News & Stories / Fair News 40th Fungus Fair: Time lapse of the Island setup Have you ever wondered what it takes to create the famous "Fungi Forest" each year at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair? Yevgeny Nyden • January 10, 2014 Setting up the island for the 40th Fungus Fair Check out this time lapse video (7 hours condensed into 2 minutes!) of the Island setup for the 2014 Fungus Fair. Now we're just waiting for volunteers to bring in the mushrooms they've found! Wow, that team works fast! Here's general information about the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Short History of the Fungus Fair Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

The Mycophagist's Ten Commandments When you are collecting for the table, follow these "ten commandments" -- and stay safe! Amanita novinupta in Douglas Fir. Photo by Katherine Elvin When you are collecting for the table, follow these "Mycophagist's* Ten Commandments," excerpted from Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America by David Fischer and Alan Bessette: 1 Never eat a mushroom unless it is positively identified as edible . Mistakes can result in toxic reactions ranging from mild gastric upset to death. If in doubt, throw it out! 2 Eat only fresh mushrooms that are free from infestation by insects or larvae. Mushrooms can spoil, and eating any spoiled food can cause food poisoning or other adverse reactions. 3 Thoroughly cook all mushrooms unless they are specifically known to be edible raw. Some mushrooms contain toxins or gastrointestinal irritants that must be destroyed by cooking. 4 Eat mushrooms only in moderate quantities . Mushrooms are not easily digested; overeating them is an easy way to get sick. 5 When trying an edible mushroom for the first time, eat only a small portion (a spoonful), and don't try any other new kinds for forty-eight hours. As with many kinds of food, some people are sensitive or allergic to mushrooms commonly eaten by other people. Individuals with known food allergies or sensitivities should be extra careful when trying mushrooms new to them, especially those species known to present problems for some individuals. 6 Don't pick mushrooms from contaminated habitats . These include polluted areas, chemically treated lawns, ornamental trees, and places close to highways, landfills, toxic waste sites, crop fields, power lines, railroads, buildings, industrial areas, or firebreaks. Contaminants may accumulate in wild mushrooms. 7 Never assume that a wild mushroom you find overseas is the same edible species you know from North America, or vice versa. Too many serious cases of mushroom poisoning occur because vacationers and immigrants unwittingly gather dangerous look-alike species not found in their native lands. 8 Be conservative about feeding wild mushrooms to children, the elderly, and the infirm. Avoid edible species known to cause adverse reactions in some people, and don't let children, the elderly, or persons in poor health try an unfamiliar kind of wild mushroom until you and other friends or relatives have identified and eaten it without any adverse reactions. Limit portion sizes for children, the elderly, and the sick because they're generally more susceptible to toxins than other people are. 9 When trying a wild mushroom for the first time, save a few intact, uncooked specimens in the refrigerator for forty-eight hours. If someone develops an illness within two days after trying an unfamiliar mushroom, the physician may want expert identification to rule out the mushroom as the culprit. 10 Examine every specimen in every collection of mushrooms to avoid inadvertent mixing of different species. Even experienced mushroom hunters can err if they become careless and fill their baskets too hurriedly. *A mycophagist is an organism or person who eats fungi, particularly mushrooms, or an enthusiast who is deeply interested in mushrooms from a gastronomic perspective. The term combines the Greek-derived prefix "myco-," meaning mushroom or fungus, with the word "phage," referring to eating. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Inky Caps - from "Basic Inky Cap ID for California" "Out of the millions of different kinds of fungi out there, I think that inky caps are the coolest by far. They are called inky caps because they dissolve into black ink when they get old. They are also often misidentified, so I put together a list of the common inky caps and their differences." ... Coprinopsis lagopus gr. Photo by Terry Way Editors note: FFSC member Peter Vahlberg posted "Basic Inky Cap ID for California" on iNaturalist in 2020, and FFSC previously reprinted a copy on this website. Going forward, you can read Peter's original article on iNaturalist instead, for the latest comments and updates. In the meantime, enjoy these quick links to the inky cap species that Peter describes in his article: The genus Coprinus includes the edible shaggy mane ( Coprinus comatus ) and a close look-alike, Coprinus calyptratus . www.inaturalist.org Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) Shaggy Mane from Dan Foley Park, Solano County, US-CA, US on November 19, 2016 at 12:38 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org Star-capped Coprinus (Coprinus calyptratus) Coprinus calyptratus is a species of fungus in the family Agaricaceae. It is commonly known as the star-capped coprinus. (Source: Wikipedia, 'Coprinus calyptratus', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinus_calyptratus, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) Pete Siminski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pete Siminski) The Coprinopsis group includes Coprinopsis lagopus and Coprinopsis atramentaria . www.inaturalist.org hare's foot inkcap (Coprinopsis lagopus) hare's foot inkcap from Jackson Demonstration State Forest, Mendocino County, US-CA, US on December 7, 2018 at 03:42 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org Common Ink Cap (Coprinopsis atramentaria) Common Ink Cap from Santa Clara County, US-CA, US on January 30, 2018 at 04:45 PM by Peter Vahlberg Coprinellus includes Coprinellus micaceus (the mica cap) and Coprinellus flocculosus . www.inaturalist.org mica cap (Coprinellus micaceus) mica cap from 2755 Glorietta Cir, Santa Clara, CA, US on December 25, 2018 at 04:12 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org flocculose inkcap (Coprinellus flocculosus) flocculose inkcap from Golden Gate Natl. Rec. Area - SF, San Francisco County, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, US-CA, US on October 28, 2017 at 09:21 AM by Peter Vahlberg An unnamed species in California looks similar to C. micaceus , but Peter believes it is Coprinellus radians . www.inaturalist.org Genus Coprinellus Coprinellus from Rancho San Antonio County Park, Los Altos, CA, US on December 25, 2018 at 03:37 PM by Peter Vahlberg www.inaturalist.org Coprinellus radians Coprinellus radians is a species of mushroom in the family Psathyrellaceae. First described as Agaricus radians by the mycologist John Baptiste Henri Joseph Desmazières in 1828, it was later transferred to the genus Coprinellus in 2001. (Source: Wikipedia, 'Coprinellus radians', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinellus_radians, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) judymac, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by judymac) Coprinellus disseminatus does not turn inky. www.inaturalist.org Trooping Crumble Cap (Coprinellus disseminatus) Trooping Crumble Cap from Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara County, US-CA, US on December 28, 2018 at 11:08 AM by Peter Vahlberg The genus Parasola are hard to ID without a microscope. www.inaturalist.org Genus Parasola Parasola from Santa Clara County, US-CA, US on June 30, 2017 at 10:34 AM by Peter Vahlberg Parasola auricoma is easier to identify, along with Parasola conopilus (which looks like Psathyrella corrugis ). www.inaturalist.org goldenhaired inkcap (Parasola auricoma) goldenhaired inkcap from Bay Rd, Menlo Park, CA, US on October 19, 2019 at 11:31 AM by Peter Vahlberg More inky caps exist, but can be hard to identify without a microscope. www.inaturalist.org Inkcaps (Genus Coprinopsis) Inkcaps from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County, US-CA, US on December 14, 2018 at 09:33 AM by Peter Vahlberg Mushrooms covered: See code Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Foray Potlucks After a day of foraging in Mendocino, Tahoe, and farther afield, create an amazing gourmet potluck feast as you share tales of the hunt around a warm campfire. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Field Report on January 2015 Local Foray We had a great foray last Saturday on our foray! A big thanks to the all the great folks who participated! Cass Fuentes • January 5, 2015 Craterellus cornucopioides (from another foray). Photo by Hugh Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2015 January Local Foray Wrap Up Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports NAMA Foray Kudos The North American Mycolocigal Association foray held in Scotts Valley in December was a resounding success. Wendy Wells • January 1, 2013 Photo by Hugh Smith The Mission Springs facility worked out wonderfully. The event was sponsored by NAMA under the aegis of ace Santa Cruz organizers Noah Seigel and Christian Schwarz. Their abundant energy, organizational skills and good cheer made for an educational and memorable foray. Thanks also to lead foray mycologist Else Vellinga and the many organizers and presenters who helped make it all possible! The recent rains produced bountiful collections that kept the ID and vouchering process busy all weekend. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Agaricus Reflections When I was a boy, my father, sister and I would pick Agaricus cupreobrunneus, campestris, and sometimes bitorquis . We enjoyed them, by themselves, cooked in a little butter, or with other foods. They were a delicious part of early winter. ... Agaricus californicus. © Noah Siegel (from mushroomobserver.org) I still pick them, but not with the enjoyment I had when little. I don’t know that xanthodermus and californicus weren’t then present, but we never agonized over our IDs. If it was growing in grasslands, had pink to brown gills, then it got collected and eaten. Now, every Fall and Winter, I use the below file, and eating them just isn’t the same. Cooking: my small pan likes 0.2 oz butter, mushroom pan should be covered, cooked on low heat until the juices turn blackish, serve lightly salted. Unwelcome Agaricus All of these have thick, pendant to skirt-like partial veils: californicus , praeclaresquamosus , hondensis , xanthodermus . The xanthodermus veil can be thin, and the ample and skirtlike veiled older caps don’t always yellow when margin is rubbed. If sliced in half lengthwise, the base of the stipe will yellow. Welcome Agaricus 1. Thick, flaring veils: bitorquis , bernardii , lilaceps (sometimes flaring). 2. Growth in fields : campestris (veil thin, variable in appearance), bernardii (veil thick but sheathlike), bitorquis (veil thick and often flaring), cupreobrunneus (veil thin, sometimes flaring): almondy smelling types: arvensis (veil thin, skirt-like), osecanus (veil thin, skirt-like). 3. Growth in manured, or enriched soils : bisporus ; subrufescens is almondy. 4. Growth in forests : brown cap breaking into brown scales is subrutilescens (but the more robust lilaceps is also brown and grows with trees and the collection in “recent experiences”, below, would fall here, too, though it had a pendant veil); augustus , perobscurus , silvicola , albolutescens are all almondy. 5. Almond or anise smelling : augustus , perobscurus , albolutescens , silvicola , arvensis , osecanus , subrufescens . 6. Red-stainers : fuscofibrillosus , arorae , lilaceps , bernardii . 7. Small, rarely in sufficient quantity to welcome collection : micromegathus and diminutivus groups. 8. Others fall under the above species. Resource: Agaricus section of Mushrooms Demystified, p. 310 Recent Experiences I spoke with Rick Kerrigan at the NAMA Santa Cruz conference, and later, at SOMA camp. He said that California has more species of Agaricus than have been described. My feeling: If you’re not comfortable with this, you shouldn’t eat Agaricus . A recent find cooked up with a slight taste of both phenol and iodine. I had a few bites of it, decided I didn’t really need to lose the contents of my stomach and tossed the rest out. But the tastes weren’t overpowering, the mushroom, whatever species it was, really wasn’t objectionable. The few mouthfuls I had produced no stomach distress. And when I later asked Rick Kerrigan, he re-affirmed my beliefs toward Agaricus toxicity: he knew of no one with gastric upset where symptoms lasted more than 24 hours. Mushrooms covered: See code Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

News & Stories / Elections 2013: Wednesday May 15th Cast your vote and celebrate with a sparkling wine toast! Isn’t democracy great? In fact, if you’re mulling over taking on a position but are still undecided, a glass to help you decide can be arranged before voting... Phil Carpenter • May 1, 2013 General Meeting The FFSC Bylaws call for election of Club Ministers (Officers) every two years. We are now at the end of the current two year term and re-election of Ministers will be conducted at our last regular meeting of this mushroom season in May. Our bylaws also call for a slate of Ministers nominated for the next season to be announced in the April and May issues of the DUFF . At the April general meeting, the Ministers nominated were announced and additional nominations from the floor were taken. The slate to date is printed below. Duties of the various Ministers can be seen in the bylaws. This notice is a call for nominations for the elected Minister positions. If you are interested in doing some interesting and rewarding work, please notify me regarding the position you are interested in. While some Ministers have graciously consented to continue their positions for another two years, all positions noted below are open for nomination (volunteering) and election. We would welcome the chance to have two people vying for a position! As someone who has been a Minister for most of the 25+ years that the FFSC has been around, I can attest that it is a lot of fun (the monthly Minister’s meetings alone are worth it!) and a great group of which to be a part. Consider joining us! Phil Carpenter Prime Minister Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts FFSC Minister Elections 2013 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Chanterelle Look Alike Rewriting Evolutionary History This beautiful little mushroom isn't a mushroom at all. It is Dendrogramma enigmaticaI, a newly named organism from the deep seas near Australia and it may be rewriting evolutionary history. Well named...It is in fact an enigma! Cortinarius • September 2, 2014 Dendrogramma enigmaticaI (hosted on nationalgeographic.com). Photo by Jorgen Olesen Found in 1986 but only recently named, this deep sea organism can't be classed in known animal groups. It's relatives could have roamed the seas 540 million years ago. Now, biologists are scratching their heads over the little guy and wondering what it can tell us about evolutionary history. For more information visit: https://web.archive.org/web/20140904222855/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140903-evolution-animal-dendrogramma-mushroom-species-ocean/ Thank you Richard Rammer for this news post from National Geographic! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts The Wood Wide Web (from the BBC) Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Douglas Smith Douglas Smith has been involved in mycology for many years, looking for and photographing mushrooms on several continents. His photographs have been featured in many field guides, journals, and magazines, such as National Geographic. A constant figure in the Bay Area mycology scene, he is an expert in many fungus fairs, and organized forays. 2026 Douglas Smith 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets The Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Wild Mushrooms Saturday, January 10, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Room 1 DNA Sequencing for the Fungus Federation Sunday, January 11, 2026 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Room 1 Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms Saturday, January 11, 2025 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM Room 1 Common Mushrooms of the San Francisco Bay Area Sunday, January 12, 2025 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM Room 1

Freezing Mushrooms Cooking and then freezing works well for certain types of mushrooms. You should either sauté or microwave the sliced-up mushrooms before freezing them, depending on how you plan to use them. ... Caption Advantages of freezing Quality close to fresh when properly done Works well for chanterelles, bolete buttons, oysters, amanita species, and morels Disadvantages of freezing Takes up freezer space Subject to freezer burn Does not work well for some mushrooms Objective: Storage/Prep Total Time: Approx. 30 minutes Suggested Mushrooms: See code Equipment and/or Ingredients Method Sauté Directions Slice or tear cleaned mushrooms into moderate-sized pieces. Sauté prepared mushrooms in butter or oil of your choice until they start giving up liquid into the pan. Cool and freeze, including liquid, in ziploc bag or other container. Microwave Directions An advantage of microwaving is that since you're not choosing a specific fat to cook them in, the mushrooms can be used later in a recipe with either butter or oil, according to the flavor you prefer for the meal. Slice or tear cleaned mushrooms into moderate-sized pieces. Microwave prepared mushrooms until they start giving up liquid into the bowl. Cool and freeze, including liquid, in ziploc bag or other container. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

Morel Corn Macadamia Fritters Thai-style recipe. Fritters can be served warm or at room temperature as an appetizer or side dish. ... Fried Morel Corn Fritters at Suds n Shrooms. Photo by Katherine Elvin This dish goes fast, especially after a long day of hunting. Objective: Appetizer/Salad Total Time: 30 mins (est) Yield: 45 fritters Suggested Mushrooms: See code Ingredients ¾ c flour 1½ tsp baking powder 1½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp sugar 4 eggs, beaten 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 1½ Tbl fish sauce 1½ Tbl red curry paste 2 c corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed 1 c chopped, sautéed morels (fresh or dried and reconstituted) 1 c chopped toasted macadamia nuts 1 ½ c neutral, high heat stable oil (peanut, sunflower, canola) Method In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar with a fork. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, garlic, fish sauce and curry paste until smooth. Whisk in flour mixture until thoroughly blended. Stir in corn and morels and continue mixing until completely blended to a thick, smooth batter. The amount of batter relative to solids may seem scant, but don’t worry. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Cook until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet chili sauce (found in International section of grocery store) for dipping. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe