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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

Hymenoscyphus fructigenus on Acorn. Photo by Anisa Etemadi Mushy Acorn Anisa Etemadi This acorn was found under a decomposing log in the Santa Cruz mountains. The photo was taken by Anisa Etemadi and the acorn was found by Zac Vavoulis. We believe they are Hymenoscyphus fructigenus , a saprobic mushroom found on only certain nuts! Camera Apple iPhone 6s Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/2.2 Shutter Sp. 1/300s ISO 100 Flash Off Photo taken on December 11, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Writings FFSC 2026 Ministers Elections-Results Welcome our new slate of FFSC ministers elected at May 19, 2026 general meeting. Dan Tischler • May 20, 2026 Porcini and Coccora invited to dinner-photo by Dan Tischler We have a new slate of ministers with some new faces and veteran FFSC ministers. You can view the list at https://www.ffsc.us/info/ffsc-ministers . When you get a chance please welcome the new ministers and thank outgoing ministers for all their hard work. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports North to Alaska v.2 Sunrise...again? It just went down! On your mark, get set, hunt! Hugh Smith • September 1, 2011 Tricholoma murrillianum (magnivelare) (matsutake). Photo by Hugh Smith Yes, sunrise again. It rises slowly and in an odd place, south of East. Then it stays up for a long time. A long time! The days are currently 15 hours, 40 minutes, losing 5 minutes per day. And don’t miss the sunset. Oh, but you won’t. It lasts as long as the sunrise. And it sets in an odd place too, south of West. Colorful and glorious. The arc of the sun up here is about the same as the arc of a rainbow, 43 degrees of sky. This is dictated by our position and distance from our sun. Ever wonder why you can’t take a picture of a complete rainbow with any basic lens? Now you know. I was told to buy pepper spray to carry with me in the forest in case of an encounter with Bears. The problem with this idea is everyone has Pepper Spray. This means no one could possibly tell which Bear pile was you. And as for wearing bells... there are so many people with these too, so it sounds like a herd of goats walking through the woods and there’s no way to tell when one of you is missing. Does a Bear and a cask of Amontillado ring any bells? Most of the time I wore a hat. A hat not only keeps your glasses dry but can be very useful for pushing through the bush while keeping your eyes to the ground. There are mushrooms everywhere! Like I said, in the woods where I’m from, the trees are not nearly this close together. Here, you could be pushing through trees constantly. The trees can be 3 feet apart! They are all touching! And, a hat also prevents me from getting Gorbys on my shiny head. The one day I forgot to wear it...got a Gorby. Richard and I were in the woods, staying off trail. It’s like floating through the forest, walking on a two foot thick carpet of plush, undulating Sphagnum Moss. There are mushrooms everywhere! So here comes this small group of people, walking down a trail near us (the forest is so dense, so unlike what we’re familiar with, that just a few feet off the trail you are completely invisible.) Richard and I started grunting and growling. The women in the group immediately turned and ran back from whence they came. We then spoke to them to allay their fears. They said that wasn’t very funny and that they had just seen three bears. Three? That means two cubs. Later, Sandi and I were walking through the woods and this time we were walking ON a trail. There was a noise in the bushes. It grew louder and it was very near. Not being a familiar sound, my hair stood up all over my body and the adrenaline flowed. Richard could no longer compose himself as he watched us scurry about, bumping into each other with terrified looks on our faces, questioning our survival. Actually, though, I wasn’t scared. I was reaching for my camera. On another hunt, we went to a place called Moose Flat. It’s a day use area and it was a Saturday. Not a soul was there. Kind of like a Bolete hunt. Nobody around. As we pulled in to the area, there before us was a mother Moose and her baby. Sandi screeched so loud she scared off the Moose from 50 yards away with the windows up. Can you imagine what it sounded like inside the van? Today it’s raining... somewhere. Not here. We spent the day along a road near a great lake in a vast array of habitats (lots of secret laughing places) and didn’t see a drop of rain. As we drove back toward the lodge after a short days hunt (only 8 hours) we came into rain. There were sheets of water on the road and hydroplaning was a concern. Gullies had formed in Bill and Geri’s driveway. Who could have guessed only a few miles east of here it never hinted at rain? But... there’s still daylight, so let’s hunt! Can you imagine a King Bolete every 3 feet in every direction in an area the size of a large room? OK, I’m exaggerating. Can you imagine a King Bolete every 4 feet in every direction in an area the size of a large room? And no competition? Difficult to imagine, isn’t it? But if you can, then you’ve probably been to Alaska. I have, so I knew what to expect. And when you go, you’ll know what to expect, too. Expect the unexpected. So many Boletes, so few dryers. Some people were buying them after we got up there. I sent two dehydrators ahead from California so they’d be there when I arrived. Amazon had free shipping and I taped them together as one for the ride home. I ran them 24 hours a day but the last day I didn’t pick any since there was no more time to dry them. There is only one species of Moose (here), two species of Rabbit (here), 1 species of Ice Worm (here), 1 species of Porcupine (here), 2 kinds of music (Country & Western), and 1 species of Human. And although there are very few species of trees on the Kenai Peninsula, the number of mushroom species and even the number of mushroom genera will surprise anyone. Last year we documented 192 species and this year I counted more than 130 not including Cortinarius ! I appeared to be the only one counting, but I could not have found so many on my own. All of those eyes, old and new are most valuable and ap-preciated. 2011 Alaska Foray participants. Photo by Hugh Smith Known edibles (if someone cooks them for you) are numerous as well. If no one cooks, then none are edible. Our group prepared many, including 2 Pleurotus species, 4 Leccinum species, Boletus grand-edulis , Hawk Wings, Gypsies, and Hericium ramosum . The Leccinum , Hericium and Boletus were the best of all. Others that were identified but not prepared were Shrimp Russula ( Russula xerampelina ), Brown Matsutake ( Tricholoma caligatum ), Hedgehogs ( Hydnum umbilicatum ), Chicken of the Woods ( Laetiporus coniferacola ) Man On Horseback ( Tricholoma flavovirens ) and Panaeolus (!). On another one of our many forays, we went in search of Gypsy mushrooms, formerly Rozites caperatus and now Cortinarius caperatus . These are easily identifiable once you have seen the look-alikes. After that, we hunted Kings again. Found another new spot to hunt too, about a mile long. Add one more place to the hunting list, Bill. After this we went to Seward, a port town to the south. Seward sits below the Harding Ice Field, a 500 square mile blanket of ice on top of a mountain range that feeds numerous Glaciers. The most accessible glacier is Exit Glacier. Of course, there are mushrooms at the glacier, and Slime Molds too. It’s impossible to imagine that not too long ago, the areas where we stood and walked were completely covered under a sheet of heavy, grinding ice. No plants, nothing. Only Ice Worms. After getting as close as was allowed to the glacier we then went to the outwash plain. Many people walked right up to the leading edge of the glacier and several of us walked out onto the cobblestone plain to catch some ancient ice. Unlike regular ice, glacial ice is almost free of air bubbles and therefore is perfectly clear. But many other substances can be trapped in this ice and through the eons, inevitably, many things have been. Since this ice is clear, it is only intermittently visible as it flows and tumbles past you in the silt laden fast moving water. This is a fair size river coming out of just this one glacier and ice chunks of all sizes are tumbling down the river, some too large to pick up. Richard held onto me as I attempted to lean out and grab a piece as they rushed by but I was unsuccessful. Bill leaned out to grab one and almost fell in. I said, “Bill, I saw signs everywhere that said children don’t float.” But he managed to get a nice chunk of ice and in it were spots of what appeared to be volcanic ash. The spots were uniform gray and clay-like, not gritty like you might expect. And these spots were throughout the ice rather than in a sedimentary layer. We ate some of this ancient frozen water. Sandi got ash on her tongue. How long ago did this ash fall and from what volcano? Was it an Alaskan volcano? Or was it from Russia or Japan? How many mushroom spores were embedded in this single piece of ice? How many species? Were they still viable? I pondered. What a place. What a planet! The day we left Sterling, we went early and stopped at Girdwood. They were having their 4th annual Fungus Fair. It was Sunday and the fair was winding down. Ryane Snow, Patrick Hamilton and Connie Green were there. I didn’t see them but we saw people from our original group and Henry and Marjorie Young were in attendance, and on their way to Bill and Geri’s to replace us. I feel we were here early this year (mushroom season-wise) and they were prob-ably going to witness a greater abundance than us. But how could that possibly be? The Fungus Fair had 3 tables of mushrooms. If only they could have met up with us. To my knowledge our species lists surpasses theirs from one year alone. Bill and Jerri, thank you so much for making this kind of mushroom foray possible. The forays, Pot Lucks and campfires were such a blast! Toni, remember that bottle of Tequila you brought up there last year? It’s still there along with another bottle. All of the mushroom dishes (cough), the salmon dishes (choke, except for the Filet O’Mac) and the hot dogs (Sphincters, lips and eyelids, yeah!) and S’Mores (hold the Graham Crackers and the Marshmallows please) will never be forgotten. Without you two, we might never have known there could be such a place with such great diversity and abundance. Let’s hunt! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Foraging in Alaska in 2008 The Great Alaska Foray 2010 2009 Alaska Foray Travelogue Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article