D A N N O U N C E M E N T S

Continued on page 4

Telluride Mushroom FestivalAugust 21–24, 2003Always fun, always wacky activities,but also with a long list of veryknowledgeable and interestingpeople exploring all facets of fungi—taxonomy, cultivation, health (bothmental and physical), literature andphotography. Contact www.telluride.com/mushroom.

Tlaxcala Mushroom ExcursionAugust 24–31Expect a week of forays, identifica-tion sessions, talks, gourmet dinners.Past participants have raved aboutthe beautiful mountain locations,food, sessions, and leaders. Informa-tion: <gundi@mexmush.com>.

NEMF—Sam Ristich ForaySeptember 11, 2003To be held at Oquaga Lake, Deposit,NY. For information, visitwww.nemf.org/files/2003.html.

COMA—Clark RogersonForaySeptember 18–21, 2003To be held at Salmon River Forest,Hebron, CT. For information, contact<Steve_rock_0916@yahoo.com>.

Missouri Mycological SocietySeptember 18–21, 2003MOMS Annual Foray—MingoSwamp, a fascinating place!!! Drs. J.Bruhn, Rosanne Healy, Walt Sund-berg, Andy Methven, Jeanne Mihail,and Robert Gesser are among themycologists participating. ContactMaxine Stone at <VeryMaxine@aol.com> or Charlie Raiser at<Charlieraiser@aol.com>.

Priest Lake Annual ForaySeptember 26–28, 2003Hill’s Resort, overlooking beautifulPriest Lake in northern Idaho, willagain be the setting for mushroomgathering and identifying as hostedby the Spokane Mushroom Club,from nearby Spokane, Washington.This has been an annual affaircommencing with the first nationalforay west of the Mississippi Riverin 1966.

The Saturday evening speakerwill be Dr. Michael Beug, who willspeak on mushrooms of the PriestLake area. Dr. Beug is professoremeritus at Evergreen State Collegeand currently serves as president ofthe Pacific Northwest Key Council, amushroom education organization.

The Friday evening speaker willbe Dr. Paul Przybylowicz, of Ever-green State College. The title of hispresentation will be “Liking Lichens:Confessions of a Bark Browser.”

To those of you who have notattended this foray we promise abeautiful setting, comfortableaccommodations, delicious meals atthe resort and, with the cooperationof the weather, a wide variety ofmushrooms to be brought in foridentification. Normally some 100–150 different species are identified.Contact Spokane Mushroom Club,P.O. Box 2791, Spokane, WA 91220for registration blanks; call 509-328-7973; or e-mail our registrar, Jo, at<jode@libby.org> or identifier,Lynda, at <lmforeman@juno.com>.

Foray ItalySeptember 10–October 5This year the ever popular and funItalian foray led by Albert Cascieroheads to Val d’Asosta and thePiedmont region. For all the details,contact <casciero@wrlc.org.>

Wildacres ForayOctober 2–5, 2003Contact Dr. Andy Methven forinformation: <cfasm@eiu.edu>.Wildacres is a limited, NAMA-sponsored foray in a delightfulretreat close to exciting collecting.The registration form online atwww.namyco.org, and it will alsoappear in the next M.

New Keys AvailableThe Cercle des mycologues deMontréal (CMM) has producedseveral illustrated keys to some ofthe fungi and recently a new key toTricholoma with photos for eachspecies found in Québec. You mayfind some at this year’s annualforay. You can preview them—andorder some if you are interested—atwww.mycomontreal.qc.ca. Peter-jürgen Neumann says that laminatedversions will be available at theforay. The text is in English.

NAMA members are invited tovisit www .mycomontreal.qc.catricho/home .htm.

Mexican Mushrooms“I am a research mycologist at theUniversidad Veracruzana in Xalapa,Veracruz, Mexico. We are electroni-cally publishing our collection FungaVeracruzana. Up to now we havepublished 80 fascicles about thefungal biodiversity of our state; thelast 40 fascicles are the smallest insize, in PDF format. Almost all theFunga Veracruzana collection are inwww.uv.mx/institutos/forest/hongos/funga-vera/index.html.”

Submitted by Armando Lopez,Research Mycologist, APDO POSTAL222, Instituto de Genetica Forestal,Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa91000, Veracruz, Mexico. E-mail<armlopez@uv.mx> (office);<alopezr57@hotmail.com> (home).

4T M, May/June, 2003

LossesLongtime NAMA member Larry Lonik, “The MushroomMan,” has died. As reported in the Illinois MycologicalAssociation Newsletter, Fungus Friends, Larry died whilepicking morels with friends. He was an avidmushroomer but really loved morels. He also publishedseveral interesting and informative books on morels andsome on wild foods, including Basically Morels, Mush-room Hunting, Cooking, Lore & Advice, The Curious Morel,Morels, True or False, The Essential Field Guide and More,and The Healthy Taste of Honey, Recipes Anecdotes andLore. We are sorry to see you go, but may you never runout of morel patches!

The Mid Hudson Mycological Association of Highland,New York, has lost one of its charter members, Rae(Dolly) Rhodes, at 87 years young. She was its treasurerand membership chair for years, led walks, and helpednew members learn mushroom ways. She attendedNMA and NEMF forays as well as local ones and lovedmushrooms in all their glory.

Dr. Benjamin ResignsDr. Denis Benjamin, our Toxicology Chair, has asked tobe replaced. He is stepping down as he feels that, withhis work load, he is not able to give the position thetime it deserves. He states, “This position needs some-one who is involved in mycology on a day-to-day or atleast weekly basis. Because of my relative mycologicalisolation in Texas, I cannot offer NAMA the kind ofleadership that is needed to make the toxicology com-mittee a vital part of the organization. . . . I will obvi-ously continue to participate in NAMA and provideassistance when and where I can.” Dr. Benjamin hasbeen an excellent chair. We will miss him.

Dr. Michael Beug has been selected to take Denis’sposition. Dr. Beug is an emeritus professor of chemistry,mycology, and environmental studies at Evergreen StateCollege in Olympia, WA. He has long been active withregional mushroom societies and has provided many ofthe photographs and programs in NAMA’s educationalslide program series. He is a good choice.

What Next?From Marilyn Shaw in Denver, comes this wry anec-dote:

“Be prepared for politically correct mushroomnames. I have been corresponding with Nathan Wilsonin the LA area regarding a recent Amanita phalloidespoisoning there. I had excerpted his last report in LAMS’The Sporeprint, for our CMS Spores Afield and sent him acopy for his approval. It was a Word.doc which I hadtitled A.phal.doc:. To my surprise, his ISP refused

delivery, warning my attachment contained a virus. Irealized that, rather than a virus, the spam filter inter-preted it as pornography. They caught me! What shallwe call it in the future? What shall we call A. vaginata?And who knows how many others?”

You never know where a familiar face will pop up. I’vebeen a longtime subscriber to Consumer Reports and useit extensively to research items I might be purchasing,but never read ads or recognize people in their photos.

In the June 2003 issue there was a photo of a veryfamiliar face in the promo for the Consumers Union

Charitable Trust—Ann Bornstein! Ann is one of those very kind and helpful people

who reach out to others in many ways. She’s helping tosee that CU keeps on testing and making products betterfor all of us. Nice going, Ann. —Ed.

From Donna Mitchell and Bill Roody:“The following is in response to the article ‘From

the ABFG Journal, Winter 2002’ in the January/February2003 issue of T M:

“The WV Division of Natural Resources WildlifeDiversity Program (WV DNR) recognizes not only theimportance of cataloging the plants, vertebrates, andinvertebrates of the state, but the fungi as well. In1997, the WV DNR published the Preliminary Checklistof Macrofungi and Myxomycetes of West Virginia, bySteven L. Stephenson and William Roody. This workwas predominately based on records from literature andfrom the author’s personal experience. The next goalwas to document, with voucher specimens, as many ofthose records as possible and add new records to the list.

“In 1998, the Davis and Elkins College in Elkins,WV, agreed to curate WV fungus collections. Since thattime, with assistance from experienced field mycolo-gists Emily Johnson, Walt Sturgeon, members of theMycological Association of Washington, and otheramateur mushroomers around the state, we havevouchered more than 3,600 collections. After severalmore seasons of collecting, we hope to produce an atlasof the macrofungi of WV.

“In reference to your comment that the Oregon StateUniversity has a ‘fairly complete database of the PacificNorthwest,’ it should be noted that they also accepthypogeous fungi from around the country (and world).When collecting hypogeous fungi in WV, if there aremultiple sporocarps, we send part of the collection toJim Trappe for identification confirmation and to acces-sion in the OSC herbarium, while the remainder is keptfor the herbarium in WV. For more information contactBill Roody <wroody@dnr.state.wv .us> or DonnaMitchell <dmitchell @dnr.state.wv.us>, WV Division ofNatural Resources, P.O. Box 67, Elkins, WV 26241 orMichelle Mabry <mabrym@dne.edu>, Biology and

Forays and Announcements,continued from page 3

5 T M, May/June 2003

Environmental Science Department, Davis and ElkinsCollege, 100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241.”

New Editor Urgently NeededT M is a great little publication to edit andassemble, and you don’t need a lot of publishingexperience, although it can be helpful. The job entailsreceiving information from members (most send inmaterial with no prompting), reading it over and puttinginto concise form, determining the amount of materialfor each issue, and making sure certain items arepublished at the appropriate times. The material is thensent to an assembly editor who puts it in print-readyshape; you proofread, approve, and return (all viaemail), then the other editor sends it to the printer. Icurrently have too many responsibilities to do the job itdeserves, and I need a break. After a number of years, anew editor brings fresh insight and approach. Pleasecontact me! It is a great way to keep in touch with themembership and know what is going on in all cornersof NAMAland! —Judy Roger, Editor

Phytophthora Collection inDanger of DisappearingFrom a Press Release dated May 28, 2003:

The World Phytophthora Collection at the Universityof California, Riverside, is facing destruction in lessthan two months. With the drastic budget cuts facingthe University of California, this irreplaceable collec-tion, which is over 40 years old, may be lost forever injust another few months.

The World Phytophthora Collection at UCR currentlycontains about 5000 isolates representing at least 70distinct taxonomic species or groups. These isolates arefrom worldwide sources and a broad range of hosts. Thecollection is a unique world resource for research onPhytophthora, one of the most devastating plant patho-gens on this planet. As such, it is the only large compre-hensive collection of genetic diversity representative ofthis extremely important group of plant pathogens. Itwas started around 1962 and has become the only majordepository for isolates collected throughout the world.Since 1981 it has been under the curatorship of Profes-sor Michael D. Coffey, and in the last 15 years it hasincreased dramatically both in size and genetic diversity.

The collection also includes a genetically diversecollection of isolates of Phytophthora infestans, cause oflate blight in both potatoes and tomatoes. This species isone of the most dangerous plant pathogens in the world.The appearance of Sudden Oak Death, caused by P.ramorum, and the possibility of its global impact on oaksand other important hosts has caught the eye of govern-ment, media and scientists.

Current status of the collectionIn the last 15 years the collection has increased

from just over 900 (October 1987) to about 5,000 acces-sions (September 2002). Since 1986 the collection hasbeen preserved under liquid nitrogen using cryogenictechniques. It is now “housed” in 4 liquid nitrogenstorage refrigerators with automated alarm systems.Recently, we received a comprehensive collection ofadditional genetic reference strains of P. infestans fromProfessor William Fry, Cornell University, and ProfessorJean Ristaino, North Carolina State University.

Significance of the collectionThe World Phytophthora Collection is the only major

germplasm resource for research into this extremelyimportant plant pathogen. A comprehensive searchabledatabase is maintained on its own server (http://phytophthora.ucr.edu) and allows for printout by acces-sion number or by species.

Submitted by Prof. Michael David Coffey, Department ofPlant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA92521. Is there any way pressure can be exerted toretain this collection? —Ed.

Kudos for the Hawaiian Foray

Continued on page 6

We normally don’t publish entire letters, but this one fallsinto the area of reporting a great NAMA activity andexpressing hopes for more of the kind. It has been exerptedfor brevity.—Ed.

April 7, 2003Dear Phyllis,

After reading your President’s [message in the]January/February M, I felt remiss in not havingthanked you for organizing what Pete and I found to bea fascinating foray to Hawaii as well as an enchantingvacation. . . .

Don Hemmes was a perfect guide. He is not only aHawaiian natural history evangelist but also a bornteacher. I admired the fact that there was no hand-wringing on his part about the lack of fungi, only anenthusiastic enlargement of the focus. He couldn’t havebeen nicer or more accommodating—to everyone; thiscertainly added to the pleasure of the trip for us.

The accommodations were perfect. I have by thistime told dozens of people about the free breakfastcoffee with free back-yard bananas and papayas. . . .

Hawaii was an inspired location for a foray. Thefact that Don’s excellent book had just been publishedmade it seem all the more topical and appropriate. Thefact that we’d never been there surely made it a trulyexotic foray for us; everything we saw was new andexotic. The enormous range of contrasting countrysidewithin such easy driving distance of Hilo was great. I’vebeen to a number of forays where you spend the great-est percentage of the day on a bus. Not true in Hilo.

We are hoping that a foray to the Canary Islands

6T M, May/June, 2003

Dogs and Cats EatMushrooms?This spring, in the Western Oregon region, there havebeen a great number of mushroom poisonings inanimals—dogs mostly, but also cats. I have also fieldedseveral calls from people in other parts of the countrywho were panicked that their pet had eaten a mush-room and found my phone number from the NAMAwebsite. When I have mentioned this problem to others,they are astounded to hear that pets eat mushrooms—especially cats, since they are so finicky. The generallack of knowledge prompts this piece.

If you really think about animal behavior, it is notthat surprising. Dogs, and puppies in particular, willsample many things in their environment: they pick upand mouth rocks, sticks, plants, and—mushrooms. It ismostly a sensory stimulation and sampling behavior asthey explore their surroundings. In older dogs, mush-room eating may be due to boredom or may be causedby the appealing (to animals!) odors given off by themushrooms, especially as the fungi start to senesce.Inocybes are great ones for fishy or fermented odors,and a decomposing Amanita pantherina is quite pungent.

You can pull some interesting articles and facts fromthe Internet (for instance, at http://communities.prodigy.net/pets, www.purelypets.com/healthalert/lethalmushroom.htm, and www.all-creatures.org),where there is quite a bit of material about animalpoisonings.

The main points are that it is important to keep aneye on your pets while they are outside, and that noyard is without fungi of some sort throughout the year.Also, because most pets are small and have a fairlyrapid metabolism, mushroom toxins work more quicklyin them than in humans. It takes only a very smallamount (one small Inocybe or only a couple of bitesfrom an Amanita) to seriously compromise or kill a pet.

Think your dog has a cast iron gut? Think againwhen it comes to Inocybe, Amanita, Galerina, Clitocybe,

Entoloma, and several other genera. One specimen isenough to put an under-40 lb. dog in critical care at thevet hospital. In one case I responded to this spring, thecat had eaten only two bites of a rather aged Amanitapantherina cap and within half an hour the poor animalwas staggering and frothing at the mouth, had dilatedand unfocused eyes, and was seizuring. A Boston terrierdied within a few hours after ingesting a couple smallInocybe geophylla caps. A boxer nearly died after eatingan Inocybe sp. and an Entoloma (Nolanea) sericium.

Many of the toxic fungi attack the nervous systemor soft tissue organs; and in a small animal, breakdownoccurs rapidly. Usually there is a lot of liver or pancre-atic damage, sometimes for life if not caught quickly orif several specimens were ingested.

What can you do? If you have pets, watch for anyfungi that sprout in your flower beds and lawns at allseasons. Some very potent toxic fungi will fruit whenour favorite edibles are snuggled down for their longwinter’s nap. Collect them and learn to identify them orget them identified at your club meetings. Learn asmany of the toxic fungi in your area as you can. Noyard is immune to fungi!!!

If you think your pet has ingested something of thisnature, get the animal to the vet immediately. Even inyour panic, try to take along a sample of what it ate.The clinic usually gives a charcoal solution to theanimal or may pump its stomach. Learn whether youhave a Poison Control Center in your town. If so, urgethat they be contacted, as they can put your vet in touchwith someone who can identify the mushroom if youcan’t and also tell them what chemicals are involved.This speeds up treatment and may save the life of yourpet. Poison Control has access to the national poisoningdatabase (to which NAMA has had significant input).They are also very supportive and can direct you toveterinary specialists or local mycologists who canidentify the fungus. —Judy Roger

Hawai’i Foray Feedback, continued from page 5

happens. At NEMF a few years ago we saw a slidepresentation of Canary Island mushrooming given byBill Roody. It looked like a mushroom paradise. Billwould make a super leader! Do you think enoughpeople would ever sign up to go as far as New Zealandfor an exotic foray? When Pete and I went there toattend the Australasian Foray three years ago (afterseeing it advertised in T M), we made anumber of contacts. Tell Lee that we’d be glad to helporganize something if that country were ever onNAMA’s radar. A salute to you, and many thanks for alovely, memorable foray. —Kitty Griffith

Well, everyone—how ‘bout it? —Ed.

Inocybe—almost lethal to Dylan the Boxer

7 T M, May/June 2003

Taken fromA Young Person’s Guide to the Fungi,by Bryce Kendrick

E D U C A T I O N — C H I L D R E N ’ S C O R N E R

8T M, May/June, 2003

NAMA Photo Contest ‘03—Something New Has Been Added

It is time to look through your photographs forthose special moments that captured a woodlandbeauty. The annual contest is always a popular featureof NAMA’s meetings because it is a real feast for theeyes to see what others have found. Enter your bestefforts to share them with the rest if us. The winningslides will then be published in T M.

Because of the popularity of digital cameras, thisyear we are adding a new venue—digital photos! DeanAbel and Damian Pieper have written some specialinstructions to be followed for your entries since theywill not go on the published form on the next page.

NAMA Digital Photo ContestThe Photography Committee will sponsor a new

digital category for the 2003 Photo Contest. In additionto the traditional format of 35mm slides, contestantsmay submit digital images of mushrooms and otherfungi (including myxomycetes).

Note that this year there will be two Photo Contests:the traditional contest for 35mm slides and the inaugu-ration of the digital image contest. The contests will bejudged separately and in accordance with their differentrules.

For the digital image contest, contestants maysubmit no more than six entries. Digital entries will notbe separated into divisions (limited, open) or intocategories (pictorial, documentary, judges’ option) as inthe contest for 35mm slides. The judges will be askedto select the best images in categories of their choosing.

Images will be hosted on a Yahoo Photo Album.Advertising may accompany images posted in thismanner, but this is a cheap, quick way to experimentwith a digital contest. We do not know how manyentries to expect or what unforeseen problems mayarise. Please direct all questions, comments, andsuggestions to the digital contest director DamianPieper at <namphocon@yahoo.com> (short for NAMAPhoto Contest).

Images should be sent as attachments to the contestemail address above. Images are preferred in jpeg (.jpg)format. Files as big as 1–2 MB will be resized to fit theformat of Yahoo Photo Album pages. Images will nototherwise be adjusted or edited.

Our experience is that “saved for the web” files lookfine on the computer screen. It is not our intention toprint glossy photographs from these files. If there is aproblem, we will try to contact you by email beforeposting your images in the album.

Shortly after August 1 the images in the PhotoAlbum will be made public, and anyone may viewthem at http://photos.yahoo.com/namphocon. NAMA

members may vote for a People’s Choice Award bysending their preference to namphocon before August15. You must be a member of NAMA to vote, and youmust include your name and address in your email.

Deadline for entries is August 1. To help coverexpenses, a $3.00 contest entry fee made out to NAMAmust be sent separately by regular mail to the

Photography Committee, c/o Dean AbelBiological SciencesUniversity of IowaIowa City IA 52242-1324.

On Finding a Mushroom

One day I picked a mushroomthat was growing in my yard.I showed it to my motherand she scolded me so hard

For touching things I did not knowthat might have made me ill.But my interest was not restrainedand would not leave me still.

So I searched my local libraryand there I found some bookswhich told me all about the fungigrowing everywhere one looks.

Some grow on soil, on food, or feet,while others favor rotting trees.Some are deadly, not to eat,but others help in making cheese.

I also learned this vital factThe tiny fungi known as moldHelp digest dead plants and animalsTo feed new life that springs from old.

And did you know that some make drugsWhich help us fight infection?While others work hard to makeOur breads and wines perfection.

And here’s one more delightful fact,Some ’shrooms yield brilliant dyesTo brightly color all your yarnsWith many hues to please your eyes.

So now my mother joins meand we each other teachthe fungi’s colors, shapes and sizesas we learn the names of each.

—C. W. Dingman

9 T M, May/June 2003

Name: Initials:

Address:

Home Phone: ( ) Work Phone: ( ) E-mail:

Classification: Limited [ ] Open [ ]

Entry Titles

Pictorial (Limited to 6 entries)

P–1: P–4:

P–2: P–5:

P–3: P–6:

Documentary (Limited to 6 entries)

D–1: D–4:

D–2: D–5:

D–3: D–6:

Judges’ Option (Limited to 3 entries)

JO–1:

JO–2:

JO–3:

Mail securely packaged slides, this entry form, and entry fee (check payable to NAMA) to:

Dean AbelBiological Sciences – 141 BB

University of IowaIowa City, IA 52242

Ph. (h) (319) 354-3510; (w) (319) 335-1070e-mail: <dean-abel@uiowa.edu>

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY AUGUST 1, 2003.NAMA reserves the right to post images of the winning slides on the NAMA website.

$2.00(1–6 slides)

$3.00(7–12 slides)

$4.00(13 or more slides)

Entry fee enclosed (circle one,and add $2.00 for glass mounts

NAMA Photo Contest Entry Form

10T M, May/June, 2003

NAMA FORAY 2003—QUÉBECCampus Notre-dame-de-Foy. Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures.Friday August 29 to Monday September 1

TOTAL $

More informationand forms atwww.mycomontreal .qc.ca

Remember—postage from theU.S. to Canada is $.60.

1. Including single occupation lodging on August 29, 39, and 31, banquet on August 31, and eight other meals,lectures, excursions. Single bed with sink only. Shared bathrooms (lavatories and showers) on each floor.

2. Staying in a parent’s room (bring sleeping bag) August 29, 30, and 31, banquet and eight other meals, lectures,excursions.

3. Additional fees for lodging August 28 and three more meals.4. Lectures and excursios. Without meals nor lodging. Meals available at Cafeteria at reasonable prices.

11 T M, May/June 2003

B O O K R E V I E W

Mr. Bloomfield’s Orchard: TheMysterious World of Mushrooms,Molds, and MycologistsNicholas P. MoneyOxford University Press, 2002ISBN 0-19-515457-6 (Hardcover)

Last summer, I was fortunate toattend the 7th International Myco-logical Congress, in Oslo, Norway.Most of the roughly 450 talks werepresented in half-day sessions withsuitably dense titles, like “Characterevolution in ascomycetes: phyloge-netic approaches employing molecu-lar and morphological data,” “Cellwall: molecular organization andbiosynthesis,” and “Taxonomicaspects of Ophiostoma and Cerato-cystis and their relationships withhosts, vectors, and effects on inter-national trade.” However, onesession dared to differ—“Sex andmurder: the extraordinary fungal lifecycle.” It featured presentationsfocused on ink cap sex, sexlesssuper guns, and bug murder in therainforest. Organizer of the sessionwas Nik Money, a transplantedEnglishman, now in mycologicalresidence at Miami University,Ohio.

With the IMC-7 session forbackground, it came as little surprisethat the opening chapter of this newbook recounted Money’s memoriesof a stinkhorn hunt, complete withvisions of “some degenerate . . .hiding under the needles and . . .evidently aroused by the experi-ence,” perhaps part of “a colony ofsexual deviants fixated upon liveburial.” Although the subject of sexreappears many times throughoutthe nine chapters of the book, theimages used are much less evoca-tive than those in the opening pages.

Each chapter is a stand-aloneessay, with no obvious threadconnecting the chapters other thantheir focus on fungi and those whostudy them. Thus, there is no need

to feel compelled to read the chap-ters in order or to cover them all inone sitting. Titles and topics include“Offensive Phalli and Frigid Caps”(stinkhorn hunting, diversity ofgasteromycetes, and mechanisms ofspore release); “Insidious Killers”(human mycoses—diseases causedby fungi); “What Lies Beneath”(hyphal form of fungi and how theygrow); “Metamorphosis” (ascomycetediversity, including yeasts, molds,parasites, lichens, morels, andtruffles); “The Odd Couple’ (bio-graphical sketches of mycologistsA. H. R. Buller and C. G. Lloyd,both lifelong bachelors though not a“couple”); “Ingold’s Jewels” (tales ofthe aquatic microfungi that forminterestingly shaped spores, decom-pose leaves, and were discoveredand studied by Terence Ingold, pluschytrids, water molds, and mecha-nisms of zoospore release); “SirenSongs”’ (the fascinating roles ofhormones in fungal reproduction);“Angels of Death” (mushroompoisoning, black mold in buildings,biological warfare, and other aspectsof fungal toxins); and “Mr. Bloom-field’s Orchard” (Irish potato famine,rusts, other fungi that attack plants,and why the orchard is importantenough to be used for the book’stitle).

These are all interesting topicsthat convey a good sense of what itis to be a fungus in the broad senseof the word (many of the organismsdiscussed, such as water molds, arenow thought not to be “true” fungi).However, I feel that the “dark side”of fungi is over-emphasized, provid-ing more fodder for the widespreadimpression of fungi as unspeakablemenaces to our well-being. To thecontrary, the vast majority of fungido nothing to harm us and, in fact,are essential cogs in the ecosystemsupon which we all depend—forexample, the fungi we have domes-ticated for useful purposes (think

penicillin, bread, bleu cheese, andbeer).

The writing is clear, easy tounderstand, laced with humor. Itreveals Money’s passion for fungiand makes for enjoyable reading.The text is accompanied by black-and-white illustrations—mostlyphotos of mycologists and unfortu-nates afflicted by fungal diseases,and simple line drawings of fungalstructures. They are effective,though not terribly exciting. Colorphotographs or paintings of themushrooms and other macrofungidiscussed, or scenes such as thewoodland where the stinkhorn huntwas held would have been welcomeadditions.

Most mushroom hunters wouldget greater enjoyment from theirhobby if they understood more aboutthe biology of their quarry. Here’s apainless way to get some of thatknowledge. This book is an enter-taining introduction to many aspectsof fungal biology, accessible to andrecommended for all.

—Steve Trudell,Seattle, Washington

The book costs $26 and can be orderedfrom www.oup.com.

12T M, May/June, 2003

North American Mycological Association336 Lenox AvenueOakland, CA 94610-4675

Address Service Requested

Mushroom of the Month:

Cortinarius verrucisporusThiers & Smith

There are a number of mushrooms that appear to be evolvinginto simpler forms in a truffle-like manner. They are beginning todevelop shorter stems, more rounded shapes, remaining coveredby soil most of their lives and losing the ability to forcefully ejecttheir spores. Such fungi are called “sequestrate” or “secotioid.”This Cortinarius is one in the evolving state.

Found in the PNW montaine regions during morel season,one discovers it only by finding bumps in the soil as you wouldboletus buttons. It is easily recognized by the very heavy, silkenveil that extends from the cap clear to the base of the very shortstem. (Most Cortinarius sp. have lighter, easily broken, cobwebbyveils.) The caps are yellow orange to light orangy brown. Thespore mass is very heavy and a deep rusty brown. The spores aremore heavily roughened than many Cortinarius species. It isconsidered rare, and more locations are being sought.

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 1260CHAS. WV 25301

Photo by Judy Roger