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Porphyrellus (Tylopilus) formosus. © Taylor Lockwood Porphyrellus (Tylopilus) formosus Taylor Lockwood Info about the dark velvet bolete: Dark Velvet Bolete , iNaturalist Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on October 18, 2015 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

A Bolete by Any Other Name... Many mushrooms we see in our local woods now have a new name or spot in the myco tree of life. One of our most prized groups of local mushrooms, the boletes, is no exception. Let's look at some name changes that you might need to be aware of if you're using older field guides. by Adam Ryszka Porcini (bolete) found on an Albion foray. Photo by Katherine Elvin As many of you know, the mushroom world has been going through a lot of changes in recent years with the onset of genetic sequencing. One of the main impacts of this has been the renaming or reclassification of not only singular mushrooms, but in some instances whole genera (heck, Suillus got its own family!). It sometimes seems that just about every mushroom we see in our local woods now has a new name or spot in the myco tree of life. And one of our most prized groups of local mushrooms, the boletes, is no exception. With the recent publishing of scientific papers some of their names have changed as well. So let’s dive in on some of the name changes which have impacted our beloved Boletus . A few important notes before we begin... One , I am only going to cover the more common stuff that you would encounter in the woods and would also be found under the genus Boletus in Mushrooms Demystified . Two , these mushrooms have for better or worse worked themselves into different discrete groups, which in turn prompted the creation of new genera. The King Group Queen Boletes (Mendocino 2016. Photo by Katherine Elvin The heavy hitters of Boletus and the ones most are scouring the woods for once the first big fall rains arrive. These mushrooms have remained in the genus Boletus but with some species name changes. Here is what we have: Species Notes Boletus barrowsii The “White King” bolete remains with no changes. Boletus edulis var. grandedulis The “King” bolete got “ var. grandedulis ” appended to its name. We may also have the true European king bolete here growing with imported pine trees, but that will remain speculation until the genetic work is done. Boletus regineus The “Queen” bolete, which used to be Boletus aereus , a misapplied European name. Thankfully the name change did not affect its edibility. The Butter Group Butter Boletes (2017). Photo by Katherine Elvin Here is, in my opinion, the biggest change of them all. The “Butter” boletes have now been moved out of Boletus and into their own genus Butyriboletus . On top of that, we now have three local species instead of the traditional two. Here they are: Species Notes Butyriboletus persolidus Our traditional “Butter” bolete, that beautiful, intense blue staining, rock hard edible bolete found with hardwoods. It used to go by Boletus appendictulatus . Butyriboletus querciregius The “Pink-capped Butter” bolete, aka the elusive cousin of the more common butter bolete. I have still never found this thing.. Butyriboletus autumniregius The new one on the scene is the rosy autumn butter bolete, a.k.a., the “other” pink-capped butter bolete. This one differs from the other both genetically and by preferred habitat. It grows with coastal conifers instead of with hardwoods. This is probably the one that grows with the pine (and matsutake) around the fire roads of upper UCSC campus. The Cracked-Cap Boletes Xerocomellus dryophilu sp. Photo by Martin Livezey (from mushroomobserver.org) These are usually way more common than any of the boletes we have covered thus far. Sometimes called the “Woodland” boletes, they flourish fall through spring in both our live oak and tan oak habitats (they like hardwoods). Identifying down to species can be tough, and we may have undescribed species or members going by European names. Basically, dry caps that crack, often staining blue, often reddish stipes, often parasitized by Hypomyces and even more often not worth eating... So what matters here? For a long time they were in Boletus , then moved to Xerocomus , and now they are in Xerocomellus . Looks like they will stay in Xerocomellus with our one “true” Xercomus , Boletus subtomentosus , moving into its proper nomenclature home. Still with me? Current species: Species Notes Xerocomellus chrysenteron The “Cracked Cap” bolete. Used to be B. chrysenteron . Xerocomellus dryophilus Xerocomellus dryophilus – Probably one you are not familiar with. Really pretty red-capped mushroom that is sporadic in the county, but often common where it does occur. Formally B. dryophilus . Xerocomellus truncatus Xerocomellus truncatus – Macroscopically very similar to X. chrysenteron and often difficult to tell apart. Used to be B. truncatus . Xerocomellus zelleri and Xerocomellus atropurpureus “Zeller's” bolete and supposedly the best edible of the bunch... (But put enough butter, salt and garlic on a piece of cardboard and it too can be the best edible in Office Max. Fifteen glasses of wine prior probably does not hurt either...) Regardless, a really striking mushroom when fresh. Both to be B. zelleri . Xerocomellus atropurpureus is considered the more common of the two. Auroboletus (Oh yeah! Those things!) This change has been around for a while and is pretty easy. The boletes with the neon yellow pores are now in Auroboletus . We currently only have two which grow with local hardwoods (both are edible). Some years they are scarce, some years abundant. During one abundant year we decided to cook them up for some UCSC students. They actually really liked them! Go figure... Species Notes Aureoboletus citriniporus The dry-capped one. Previously Boletus citriniporus Aureoboletus flaviporus The slimy-capped one. Boletus flaviporus Poisonous Boletes Rubroboletus eastwoodiae . Photo by Yevgeny Nyden I guess what could be called the “poisonous” bolete group, these two were in limbo for a while, but have now been reclassified. Species Notes Suillellus amygdalinus No common name that I know of. Orangish pores and intensely stains blue. Grows with hardwoods. Long thought to be poisonous, recent discussions and some unverified taste tests claim it is actually edible. That is NOT an invitation for you to find out for sure. But if you do let me know. Formerly Boletus amygdalinus . Rubroboletus eastwoodiae The North American counterpart to "Satan's bolete" ( Rubroboletus satanas ). The common name is often misapplied here. Formerly known as Boletus eastwoodiae and Boletus satanas . Huge and gorgeous. Some years scarce, some years fruiting in enormous quantities. Easy one to learn. This species is without question seriously poisonous ! So there you have it. The current status on our local boletes, all of which could be wrong by this time next year. See you in the woods... Mushrooms covered: Aureoboletus citriniporus Aureoboletus flaviporus Aureoboletus flaviporus (viscid bolete) Boletus edulis (porcini, penny bun, king bolete, cèpe) Boletus regineus Boletus sp. (bolete) Butyriboletus autumniregius (rosy autumn butter bolete) Butyriboletus persolidus (butter bolete) Butyriboletus querciregius Xerocomellus atropurpureus Xerocomellus chrysenteron Xerocomellus dryophilus (oak-loving bolete) Xerocomellus truncatus Xerocomellus zelleri Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Lawn Agaricus This featured species turns up in the plastic bags of people attending the Fungus Fair perhaps more than any other fleshy fungus. Invariably, hordes of people will be lined up at the mushroom ID table with bags containing fresh to soggy specimens of Agaricus mushrooms they found “growing in my lawn. Are these edible? Will they poison my dog, cat, kids?” by Bob Sellers Agaricus californicus. Photo by Noah Siegel (from mushroomobserver.org) Indeed, when abundant, lawn Agaricus probably elicit more questions for identification than any other species. They are obtrusively obvious, boldly bursting up through a lush carpet of green grass. People don’t have to venture very far to collect them. They are also exceedingly common, appearing shortly after the first fall rains before the weather gets too cold, even in the summer in well-watered lawns. Cemeteries contain them, city parks can produce them, and along with fairy ring mushrooms, they are the most abundant large mushrooms of lawns and mowed grassy areas. Agaricus californicus . Photo by Debbie Viess (from mushroomobserver.org) Agaricus species are an easy group to recognize because of the store-bought variety with which everyone is familiar. When mature, all Agaricus species have dark brown gills which give a chocolate brown spore print. The stem will separate cleanly from the cap and gills, and the stem (stipe) will also have a ring or annulus, which may be thick and persistent or may collapse as the mushroom matures. The cap color is generally white, but there can be gray to brown patches or fibrils on the cap depending on the species and age. These features will help you determine if your mushroom is an Agaricus , but knowing which Agaricus you have will take a closer look. Agaricus xanthodermus . Photo by Shane (from mushroomobserver.org) Pull your mushroom out of the ground so that your get the entire stem. Clean off some dirt and scratch the very bottom of the stem with a fingernail to remove some mushroom tissue. Did the scratched area immediately stain bright yellow? If it did you have A. xanthodermus , which means yellow skin. (Other parts of the stem and cap may also stain yellow from handling. The base of the stem, however, is the critical part.) This mushroom often grows in large clusters or fairy rings, and also under cypress and oak trees. The color of the entire mushroom is nearly white, but it often develops grayish to brownish or even metallic tones on the cap with age. The ring is thick and membranous with flat patches underneath. Crush the mushroom and notice the strong odor of phenol (medicinal odor) that exists along with the “normal” mushroomy scent. All of the phenol-smelling Agaricus species actually contain the compound phenol and are considered poisonous, although I’ve heard of individuals who don’t seem to be affected (i.e., vomit) after eating these species. Agaricus arvensis . Photo by Herbert Baker (from mushroomobserver.org) If the base of your lawn Agaricus didn’t stain yellow but there are yellow stains from handling on the cap or stalk, take another sniff and see if you can detect the odor of anise or almond extract. If this odor is present, your mushroom is most likely A. arvensis , the horse mushroom, so named because of the musty or urine-like odor the mushroom develops when old. Also found in pastures along with A. osecanus (the giant horse mushroom), A. arvensis has a nearly pure white cap and stalk and is a look-alike for A. xanthodermus , but doesn’t grow in clumps nor have a phenol odor. The annulus is persistent, thick and cottony with tooth-like patches on the underside. Agaricus arvensis . Photo by Walter Sturgeon (from mushroomobserver.org) A. arvensis is a choice edible (as are all the anise or almond smelling Agaricus species). Sliced and dried, it maintains its anise odor and lends a marvelous flavor to soups. You can eat it fresh or stuff the caps with chopped stems, onions, basil, parmesan cheese and broil. Agaricus californicus . Photo by Noah Siegel (from mushroomobserver.org) The next two lawn Agaricus are difficult to tell apart unless you have a good nose and some young buttons of each species. If your mushroom doesn’t stain visibly yellow from handling, lacks and anise odor, but has a faint phenol odor, you probably have A. californicus . The odor is not as apparent as in A. xanthodermus , but it is there — especially in young specimens that haven’t become waterlogged or rotten. This species seems to be especially abundant in Santa Cruz and most often in lawns, rarely in pastures. It will also appear in disturbed ground, roadsides, vacant lots or in grassy areas along the edges of the woods. When mature, this species has a flattened top which has brown, gray or even silvery areas in the center of the cap. It is often gregarious, growing in patches, but not in rings. The membranous ring in A. californicus has felt-like patches on the underside and will be evident even as the mushroom ages. As with A. xanthodermus , the phenol odor in A. californicus , often faint or difficult to detect, should dissuade you from eating it. However, some people do just fine and actually enjoy this very common Agaricus . Agaricus campestris . Photo by Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) The final lawn Agaricus we’ll mention is the meadow mushroom, A. campestris . As its name suggest, this species is usually found in meadows or pastures, but it occasionally strays into some fortunate person’s lawn. The meadow mushroom is easy to identify in the button stage, for it is the only local Agaricus with pink gills when it is young (before the cap opens). As it matures, the pink color fades until the gills are brown as in all Agaricus . There is no phenol odor, only a lovely sweet mushroom scent. No part of the mushroom stains yellow, but red stains may appear when the mushroom is wet. The color is nearly all white, bur in age darker areas may appear near the center of the cap. The veil is thin, cottony and collapses or disappears entirely as the gills open from the button stage. The stalk is rather short and often tapers towards the base. This mushroom is far superior in flavor to the store-bought variety, and can be used in any recipe calling fresh mushrooms. One final note: please be absolutely sure of your identifications before making a meal of your lawn Agaricus . Use all of your senses and consult a more thorough description in a guidebook if you are not entirely convinced which species you might have; or consult with a mushroom ID expert. I have tried to describe the most common Agaricus species you will encounter. There are others than can occur occasionally in lawns. However, Agaricus is a rather “safe” genus in that no species are deadly, and all of the poisonous species have a phenol odor, which is most notable in fresh younger specimens. Mushrooms covered: Agaricus arvensis (horse mushroom) Agaricus californicus (mock meadow mushroom) Agaricus campestris (lawn mushroom, meadow mushroom, field mushroom) Agaricus xanthodermus (yellow stainer) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Meet Amanita pruittii: Arora’s Amanita, Anonymous No More! Those of us who are passionate about all aspects of wild mushrooms are a breed apart. As mycophilic outliers to the societal norm, what better focus for our discerning attention than a mycological oddity like the renamed Amanita pruittii ? This mushroom is unimposing, squat and warted, sometimes grows in standing water, and most curiously, is not found with a mycorrhizal partner! by Debbie Viess Amanita pruittii fruiting in a damp field. Photo by Taylor Lockwood (from mushroomobserver.org) What kind of strange Amanita is this??! Amanita pruittii . Photo by Taylor Lockwood (from mushroomobserver.org) David Arora was apparently the first Western mycologist to find and document this amanita in the Santa Cruz area in the early 1970s. He wrote about it in his classic field guide, Mushrooms Demystified , referring to it as the “Anonymous Amanita.” Although he sent collections of this unknown species to Dr. Alexander Smith in Michigan for further mycological analysis, those specimens were apparently never received. A few years later, Ben Pruitt, an 88 year old, keen-eyed naturalist and amateur mycologist in Oregon, discovered a huge fruiting of hundreds of these amanitas, in a flooded field at Fern Ridge Reservoir in the Willamette Valley, a protected Oregon State Wildlife Area as well as an Army Corps of Engineers Research Natural Area. He suspected that they might be some sort of Armillaria species, and also sent his collections to Dr. Smith. Smith determined that they were an unknown species of amanita and proposed naming them after Pruitt. But Smith never described the species. When I attended my very first NAMA foray in 2002 at Diamond Lake, Oregon, I mentioned my ongoing interest in amanitas to other attendees. Local mycologists couldn’t wait to tell me all about a curious amanita that had recently fruited in great numbers at Fern Ridge … without a host tree in sight! This 2002 fruiting, as well as one in 1998, both of which followed prescribed burns, were apparently the first major fruitings of this non-mycorrhizal amanita since the original finds by Ben Pruitt in 1975. My interest was certainly piqued, but the local fruiting was over, and Oregon a long way from home. Fast forward to Menlo Park, San Mateo County, CA in 2007, when FFSC member Doug Smith found what appeared to be an A. pruittii in a treeless field. Other FFSC members started to look hard for this curious mushroom, and Christian Schwarz was rewarded with a Santa Cruz sighting in 2011. 2014 was a banner year for this amanita across its range. Starting our local spate of sightings, Adam Ryzka found a solitary fruit body along a Santa Cruz city street in September 2014, followed by several observers finding it from Marshall Fields to Watsonville to West Cotati through November 2014. The most spectacular Amanita pruittii finds of 2014 were again found at Fern Ridge Reservoir during the month of October. Hundreds of fruit bodies poked their caps above standing water, in a prairie floodplain that had been burned several months prior. Taylor Lockwood obtained many wonderful photos of this phenomenon. All of these A. pruittii observations can be seen on Mushroomobserver.org. In the Pacific Northwest, Jan Lindgren is the go-to gal for all things amanita, and she received from the late Kit Scates Barnhart the original correspondence between Ben Pruitt and Alexander Smith on Amanita pruittii . The official naming of this species was a work in progress for Jan and Rod Tulloss for decades, while other projects took precedence. In October 2014, the name Amanita pruittii was at long last published in the online journal “Amanitaceae.” Its title: “Amanita pruittii, a new, apparently saprotrophic species from US Pacific coastal states,” authored by Rodham Tulloss, Janet Lindgren, David Arora, Benjamin Wolfe and Cristina Rodriguez-Caycedo. Other than its peculiar fruiting habits, this is a rather unprepossessing mushroom, with a dirty white cap, a squat form, and a universal veil (UV) that breaks into warts on the cap, and forms fibrils or squamules on the pointed stipe; all of these UV elements can disappear with age. Amanita pruittii often discolors brown or reddish with age, especially when growing in wet conditions. Like all amanitas, A. pruittii has whitish gills and white spores in mass, and like other members of Amanita section Lepidella , those spores turn blue upon the application of the iodine-based Melzer’s solution. Pruittii can have a variety of odors, from indistinct to earthy, potatoes to brine, and becomes unpleasant smelling in age. Its taste is not distinctive when raw, but is bitter and unpleasant when cooked. Despite this, Ben Pruitt tried four slices from his original collections, and reported no adverse effects. However, eating any member of section Lepidella is not recommended, since this group is often difficult to identify down to exact species, and contains seriously toxic species like Amanita smithiana . Amanita pruittii fruiting in a flooded field. Photo by Taylor Lockwood (from mushroomobserver.org) Heads-up, California and PNW mushroom hunters! Keep your keen eyes peeled for more fruitings of this very curious amanita. It can grow singly or gregariously, and under the right conditions, by the hundreds, especially following a burn. Look for it in lawns, wet meadows and pastures, with poor, exposed soils and even in street tree wells! It most commonly fruits in the fall months, but can also fruit into March and as late as June in irrigated landscapes. It sometimes grows alongside various species of Agaricus , and can be mistaken for that genus. When you next see a “commonplace” field of white mushrooms, assume nothing and check those gills! Who knows, you might be the next lucky person to find this very curious, non-mycorrhizal amanita, Amanita pruittii : Arora’s “Anonymous Amanita” no longer! Debbie Viess aka Amanitarita Mushrooms covered: Amanita pruittii Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Weathered Morel (2014). Photo by Hugh Smith Weathered Morel Hugh Smith Formerly called Morchella elata (which is now known not to exist in North America). Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on May 18, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Field Reports Albion II Foray Species List — January 21-23, 2005 Albion II was another great success. We collected 129 species, and sampled some delicious specimens! John Brown • March 1, 2005 Cuphophyllus pratensis. © Michael Wood (from mykoweb.com) Special thanks to everyone that helped at the Albion II's ID table. We wouldn't have identified the many species without your help: Gloria Woodside, Douglas Smith, Bill White, Marilyn Diamond and Catharine Gunderson. I'd also like to thank Ernst Muusse for pan-testing his Agaricus bitorquis - delicious! And I'd like to extend my special thanks to Mother Nature for creating Cuphophyllus ( Camarophyllus) pratensis - I had some for breakfast and they were outstanding. - John Brown, Science Minister FFSC members can login to view the complete species list below. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Species List — Albion II Foray 2009 Albion II, 2011 – Great Forays, Fungi and Food Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Gomphidius in the Rain (spike cap). Photo by Jim Austin Gomphidius in the Rain Jim Austin More about Gomphidius: Gomphidius , Wikipedia Spikes (genus Gomphidius) , iNaturalist Camera Nikon D5300 Focal L. 48mm Aperture f/10.0 Shutter Sp. 1/200s ISO 1000 Flash Off Photo taken on December 6, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Classification of Fungi for Fungus Fair 2001 This year, as we did last year, we will organize fungi at a higher level of classification than genus. Grouping fungi at the family level gives us a great opportunity to place related fungi together. Henry Young • January 1, 2001 Helvella dryophila. © Cameron B (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 369224747) For example, it will be easy to see that all of the family Boletaceae have pores Instead of gills (except Phylloporus ). By doing this both the set up crew and visitors to the Fair will be able to see similar and differentiating characteristics between related genera. Why is this important? In most dichotomous keys (like those used in Arora) differentiation between species really begins at higher taxonomic levels than genus; family being the next level up. We decided that by grouping the fungi this way the display is more of a learning tool than a simple presentation of fungi in alphabetical order. There will be handouts at the Fair to help you locate the mushrooms. There will be a "Master" tree starting at Kingdom Fungi and working down the branches to family. Starting at the family level charts for each family will show the arrangement of the genera and species within that family. A simplified example of the tree is shown below. Starting at Kingdom Fungi we proceed down the ladder and at each level there are single to multiple branching until we reach species level. Kingdom Fungi Example Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings FFSC Poetry Contest Winners, May 2000 In March, I asked FFSC members to send me their mushroom poetry. As promised, here are the winners (in no particular order). Larry Payne • May 1, 2000 Mycena haematopus. © Damon Tighe (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 339256901) Snow melted. Dogwood flowers. Friends around campfire. Oh, Morchella , where are you? — Bill Maxfield My cousin, Sally Lehmann sent me this poem for my birthday last September. — Helen Sowers Fair Helen stalks the woodland glen, The fungi tremble, all. Their posted sentries spread the word. "She comes, she comes," they call. "We're lost, we're lost," the boletes cry, and Cantharellus wail. There is no joy in mushroom hearts When Helen's on their trail. (Except of course for the death caps: They just don't give a damn.) — Sally Lehmann It's a mean old Summer that ushers the sun back, Chasing the clouds away Making me long for days of Rain. Days where the drops create shimmering rainbows Splashing through forest trees Painting their dark green leaves with Rain. But now I must live with my pain, for Cruel Summer has brought its dry change A drought that must drive me insane For nowhere in sight is there rain. It's a beautiful vision when mushrooms surround me, Chanterelles under oaks Boletes 'neath the pines once Again. My dogs and I tromp among patches of glory. The fungi have come alive And joy has returned thanks to Rain. But this fantasy's just in my brain, For the Summer is here with its pain, Which will torture me 'til once again Lovely winter returns my love Rain. — Anonymous FFSC Member Stumbling with vine-torn pants Spider's strands attack my eye Trudging miles to secret haunts Everything, everywhere completely dry If I don't see a mushroom soon I really think that I might die Oh God, oh God, oh God How I hate July. — Scriptomyces suspectum Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Call for Entries: FFSC Poetry Contest Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Fungus Fair 2009 — Better Than Ever! This year’s Fungus Fair was bittersweet. The sweet part was tasty indeed: record attendance, great speakers and exhibits, outstanding volunteers, much-needed funds raised for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and the Fungus Federation, and, not least of all, well-timed rains producing plenty of mushrooms in an increasingly dry year! Deb • February 1, 2009 Exhibit at the 2009 Fungus Fair. Photo by Hugh Smith Congratulations and thanks to Fair Chair Marje Young and the team for a job well done! Less sweet are the recent fiscal doldrums leading to cutbacks at the museum. It has been our distinct pleasure to work with Jenifer Lienau Thompson and Tremain Jones. They have brought both professionalism and personality to the Fungus Fair, a winning combination. We will miss them and hope we don’t lose touch. We look forward to continued cooperation with the Santa Cruz Museum Association and encourage all of you to help in their efforts to keep the museum open. You can learn more at the museum website. January 13, 2009 Dear Fungus Federation Members, Fungus Fair Great Hall. Photo by Hugh Smith The 35th Annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair was a phenomenal success! 3,452 people attended over two days – a stand-out record! On behalf of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, the City of Santa Cruz, and the Santa Cruz Museum Association, I want to express my sincere thanks for all of the time and effort your group has shared with us this year, and in all the years since the Fair began 35 years ago. Together, our organizations have built a unique Santa Cruz tradition that continues to bring a delightfully fun educational experience to our community, and brings curious visitors into our City. We can all be very proud of this shared accomplishment. Over the 10 years that I have worked for the Museum, it has been my honor and privilege to work with many of you. I want to personally thank the members of the Fair Planning Committee with whom I’ve worked closely over the years: Marje Young, Debbie Johnson, Bill White, Phil Carpenter, Marilyn Fenn, Rene Seltzer, Jim Maley, Mark Gillespie, Lee Yamada and Phyllis Cole. You welcomed me graciously into your fold 10 years ago, and I am grateful for the support you have continually shown me, other staff members, and the Museum of Natural History. That current economic events have brought my formal relationship with the Fungus Federation to an end saddens me greatly. However, given the energy, dedication, and enthusiasm that your members have shown, I have every confidence that the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair will continue to flourish for years to come. Sincerely, Jenifer Lienau Thompson Director, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Next, our Fair Chair, Marje, has a special message to all of our fantastic volunteers below! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts FFSC 37th Annual Fungus Fair Rocked Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

TriCini. Photo by Paul Lazazzera TriCini Paul Lazazzera I took this photo on April 8th 2018 in Watsonville California among some pine trees. I call this image "TriCini" for obvious reasons and it is to this date the most unique specimen of this species I have found. I harvested it to eat and gain its special powers! I hope you enjoy it as well. Camera Samsung SM-G935 Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/1.7 Shutter Sp. ISO 50 Flash Off Photo taken on April 8, 2018 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Foraging in Alaska in 2008 Fred and I took a family trip to Alaska this summer and stayed at Bill & Gerri White’s lodge in Sterling. It was lots of fun. Bill has hosted groups from the FFSC in past years, and we hope he’ll think about doing it again. Deb • September 1, 2008 Fred Chin and Debbie Johnson picking lovely Agaricus silvicola. Photo by Kerry White Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts The Great Alaska Foray 2010 2009 Alaska Foray Travelogue Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article