Mushrooms have shifted into spring mode over the past weeks. Agrocybe praecox (spring agrocybe) is fruiting everywhere. Dan Hollander was waiting for a bus on Stanyan Street at the east end of Golden Gate Park. He looked down and saw several morels growing in some cracks in the sidewalk. Morels have also been showing up in chip beds, junk yards and other unlikely places to remind us that morel season in the Sierra is just around the corner. Another springtime ascomycete, Verpa conica (thimble morel), was seen by Mike Boom in Knowland State Park. Wildflower season is just beginning. Douglas iris is in bloom and here and there you can see the ravishingly beautiful calypso orchid (at Salt Point, Mt. Tamalpais and Butano Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains).
Cantharellus infundibuliformis (funnel chanterelle), Craterellus cornucopioides (black chanterelle) and Hydnum umbilicatum (belly-button hedgehog) have tapered off in the past week at Salt Point after a banner year. I pickled a combination of the three fungi, following Carlucci’s procedure in “A Passion for Mushrooms”, with great success. Lactarius fragilis (candy cap) has made a significant late fruiting in the East Bay Hills. Surprisingly, Cantharellus cibarius (yellow chanterelles) made a late and reasonably generous showing in various locations: in west Marin, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the East Bay Hills.
Fred Stevens reports that the cypress groves along the coast from Pacifica to Half Moon Bay have been interesting foraging areas this past month. Agaricus lilaceps (giant cypress agaricus) was collected in the Half Moon Bay area (presumably the northernmost extension of that species). Other Agaricus finds include A. pattersonae, A. benesi, A. fuscovelatus (purple-veiled agaricus) and a red-staining Agaricus sp. which looks like a cross between A. bernardii (salt-loving agaricus) and A. bitorquis (banded agaricus) but has no briny odor. Also fruiting were Macrolepiota rachodes (shaggy parasol), Clitocybe nuda (blewit), Leucopaxillus amarus (bitter pax) and, in ice-plant, Volvariella speciosa (common volvariella). There was a prodigious fruiting of Helvella lacunosa (fluted black elfin saddle) at Half Moon Bay. Some choice edibles have been found on our Sunday Land’s End Forays: Macrolepiota rachodes, Agaricus pattersonae and A. augustus (the prince). A. osecanus (giant horse mushroom) has been collected along the Sonoma Coast.
At Filoli, Bill Freedman reports seeing an amazing fruiting of Cyathus olla (bird’s nest fungus) and a few rare specimens of Russula lutea which has a yellow cap and gills. This species is further distinguished from similar species (e.g. R. claroflava) in that the gills do not stain gray. At Butano State Park, Bill found an extremely rare fungus which Dr. Desjardin identified as Collybia egregia Halling. He also saw a fruiting of Clavulina cristata (crested coral fungus) so dense and extensive that it looked like the area was blanketed with snow along the Ox Mill Trail.
Norm Andresen’s series of forays in Joaquin Miller Park (East Bay) have yielded some interesting finds. There was Phyllotopsis nidulans (sewer gas fungus), Cheilymenia coprinaria (eyelash dung cup), Agaricus pattersonae, Hygrocybe psittacina (parrot waxy cap) and Inocybe pudica (blushing inocybe), a red stainer.
Marasmius oreades (fairy ring mushroom) has been showing up on lawns in the area (including my own lawn, thanks to a few specimens I threw out there several years ago). Amanita rubescens (blushing amanita) is fruiting in several areas but A. velosa (springtime amanita) seems to be running late. The deadly Amanita ocreata (destroying angel) has been reported in the East Bay Hills and in the Santa Cruz area. Be aware that, although ocreata is pure white (cap, gills and stalk) in its early stages, it often develops pinkish, “cinnamon dust”, yellowish or brownish areas on the cap, especially toward the center, as it matures.
Many of the edibles mentioned above should continue to fruit during April. In addition, look for Agaricus arvensis (horse mushroom), Coprinus comatus (shaggy mane) and springtime Amanita calyptrata (coccoli). Boletus edulis (king bolete) can turn up at Land’s End and in the East Bay Hills and Craterellus cornucopioides may still make a showing at Soquel State Forest.
Fungiphiles should start planning for the spring morel season in the Sierra. It often gets into full swing by mid-April but heavy snowpack, such as we have this year, might postpone that date by a week or two. Snowpack can melt off so rapidly that it fails to saturate the soil with moisture. What is needed for a successful morel season is a series of spring rains, much like we had last year, to give the soil a proper soaking.
Those of you who have never been on a morel hunt are in for a real treat. It is a totally different sort of mushrooming experience. You need special tuning of the eye to zero in on morels since they mimic bits of charred wood, pine cones and small rocks. First-timers should foray with an experienced hunter or participate in one of the several morel forays which Norm Andresen is organizing again this year. Our President Chester Laskowski is also planning a panel discussion on morel hunting for the April General Meeting. Several of the Society’s top morel-hunting pros will participate and share their knowledge and experience.
More experienced hunters should remember that the window of opportunity can often be very narrow, often a matter of a few days. It’s best to have some options so that you can take a bit of time off when the collecting heats up. It is also important to dehydrate morels properly. You might want to review Mike Boom’s excellent article on the subject in last year’s April Mycena News.
And we should have another outstanding spring wildflower season this year. Parks in the Diablo Range can be spectacular. Best bets are the east side of Mt. Diablo (State Park), Morgan Territory and Henry Coe State Park. Be sure to get out and enjoy!
(To contribute to The Forager, call me at 415-588-7634, post your findings on Wade Leschyn’s Natural World Bulletin Board at 415-261-1212 or e-mail to fstev@rahul.net. Thanks to Norm Andresen, Bill Freedman, Fred Stevens, Mike Boom, Dan Hollander, Dave Campbell, Brian Ali and Joe Dougherty who contributed to the preparation of this report.)