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News & Stories / Field Reports 2007 Spring Foray Species List Here is a species list from the spring camping foray up at Eldorado National Forest. The big mushroom for the weekend were the morels, black and blond. Douglas Smith • September 1, 2007 Morchella. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Sierra Boletes in Spring 2007 2008 Spring Foray Species List Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Ou Se Trouve Les Champignons? FFSC member Doug Smith is currently living in Switzerland and sent in these directions to the local patch. Douglas Smith • November 1, 2009 Swiss signs. Photo by Doug Smith Swiss signs. Photos by Doug Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Stewardship 2008 Holiday Potluck Recap A full house braved the drizzle and were rewarded with a wonderful potluck dinner. Deb • January 1, 2009 Full crowd at the 2008 Holiday Potluck Photo by Debbie Johnson Potluck dishes at the 2008 Holiday Potluck Photo by Debbie Johnson There was buzz about many dishes, particularly the Cream of Many Mushrooms Soup, the Pheasant with Wild Mushrooms , Tri-Tip with Chanterelles, Pork Loin with Boletes and the Mushroom Barley dish. Sorry if you missed it, and will those talented people please send recipes here? I went through the line late, so if you had something else magnificent, let me know and we’ll try to get the recipe. Besides the great food, there were Matsutake party favors brought by Bob Sellers! Our thanks to Margaret Carpenter, Richard Lyness and Bob Wynn, who put on a great evening, and to the wonderful volunteers who helped to set the scene. Bob Sellers Matsutake party favors at the 2008 Holiday Potluck. Photo by Debbie Johnson Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

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." by Peter Vahlberg 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: Coprinellus disseminatus (fairy inkcap) Coprinellus flocculosus (flocculose inkcap, woolly inkcap) Coprinellus micaceus grp. (mica cap) Coprinellus radians (orange-mat coprinus) Coprinopsis atramentaria (common ink cap, inky cap) Coprinopsis lagopus (hare's foot inkcap, harefoot mushroom, rabbit's foot inky cap) Coprinopsis sp. (inky cap) Coprinus calyptratus (star-capped coprinus) Coprinus comatus Coprinus sp. (inky caps) Parasola auricoma (goldenhaired inkcap) Parasola conopilus (pleated inkcap) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Escargot Stuffed Mushrooms A rich escargot appetizer, with Parmesan and/or Romano cheese. One can also substitute shrimp for the escargot. by Vince Viverito Agaricus arvensis. © juliamf (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 100376418) Method Preheat oven to 350°F. Place butter or margarine in a microwave safe dish. Melt in microwave. Add chopped garlic, bread crumbs and cheese to the melted butter or margarine, and mix with a spoon until well blended (not too thick or too watery). Place each mushroom in the mini muffin pan, and place 1 escargot in each cap. Top with the garlic, breadcrumb and cheese mixture. Bake at 350°F until the mushrooms are cooked through and the cheese is golden brown on top (15 to 25 minutes). You might want to put the muffin pan on top of a pizza pan or tinfoil, to prevent having to clean your oven because of spills. (Alternatively, try partially sautéing the mushroom caps first, to evaporate some liquid before baking the final dish.) Recipe contributed: April 1997 This recipe comes from a cousin of mine in Chicago, Josephine Eliadis. Objective: Appetizer Total Time: About 45 minutes Yield: 2 or 3 servings (or 12 potluck tastes) Suggested Mushrooms: Giant cypress Agaricus (Agaricus lilaceps) Horse mushroom (Agaricus arvensis, Agaricus osecanus) Pavement mushroom (Agaricus bitorquis) Portobello/portabella, champignon, cremini, button (Agaricus bisporus) Slippery jack (Suillus brevipes, Suillus luteus, Suillus pungens) The Prince (Agaricus augustus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 12 large-capped mushrooms, stems removed* 1 can escargot (12 escargot), rinsed and strained 6 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped 4 Tbsp. butter or margarine 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or 1/4 cup Parmesan plus 1/4 cup Romano for a stronger taste) Nonstick mini muffin pan * Feel free to save the stems to use in another recipe, such as a Beurre Composé aux Champignons . Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Other Mycological Clubs Looking for a club closer to you? Here's some intel about a few of the clubs in the greater Bay Area, and the North American Mycological Association, our national organization. Or just visit them all to see what they have to offer! Spore print on aluminum foil NAMA Wants You! And when you learn a bit about the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), the feeling will be mutual. NAMA is a non-profit organization of professional and amateur mycologists with affiliated mycological societies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Why join NAMA? Expand your mushrooming purview beyond the Central Coast Increase your knowledge through NAMA's newsletter, The Mycophile , and peer-reviewed journal, McIlvainea Attend annual conferences with forays and lectures by professional mycologists Are you a teacher? Gain access to well-planned teaching kits and educational content for K-12 grade levels The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz is an affiliated club, which allows our members to join NAMA at a reduced rate. Further information about joining can be found at namyco.org/join . If you have questions about NAMA, you can chat with Phil Carpenter at any of our events. Phil is a science advisors on our FFSC Ministers board, and our club's current NAMA representative. California Mycological Organizations Bay Area Mycological Society The Art and Science of Mushrooms Humboldt Bay Mycological Society Since 1978, HBMS has welcomed thousands of members. Los Angeles Mycological Society LAMS is a non-profit group whose purpose is to foster and expand the understanding and appreciation of mycology. Mycological Society of San Francisco The Mycological Society of San Francisco was founded in 1950 to promote the understanding and enjoyment of mushrooms and other fungi. Peninsula Mycological Circle Mycological Facebook Group dedicated to individuals and families on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the South Bay, who are interested in mushrooms. Mycological Society of Marin County A community organization for all things fungal. The pursuit of culinary mushrooms. Identification, education and foraging fun with lectures and forays. Sacramento Area Mushroomers Welcome all who are interested in things fungal -- beginners, amateurs, professionals, artists. San Diego Mycological Society Educate and disseminate scientific information about mycology, the study of fungi. Sonoma County Mycological Association The Sonoma County Mycological Association (SOMA) is dedicated to learning about local mushrooms and fungi, supporting mycological research through scholarships and educating the public about the vast and diverse world of fungi. Looking for more? Check out NAMA's fill list of affiliated clubs . Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Other Nonprofit Resources Here are a few nonprofit resources where you can learn more about mushrooms. If you're interested in commercial classes, tours and mushroom-related vendors, start with your favorite search engine or social media channels. Earth Star (Astraeus hygrometricus). Photo by Tim Teske Cornell Mushroom Blog A mushroom blog from the Mycology Department of Plant Pathology Cornell University that aimed at ordinary people with a tendency towards mycophilia. MykoKey Created by Jens H. Petersen, MycoKey, Denmark & Thomas Læssøe, MycoKey/University of Copenhagen, Denmark Mushroom Observer Think of it as "... a living field guide for mushrooms or a collaborative mushroom field journal." iNaturalist iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Other Mycological Clubs A few of our peer organizations. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Forager's Feast Photo Album Chef Bob Wynn, Forager-in-Chief Sue Labiste and the FFSC Culinary committee, led by Margaret Carpenter, cooked up a truly wild event this year featuring foraged foods. Katherine (Kitty) Elvin • October 13, 2015 Foragers Feast table setting with menu Wild mushrooms complemented by an array of indigenous foods, thanks to our intrepid foragers, preppers and Fall Mushroom Dinner planners Bob, Sue, Fred Molnar, Cat Gunderson, Bill and Annie Lang and Debbie Johnson. As you can see by our happy faces. Thanks to Vellany Pierce for taking pictures. Editors Note: This article previously linked to a photo album on Google Plus, which Google no longer supports. If you have photos from this event, share them in our Google Group, Facebook Group, or Discord server and we'll be happy to link to the album! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Very Mushroomy Halloween To You, Too! Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

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Gruyere, Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Pizza Thanks to Cecilia Stipes for another great recipe! by Cecilia Stipes Morchella snyderi. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat a pizza stone or inverted cast iron skillet in the oven for at least 30 minutes (or longer). In the meantime, place onions in a preheated large sauté pan with half of the olive oil. Cook on medium flame until onions are caramelized. Add stock and allow to cook until liquid is reduced. Remove onions from pan, place pan back on heat and saute mushrooms in remaining oil until golden brown. Spread the onions and mushrooms on the pizza shell, top with grated cheese. Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or skillet, and then bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Recipe contributed: January 2009 Objective: Main course Total Time: About an hour Yield: Serves 4 Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Maitake (Grifola frondosa) Oyster / king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 2 onions, peeled and julienned 1/2 C olive oil 1/2 C veal stock (or chicken or vegetable stock) 1 pre-baked pizza shell (store-bought or homemade) 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated 1 C wild mushrooms, sliced Salt and pepper to taste Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Top Ten Poisonous Mushrooms of California Many people come to the love of mushrooms through eating them, and many people don’t eat them because they can be very poisonous. by Douglas Smith Omphalotus olivascens. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Concerns about poisonous mushrooms outweigh the love of mushrooms in the general populace, and in a few species these concerns are valid. To go into the woods to find mushrooms for food is noble, but to know mushrooms that are poisonous is to be safe. People should be careful, and get to know poisonous species before they start to eat mushrooms they gather themselves from the wild. Plus these can be interesting mushrooms to find: some are common, some are beautiful. If you are planning on finding mushrooms for food in the wild, as an extra challenge for the season this year and for safety’s sake, try to find and ID these also. Just make sure you don’t eat them! For ID confirmation, come to one of FFSC's events; join our Google Group, or try other resources where experts can be found. (See our FAQs for links.) This list was compiled with help from Mike Beug, Professor Emeritus of Evergreen State College, Olympia WA. The Toxicology Chair of the North American Mycological Society, Mike has been compiling stats on mushroom poisonings for years, and was very helpful in creating this list. The list is the top ten weighted by the seriousness of the poisoning along with the number of poisoning cases from the western US each year. 1. The Death Cap — Amanita phalloides Amanita phalloides . © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) The Death Cap is the most deadly of mushroom species, accounting for more deaths that any other. It contains amanita toxins which block cells’ ability to function, and then destroys the liver. A. phalloides causes serious illness, liver damage or failure, and death. Each year a few cases of this occur in California, usually from people moving here that were used to eating edible Amanitas at home. Identity can be determined by a thick base with a volval sack, off-white grey to grey-green cap, and bright white stipe, gills, and partial veil. Usually found with live oak in California, there are rare sightings with other oaks reported. Common in the Bay Area and south, it is slowly moving out to other areas of California, and can be found from Mendocino to Los Angeles, and east through the central valley. 2. The Destroying Angel — Amanita ocreata Amanita ocreata . © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) A mushroom as deadly as A. phalloides , also containing the deadly amanita toxins. This one causes fewer deaths, because it seems to be eaten less often. Perhaps because while A. phalloides is found early to mid-season, this one is usually found mid to late-season. Still a serious concern, and can be confused with the fairly popular local edible Amanita velosa , which shares the same season and habitat. This species has a similar base and stipe to A. phalloides , with the thick base, and volva, and the same bright white stipe, gills, and thin partial veil. This species differs in that the cap is usually off-white, sometimes with a tan central disc, and rarely with pink colors in the tan. The partial veil on the stipe of this one is so thin, it often disappears, something to keep in mind for a careful ID. 3. Green Spored Parasol — Chlorophyllum molybdites Chlorophyllum molybdites . © Nathan Wilson (from mushroomobserver.org) The most common cause for poisoning cases in the USA, but this is more true in the midwest and east than for California. Causes severe gastrointestinal distress in most people, and enough to cause some to end up in the hospital. Usually confused with the edible Shaggy Parasol ( Chlorophyllum rachodes / brunneum ) which it can look very similar, except the poisonous species has green spores, and the edible species have white spores. Found in grassy places, and landscaping. 4. The Fly Agaric — Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina A tie for fourth place, these two species have similar effects on people, and cause similar numbers of cases in the west. These contain muscimol and ibotenic acid which produce a number of effects in people, from severe sickness to fever, sweating, and delirium. Along with being poisonous, it is also one of the most popular mushrooms from the wild. If someone asks me to ID this fantastic mushroom they saw hiking, it is usually the A. muscaria . These are very common species in California, found among pine and fir trees. 5. The Western Jack-o-Lantern — Omphalotus olivascens Omphalotus olivascens . © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) This mushroom causes gastrointestinal upset. It’s a “wishful thinking” poisoning: if compared for long enough with a chanterelle picture, "maybe it will be OK to eat!" Although this mushroom isn’t really that close to the chanterelle, they do share orangish colors, and a vaguely vase-shaped body form. The Jack-o-Lantern is different in that it often grows clustered, on wood, with brown-green colors, and thick, true gills in comparison to the vein-like false gills of the chanterelle. 6. The Deadly Galerina — Galerina marginata ( autumnalis ) Galerina marginata . © Mke Woods (mykoweb.com) A small brown mushroom, this one also contains the amanita toxins that are found in A. phalloides , and can be a quite serious and deadly mushroom if eaten. It is rarely eaten, and almost never confused with any mushrooms used for food, but it could be confused with Psilocybin mushrooms if those were desired. Found on wood, it is small, brown, and usually with a fibrous veil near the top of the stipe, that is brown with adherent spores. 7. The False Morel — Gyromitra esculenta Gyromitra esculenta . © Fred Stevens (from mykoweb.com) A spring-time ascomycete that shares the same season and habitat with the popular edible Morels. This is a confusing mushroom in term of edibility: it was called a choice edible for years, but it contains poisons that get processed into monomethylhydrazine in the body. The tolerance for this chemical in the body is extremely variable, going from nothing to kidney failure. This is the cause of many serious poisonings in the midwest, but poisonings are rare in California. 8. Psilocybin mushrooms — Psilocybe coprophila / cyanescens and others Psilocybe cyanescens . © Fred Stevens (from mykoweb.com) This is a collection of species that contain the chemicals psilocybin and psilocin, which are hallucinogens. They cause confusion and delirium in people, and send a few to the hospital each year. These are more a concern for small children, where their low body weight makes the effect stronger, and at least one case of death of a small child is attributed to these. Small brown mushrooms with deep purple-brown to black spores, they usually stain blue when bruised. Depending on species they grow on either wood chips or dung. 9. False puffballs — Scleroderma polyrhizum / cepa / areolatum Scleroderma areolatum . © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) These are similar to puffballs, growing on the ground, with spores developing inside. They differ from other puffballs with a thick yellow-brown skin, a yellowish inside when young, and spores that are purple-black when mature. Other puffballs develop deep brown spores. They have caused kidney/liver failure in pigs and dogs, but this hasn’t been seen in people yet. Poisonings of these are rare in the US, but more common in California, perhaps due to the popularity of puffballs for the table here. Make sure you can ID Scleroderma before eating any puffballs. 10. Poison Pax — Paxillus involutus Paxillus involutus . © Mike Woods (mykoweb.com) A species that is sometimes eaten in Europe, but it contains poisons that result in kidney failure if they build up in your system. There are some deaths attributed to the mushroom, but poisonings seem to be rare in California, perhaps because it is such a drab and fairly ugly mushroom in our area. This can be identified by its vase shape, long decurrent gills, and brown velvety cap. And wait, there’s more... Mike Beug actually put a surprise species higher on the list here — Morels! — Morchella elata / esculenta Morchella elata . © Nathan Wilson (from mykoweb.com) Although these are a top ten edible, when raw and undercooked they account for a number of poisoning cases in California. I’ve pushed this to an afterword to point out other species and keep the top ten format, but people should keep this in mind when eating morels. Mushrooms covered: Amanita muscaria Amanita ocreata (Western destroying angel) Amanita pantherina Amanita phalloides ( death cap) Chlorophyllum molybdites (green-spored parasol, green-spored lepiota, the vomiter) Galerina marginata (deadly galerina, funeral bell) Morchella elata (black morel) Morchella esculenta (yellow morel) Omphalotus olivascens ( western jack-o'-lantern) Paxillus involutus (brown roll-rim, common roll-rim) Psilocybe cyanescens ( wavy cap) Scleroderma areolatum (leopard earthball, leopard-spotted earthball) Scleroderma cepa (smooth earthball, onion earthball) Scleroderma polyrhizum (many-rooted earthball, dead man's hand) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Taylor Lockwood's National Geographic Magazine Debut Dear friends -- In the past twenty-five years or so I have been sending major publications some of my best images in hopes of getting them to see mushrooms as nature's art instead of dried up moldy pieces of science. That's o.k. too but I'm going for nature's beauty here. Taylor Lockwood • February 12, 2014 Bioluminescent mushrooms. © Taylor Lockwood It has been very frustrating and I've written letters detailing my thoughts about their aesthetic fungophobia -- but I didn't send them. I decided to take the high road and keep photographing and sending images until there was one to which they could not say "no". My persistence has paid off. In the May, 2014 issue, in their front section, Visions of Earth, National Geographic Magazine is going to feature one of my mushroom photos in a two page spread. To their credit, they picked one of the best mushroom photos of my career -- bioluminescent mushrooms with no other light than from the light of the moon. That image (above) and many more will be in this year's "Spirits of the Forest" tour in the fall. This is a great day for mushrooms. And, to the many people who have bought my "mushroom items", booked shows, given advice, helped with editing and identifications, provided hospitality as well as other support, this is not just my success; it is your success too. This is not a time to "rest upon laurels". I feel even more charged than before. To that end, I'll be going to Brazil again this Friday and Australia/New Zealand next month. I hope to see you on the "Spirits of the Forest" tour in the fall, Taylor Editor's Note: As of 2026, a photo of the 2-page spread is available in the National Geographic Photographic archive channel (@geoarchive_) on Instagram. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Cam Cam by Taylor Lockwood Bioluminescent Mushrooms from Spirits of the Forest Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article