Sunday, January 72:00pm

MEETING & LECTUREat the Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Our speaker will be our good friend, mycologist andauthor Gary Lincoff. Always informative (andentertaining), he is the author of the NationalAudubon Society Field Guide to North AmericanMushrooms, one of our favorite field guides.

His topic for this meeting will be:“From the Central Park BioBlitz 2006

to a MycoBlitz for Me and You”

NJMA OFFICERS

President – Jim BargVice-President – Nina BurghardtSecretary – Ania BoydTreasurer – Bob Peabody

DUES

Payable on calendar yearIndividual: $15.00Family: $20.00Mail checks (payable to NJMA) to:

Bob Peabody50 Alfalfa HillMilford, NJ 08848-1727

NJMA WEBSITE

www.njmyco.orgBob Hosh and Steve Gleason

NJMA NEWS

Editor: Jim Richards211 Washington StreetHackettstown, NJ 07840-2145email: jimrich35@verizon.net

Art director: Jim Bargemail: jimbarg@bssmedia.com

Circulation: Susan Hopkins

Deadline for publication:10th of even-numbered months.

Send ONLY newsletter submissions tothe editor. All other correspondenceshould be sent to the secretary:

Ania Boyd181 Highland AvenueMontclair, NJ 07042

NJMA EVENTS HOTLINE

908-362-7109 for information onNJMA events or cancellations due tobad weather.

Saturday, November 11(Setup at 6:00 pm,dinner at 7:00 pm)

Culinary Group Dinner – Andean Cookingat the Long Hill Rescue Squad in Gillette, NJ.For information or to sign up, contact Bob Saunders at(201) 568-3919 or at robertsaunders2005@earthlink.net

Directions to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, MorristownTraveling from the South: I-287 Northbound to Exit 36A (Morris Ave.). Proceed East approx. 1/2mile in the center lane, past Washington Headquarters (on left). Take left fork onto WhippanyRoad. Turn left at 2nd traffic light onto East Hanover Avenue. Proceed for about 1/4 mile. Entranceis on left, opposite the Morris County Library.Traveling from the North: I-287 Southbound to Exit 36, following signs for Ridgedale Avenue (bearright in exit ramp). Proceed to traffic light, then turn right onto Ridgedale Avenue. At 2nd trafficlight, turn right onto East Hanover Avenue. Proceed for about 1/4 mile. The Arboretum entranceis on the right just past the traffic light at the Morris County Library.Traveling on New Route 24: New 24 West to Exit 1A, (also labeled as Rt. 511 South, Morristown)onto Whippany Road. Stay in right lane. Turn right at 1st traffic light onto East Hanover Avenue.Proceed for about 1/4 mile. Entrance is on left, opposite the Morris County Library.

Directions to the Unitarian Society, Tices Lane, East BrunswickFrom New Brunswick via Route 18: Take U.S. Highway 1 south, exit at Ryders Lane to EastBrunswick, continue to the second light, and turn left onto Tices Lane. The Unitarian Society is the2nd drive on the right before you go under the NJ Turnpike.From the south via the Garden State Parkway: Take Route 18 north toward New Brunswick to TicesLane exit (take jughandle from right lane of 18 across to Tices Lane). Follow Tices Lane until you passunder the Turnpike. The entrance is in the woods on the left just after you leave the underpass.From the NJ Turnpike: take Exit 9 to Route 18. Take Rt 18 South to East Brunswick. On 18, turn rightonto Tices Lane at the third traffic light. Follow Tices Lane until you pass under the Turnpike. Theentrance is in the woods on the left just after you leave the underpass.

Volume 36—6 November — December 2006

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Sunday, November 52:00pm

MEETING & LECTUREat the Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Our speaker will be Dr. Roy E. Halling, Curator ofMycology at the New York Botanical Garden. He willspeak on “An overview of Costa Rican Mushrooms.”

Sunday, November 5 NJMA Photo Contest Deadline (see last issue)

Sunday, December 32:00pm

NJMA HOLIDAY PARTY, Photo Contest,Meeting, and Election of Officers at theUnitarian Society, Tices Lane, East Brunswick, NJ.Registration required – see page 17 for details and directions

COMING IN EARLY FEBRUARY

NJMA’s ANNUAL MYCOPHAGY MEETINGDate and location will be announced in our next issue!

CAN’T FIND WAXED PAPER BAGS?CAN’T FIND WAXED PAPER BAGS?My son Chris and I joined up at the Fungi Festlast Sunday. We were talking to a fellow about

locating those waxed paper sandwich bagsand how hard they were to find. Of course,

that afternoon, we found Cut Rite waxed papersandwich bags right at our Whole Foods Market,

so now we pass it on.

– Anne Franges

2NJMA NEWS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEI’ve just returned from our last foray of the 2006 seasonat Brendan Byrne State Forest, and despite the cold andwindy conditions, it was a wonderful foray. I mentionthis to remind everyone that our forays always takeplace, regardless of the weather. (The one exception thispast season was the scheduled foray at HerrontownWoods. As it turned out, there was no leader for thatforay because it coincided with the NEMF foray inQuébec, and yours truly was tied up with previously-mentioned family matters.) If ever you’re in doubtabout a foray or meeting taking place, pick up the phoneand call our newly-established Events Hotline, 908-362-7109. You will hear a recorded message of upcom-ing events and/or any problems which might preventthose events from happening. We’ve started this to helpprevent a repeat of what happened for last February’smycophagy meeting when several people showed up forthe meeting in two feet of snow. I encourage you to usethe number and hope that you’ll find it worthwhile.

I want to also remind you that NJMA doesn’t rest whenthe mushrooms stop coming out! Be sure to come out forour regular monthly meetings to learn and talk withsome of the world’s most knowledgeable scientists andexperts in the field of Mycology. On November 5, Dr.Roy Halling, Curator of Mycology at the NY BotanicalGarden and one “heck” of an expert, will fill us in on hisforays through Costa Rica. On January 7, our good friendGary Lincoff will take us through the 2006 BioBlitz inNew York’s Central Park (yes, there are mushrooms inthe Big Apple!) and tell us how we can conduct our own“mini myco-blitzes” right in our back yards or favoriteforay spots. Gary’s talks are always interesting and fun, sobe sure to join us. Meetings start at 2:00 PM. And, don’tforget our annual Holiday Dinner on December 3, and besure to register for it! This is the only NJMA event whichrequires registration, so do it today! (Use the form onpage 17.) We always have lots of good food and fun at theparty, and every member is invited.

Speaking of food, we are currently making arrange-ments for our February 2007 Mycophagy meeting. Weare hoping to announce some news which will make iteasier for you to actually SEE what the chefs are doingand make this meeting a better learning experience forall. Hopefully, well have more on this by the next issue.

I’d also like to ask for the attention of all the artists,photographers, and writers in the club. Jim Richards and Iare both anxious to get as much information, photog-raphy, and art from our own members into the newsletteras we can. There’s a lot of knowledge and talent in thisclub, and we can’t encourage you enough to take advan-tage of the winter months to gather your thoughts andphotos and send them on to Jim for inclusion in NJMANews. Remember, this newsletter is your newsletter, and

NJMA CULINARY GROUP:ANDEAN DINNER, NOVEMBER 11A partial menu for the dinner includes the following:

Pisco Sours, Chica (the everyday drink of the Andeans), two versions of Ceviche (marinated fish in lime juice,usually spicy), Papas a la Huancahina (potatoes in acheese sauce), Aji de Gallina (chicken in somewhatspicy sauce; very tasty), Quinoa (steamed SouthAmerican grain), Lomo Saltado (sort of like peppersteak, with beef and green peppers, not spicy, andalways served with French-fried potatoes), RocotoRellano (stuffed peppers), Mazamorra Morado (adessert of purple corn and fruit), Arroz con Leche (ricepudding), and Pastel de Manzanas (apple tart).

There are just a couple of spaces left, so please contactBob Saunders at robertsaunders2005@earthlink.netto reserve a space and for any additional information.

PH

OTO

BY

JIM

RIC

HA

RD

S

both of us hate to think that every photo or every article iscoming from just a handful of people in the club.Remember that many other clubs pick up articles from us.The article you write or the photo/artwork that yousubmit could very well help to enlighten other mycoholicsacross the nation and around the world. Your knowledgedoes no one any good when you keep it bottled inside.Don’t worry if you’re not a “pro” writer; if it’s not perfect,Jim will work with you to make it fit for publication.

One final thought: I want to thank Jim Richards for theuncounted hours which he puts into procuring, editing,and assembling content for NJMA News. He (and I) willappreciate it if you direct your comments about thenewsletter (positive or negative) to Jim himself, ratherthan to me. Remember, I just put it all together andmake it look good; Jim does the “legwork” to make thisone of the best newsletters in the country. Yourcomments (and submissions) will only make it better!

– Jim Barg

3NJMA NEWS

FUNGUS FEST VISITORS SAY WHYTHEY CAME, WHAT THEY LIKEDby Marc Grobman

Remember the jokes about the writer or artist who gota fantastic idea while mind-traveling via Psilocybin orits non-mycological soulmates, LSD or peyote? Andhow the writer/artist knew that the idea was so fabulousit was unforgettable, so he or she didn’t write it down?

Your NJMA News reporter’s excuse for not being ableto provide a more thorough report on Fungus Fest 2006is equally flimsy: He was having too much fun to takeextensive notes. But he did record observations fromvarious “civilians”, i.e., non-NJMAers. Here’s a look atFungus Fest 2006, through their eyes.

Why they came: Because I “love to eat them [mush-rooms].” I’m “very curious about mushrooms. Ourbackyard has a lot of mushrooms. I wanted to knowmore.” “Seeing what they [mushrooms] feel like whenyou touch them.”

What were the most fun/interesting/impressive/newthings they learned: The “names of mushrooms andknowing their names.” “Seeing all those different kindsof mushrooms.” That there were “so many uses forthem.” That “you could make paper [out of mush-rooms].” The “nutritional elements” [of mushrooms]and that they “have protein.” “The health benefits. Ialways ate for taste and texture but didn’t know aboutthe health benefits.” “The different types that wereedible… how to grow [mushrooms]… the expert knowl-edge… Microscopes… handling them.” “[The walkleader was] very good.” “The walk outside was great. Theleader was very knowledgeable. I liked giant puffballs themost.” The “knowledge… all that I learned.” “[This is a]good location…. I come every year. I always learn some-thing more… Morristown is bigger and you can look attrees and flowers. I enjoy this location better.”

What appealed to younger folks: The “smell of thestinkhorn… the dyes… the colors. That you can makepaper out of mushrooms… mushroom cooking… thearticle on truffles that are worth $3,600… The hugepuffball outside.” “Paper, how they made it… cooking[mushrooms].”

What didn’t they like/wanted improved: “Two yearsago, there was a longer hike in woods. There were moremushrooms.” “Why not sell mushroom-making kits?”“An introductory course for kids.” “Kids would like totry growing mushrooms.”

How they felt about Fungus Fest 2006: “You realizehow totally inadequate your knowledge is.Overwhelming.” “Interesting.” “Amazed.” “Learned alot.” “Enjoyed.” “Very interesting.” “A lot of fun.” “Veryinteresting.” “Amazing.” “Amazing.” “I was astonished.”“Overall, great.” “Above my expectations.”

STOKES FORAY FINDSsubmitted by Dorothy Smullen

There was a multitude of mushrooms at Stokes this yearfor the Grete Turchick picnic. The tables set aside foridentified specimens quickly filled up, but the sortingtable never seemed to empty.

Lactarius chyrsorheus and L. lignyotus were abundant,along with many Russulas. Tricholoma aurantiumseems to show up at every picnic. Other trichs were T.odorum and T. sejunctum. Susan Hopkins’ eagle eyespotted Cordyceps ophioglos/9, and she carefully dugthem up attached to their false truffle Elaphomyces.Glenn Freeman identified a Pouzarella. Polyporusbrumalis was found, as well as Albatrellus caeruleo-porus and A. cristatus. The latter was found by JudyMudrak right nearby the picnic area.

The total list of specimens from this foray and otherscan be viewed when all the forays end and the year’sdata appear in a future issue of this newsletter.

You don’t need tobe an expert

to help!A bit of a lesson...I received these three calls thispast month:

1. Two women ate mushrooms from their yard.Both had thrown up a lot, and promptly. Fromthe photos, the mushrooms seemed to be JackO’ Lanterns (Omphalotus illudens).

2. A toddler had sampled mushrooms in theyard, no symptoms, and except for lack of near-by oak, l declded the fungus was Armillariatabescens, the ringless honey mushroom.

3. A dog had eaten fungus that was eitherMutinus elegans or, ironically, M. caninus.No symptoms yet, except for a reminderthat dogs like carrion.

– Alex Adams

4NJMA NEWS

In MemoriumMARY BRANDWEIN 1912 - 2006

A very good friend of NJMA, Mary Brandwein,passed away on Monday, September 4, 2006. Shewas 94 years old. Mary established the BrandweinInstitute to honor the legacy of her late husband,Paul, and served as chairwoman of the Institute’sBoard of Directors for seven years. She carried onher husband’s mission stressing the importance ofscience education and field-based research.

It was Mary’s wish that her land be used forbiodiversity studies. Many teachers have benefitedfrom becoming Brandwein fellows. Through therequest of Jack Padalino (formerly of PEEC), NJMAbecame involved in a fungal study on Mary’s land atRutgers Creek in Unionville, NY. Ray Fatto andothers began the study in July, 2000. The fungalherbarium there is named in Ray’s honor.

The collecting and identifying crew has changedover the seven years, but for the last few years theactive members have been Richard Balsley, AaronNorarevian, Sang Park, Rhoda Roper, DorothySmullen, Gene Varney, and Gene Yetter, who servesas data manager. One of the highlights of eachcollecting trip was our visit with Mary. She gener-ously served us cold drinks, fruit salad, and cookies– a perfect refreshment after two hours of collectingon the rocky slopes of Rutgers Creek. We will sadlymiss talking with Mary, a lovely and generous friendwho had a remarkable vision for her husband’smemory and her land.

Gifts to the Mary Brandwein Endowment Fund may bemade in her memory, and will help insure thatprograms continue that connect learners of all ageswith nature. Mail to the Brandwein Institute, P.O. Box13, Unionville, New York 10988. Phone 845-856-8230.

- submitted by Dorothy Smullen

THE WONDERMENTS INTHE GENUS RUSSULAby Sam Ristich (from Mainely Mushrooms, Maine Mycological Association, October 12, 2006)

Although Dr. Robert Shaffer has been the United States’authority on the genus Russula, Dave Patterson and RayFatto have revealed the wonderments in the genus tothe common man. When I was at the New YorkBotanical Garden in the 1970s, Dave Patterson helpedme with handout sheets (which I still have) for my class.But in the past 25 years, Ray Fatto, with Geoff Kibby’shelp, has provided us with printed material whichincludes descriptions and keys.

At the MMA foray on July 8, many species were collect-ed at Bliss Woods or were brought from other places.Most of the field guides have wonderful photos withgood descriptions of species. I also have Ray Fatto’suseful key to many species. I am hoping several peoplewill be collecting, naming, and photographing about 50species this summer and fall.

This spectacular Fatto-Kibby key contains 18 character-istics, including spore color. The key is titled: Keys to theSpecies of Russula in Northeastern North America(Kibby-Fatto Enterprises, 1990. NJMA sells reprints.)

My daughter Ruthie has pointed out that for those ofyou with Internet access, there is an interactive onlinekey to North American Russulae called Online SynopticKey to the Species of Russula in North America.

This is the web address: http://www.mtsn.tn.it/russulales-news/id_kibby_ fatto.asp

This online tool represents an updated version of thesynoptic keys published by Kibby and Fatto some yearsago, and allows you to quickly check the characteristicsof your collections to see which species match thechosen criteria.

(P. Murosako, from Spore Prints - Puget Sound Mycological Society, October 2006)

5NJMA NEWS

NEMF 2006 - FORAYS, CLASSES,AND PARTIES IN BOREAL QUEBECArticle and photos by Terri Layton

The 2006 Samuel Ristich Foray of the North EastMycological Federation (NEMF) was held in Lac-Bouchette, Quebec hosted by the Cercle des Myco-logues de Montréal and the Société de Mycologied’Alma. It was also a joint annual meeting and foray ofthe Association de Mycologie du Québec, which in-cludes seven mycological associations from Québec.

It was a pleasant drive to Lac-Bouchette once we passedthe Montreal area and left all the hustle and bustle ofcity life behind. We were fortunate to spot a bald eaglegliding along one of the many rivers on our long jour-ney. New members Elena Greene and Igor Safonovreported seeing a juvenile black bear leisurely crossing aroad on their journey.

We arrived well before noon on Friday and, finding ittoo early to eat lunch or to register, we went for a strollaround the campus (a Catholic retreat) and, to ourdelight, found many fungi unfamiliar to us. After regis-tration and a quick bite to eat, we armed ourselves withbaskets, knives, lots of enthusiasm, and, praying for ashort ride, reluctantly piled back into our car for ourfirst foray.

The foray area was a boreal forest which is largely intactand free of roads and industries. Globally speaking, theboreal forests ring the regions immediately south of theArctic Circle (most of Canada, Russia and Scandinavia)and is larger than the Amazon rainforest. As you canimagine, the boreal forests play a critical role as “carbonreservoirs” which are important to all living things.

What surprised me (and was a horror to some of ourcarpool comrades) was how close the vegetation andsoil composition was to our own New Jersey PineBarrens. There were plenty of porous sandy soils, blue-

berries, moss, lichens, and black spruces. If it wasn’t forthe hilly terrain and the lack of ticks, we would havethought we were back home. Despite reported recentrains by the locals, we were disappointed with both thenumbers and variety of fungi.

We decided to ditch the Pine Barrens-like conditionsand once again piled back into our car and came back tocampus, leaving our seasoned veterans Rhoda Roper,Dorothy Smullen, Gene Yetter, Rod Tullous, the Parks,and the Burghardts (who doggedly stayed there) tosearch on. Back at campus, our mood improved consid-erably as the collected fungi proved to be more produc-tive despite similar conditions at other forays in thearea. We were truly delighted to find beautiful Amanitawellsii, luscious Hypomyces lactiflorum, Helvella, manyBoletes, Coprinus, lichens and mosses.

Friday evening activities included an opening meetingin a chapel and social gathering with a live band anddancing under a big white tent. Next day, I opted to stayfor lectures instead of the foray and wasn’t disappoint-

ed with the choices available, in English or French.Speakers were Walt Sturgeon (who was a recent guestspeaker at NJMA – remember “Just for the Smell of It”)and Bill Roody (co-author of North America Boletes,and who just happens to be Susan Mitchell’s brother-in-law), who spoke on Boletes and Mushrooms on theLawn, respectively.

One thing we couldn’t ignore was that most, if not allCanadians in the Québec region speak only French.This was most inconvenient at meal time if you wantedsomething other than standard meals. For an example, Iwitnessed one of our members (let’s call her lady chem-istry professor - LCP) trying to order scrambled eggs byimitating a whipping action; the mime Marcel Marceauwould have been proud. Later, I witnessed LCP failing toget a glass of water even though she pronounced theword “water” very succinctly, and I might add, withincreasing velocity. Finally, LCP stopped yelling “water”and brightly exclaimed “H2O”. Needless to say, LCP gotLooks a little like our own Pine Barrens, you think?

Certains de nos membres de NJMA posant pour une image à NEMF

6NJMA NEWS

her scrambled eggs but no water.

I know for sure that none of the servers were deafbecause when my turn came, I asked softly for “oeuf”and held up two fingers (peace sign) and gesturedflipping them over gently. I got exactly what I wanted(two eggs over easy), just the way I like them.

Yes, our inability to communicate with Canadians wasfrustrating at times, but we managed to laugh a littleand picked up a few words and had fun greeting eachother in French.

Actually, this brings up an important point about usinguniversal languages like Latin and Greek to describefungi. It’s not a frivolous pastime to learn Latin andGreek when we study fungi. Both languages are essen-tial components of the study of mycology. My insightwas further reinforced when I visited the fungi collec-tion area and had no trouble identifying fungi namesfamiliar to me although the fungi looked unfamiliar.Can you imagine the magnitude of confusion if every-one used their own language to describe certain fungigiven that the same fungus can look very different fromregion to region? Take, for instance, the commonnames associated with Hericium americanum: icicle,pompom, lion’s mane, etc. Imagine how different thingswould be in many different languages!

Two noteworthy items: Dorothy Smullen won a contestfor naming blue fungi (blueberry country, right?), andRod Tulloss made some interesting comments on a fair-ly rare Amanita species found by Nina Burghart. (Whatwas interesting was not what Rod said but, rather, howhe said it. It was in French. Oui! I would say with sort ofAmerican accent…I am not kidding!) I have no ideawhat was said because my high school French was inad-equate for the task.

By day, we forayed, and by night, we partied. We hadcocktails, live band music, dancing and singalong[s] bya bonfire. We didn't have mycophogy, but who wants toeat when you can drink, sing and dance and have a ball?A good time was had by all.

At closing, we all sang Frère Jacques in six languages ina Catholic chapel.

Mark your calendar for next year’s NEMF in Maine. It’sa good way to get to know your fellow mushroomers.

(By the way, “Water,” in French, is “Eau”. Check withRod for proper pronunciation!)

This “beefy” edible looks a lot like our own Tricholoma caligatum.

Coprinus atramentarius, one of two Coprinus species found at NEMF.

I can better illustrate my point as follows: One day I wassurveying the collection room and noticed a fellowFrench mushroomer gawking at a certain meaty-look-ing mushroom I had not seen before. I moved closer tohim and softly whispered “Bon Soir”. Our searchingeyes met and our gaze locked instantly. Well you knowwhat happened next: I held up this fungus andmimicked chewing. Instantly he exclaimed “OUI!” Ittook less than two seconds to find out if YOU CANEAT IT! How easy was that? Nes pa? Tres bien! Bonappetit! By the way, the mushroom in question wasCatathelasma ventricosum (or Biannularia ventricosa).And, in fact, it is considered a good edible.

Rod Tulloss at the ‘scope.

9NJMA NEWS

MEMBER PROFILE:“THE QUIET MAN” –DR. EUGENE VARNEYA profile from the perspective of Terri Layton

Most know Dr. Eugene Varney as a quiet, sincere,patient and gentle man who grows wonderful mush-rooms. For years, Gene exhibited cultivated mush-rooms for NJMA’s annual Fungus Fest for the public’seducation. This year was no exception with his beauti-ful oyster mushrooms in a strawberry jar.

Beware though, under that quiet exterior, he is a quite aforceful man who had some training on how to get whathe wants. As a young man, he served our county as aninterrogator for the US Army Air Corp S2 IntelligenceDivision during the WWII. His main duty in England wasto sniff out potential bombing sites utilizing variousmethods, including interrogation of captured Axis pilots.

Gene grew up in a small town in Massachusetts andattended a one room school from first to eighth grade.Can’t you almost picture a white schoolhouse like theone on the Little House on the Prairie television series?

In this little one roomschool is where he first

cut his teeth in theteaching profession,tutoring younger chil-dren when he was a

just a lad himself. Later, as an undergraduate student atRutgers, he also found much satisfaction in tutoring hisclassmate athletes. He eventually made a career inteaching, which he continues to date as a one of theprincipal NJMA instructors. His NJMA teaching reper-toire includes microscopic study, cultivation, andmedicinal uses of fungi.

His love of nature, nurtured by his family and his innatesocial sense to help nature, propelled him to study PlantPathology and obtain his Bachelor of Science from theUniversity of Massachusetts and a Ph.D from theUniversity of Wisconsin in plant pathology with a minorin mycology (a natural combination since plant patholo-gy includes fungi, virus, bacteria and micro plasma). Formore than 30 years, Dr. Varney taught graduate coursesin plant pathology and undergraduate mycology (under

general botany) at Cook College of RutgersUniversity until his early retirement in 1988.

Now this all sounds like Dr. Varney had hisfuture neatly mapped out, but not so. His firstjob was a secretarial position at a utilitiescompany. This caused my head to tilt to one

side questioningly and he charminglyexplained that back in olden days, secretar-

ial positions were available to men becausemost companies lacked proper facilitiesfor women. (He actually said this to mewith a straight face and anyone whoknows him would not doubt his sinceri-ty.) He further explained that he wascompelled to wash windows (I bet! Nowomen around to wash windows!) forthis company because his bosssmoked like a chimney causingwindows to fog up and obstruct theview to the outside. Unable to endurebeing cut off from trees outside, Geneleft the utility company to pursue agreener pasture.

Susan Hopkins and Raymond Fatto with Gene Varney

Dr. Varney willingly shares his knowledge ofmycological microscopy with Hadas Parag.

10NJMA NEWS

After graduating from high school, Gene also contem-plated becoming a landscape designer. He does, howev-er, get to showcase his talent as an amateur landscaper(with his wife Ruth) in his back yard. Together, theyhave a beautiful back yard where they grow lots ofyummy vegetables, beautiful flowers and, of course, lotsof healthy trees. They also love to feed birds and toler-ate squirrels, pigeons, and groundhogs without toomuch grudge.

He first learned about NJMA when Bob Peabody, also alongtime member, invited him to a meeting as a guestspeaker many years ago. He eventually became activewith NJMA when he retired from Rutgers. Gene servedas vice-president and president of NJMA during late 80’sand early 90’s. Gene also dedicated many hours writingfor the NJMA newsletter and served as a chairman of thephoto contest.

Besides teaching about fungi, Gene is passionate aboutconducting research and surveying the fungi kingdom.He contributed to the biodiversity study of a rare, virginforest in New Jersey-Hutcheson Woods, which is joint-ly owned by the Nature Conservancy and RutgersUniversity. Gene, accompanied by Ray Fatto, forayedthe forest every month for over 12 years to collect andidentify the fungi. It’s no wonder Gene still misses hislongtime friend and foray buddy Ray, who was equallypassionate about fungi.

Dr. Varney continues to participate in yet anotherbiodiversity study in Greenville, NY (the “RutgersCreek” project, as NJMAers like to call it) for the PaulBrandwein Institute, where collected specimens areidentified, dried, and placed in the Raymond FattoHerbarium, which was dedicated in 2003.

Gene and Ruth frequent NAMA and NEMF forays. Atthese events, you will find Dr. Varney working quietlyidentifying slime molds and ascomycetes that others donot consider glamorous.

This past spring, several of us attended his mushroomcultivation class, which was held in his home garage.His dedication to teaching was obvious: He had spentmany days of preparation for a hands-on class plusplanning the lectures and making the handouts (not tomention cleaning up after the class). We had lots of funmixing straw with oyster mushroom spawn and drillingoak logs for shiitake spawn, which we took home. Dr.Varney also showed us few exotic edible mushrooms hewas cultivating for his own personal enjoyment, whichmade me curious about his favorite consumption vari-ety. To my surprise, he stated that he’s perfectly happywith those plain white button mushrooms, Agaricusbisporus. He just likes to grow things.

Dr. Varney’s nurturing extends beyond plants and fungi.He volunteers his time at a nearby correctional institu-tion as a final evaluator for the intensive-supervisionprogram. Without a doubt, he uses interrogation skillshe learned while serving in the US Army (I think UncleSam got his money back ten times over) to determine ifinmates are ready to be released back into society.

Now in their eighties (hard to believe!), Gene and Ruth liketo keep busy and are looking forward to more travelingbefore getting too old. For fun, they like to travel to theEverglades to study wildflowers and birds. Gene and Ruthjust celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and havethree children: daughters Ellen and Caroline, and sonStephen. To their delight, all three children (and four grand-children, including twins) all live within driving distance.

Although Dr. Varney’s personal interest in fungi ismostly scientific in nature, he comments that there isplenty of room in NJMA to support a diversity of interest.He is truly a remarkable teacher who is a living model fortolerance, patience, and generosity. We are fortunate tohave Dr. Varney as a dedicated member of NJMA.

Thank you, Dr. Varney and Mrs. Varney, for sharingyour knowledge, your generosity, and your time.

Dr. Varney also made it possible for NJMA to permanentlyhouse over 2,530 specimens in a herbarium in one of thescience buildings at Rutgers University. Also, through Dr.Varney’s association with Rutgers, our microscopy andmedicinal mushroom classes are conducted in a state-of-the-art campus laboratory at Rutgers.

Gene Varney, Gene Yetter, and Aaron Norarevian at Rutgers Creek

11NJMA NEWS

AN EMAIL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS(Editor’s Note: I am reporting this correspondence between Richard

Butsch, myself, and Gene Varney to further illustrate Gene’s willing-

ness to share his knowledge with others. Thanks, Gene!)

October 12, 2006Jim:

I read with interest the September NJMAnews articleFungal Friends, about mycorrhiza. My landscaperrecommended a mycorrhizae soil injection to improvethe health of a tree, for $83!! I have three questions:

1. Do you or any other members know if this is safein the long run, not only for this tree, but forsurrounding plants?

2. Can I locate some mycorrhiza mushrooms tofertilize the tree area with their spores, for $0.00?

3. What kind of mushrooms should I be looking for?There are quite a few popping up now under treesthat are phallic-like, appear to be sac fungus, have abright red tip, and wilt fairly quickly (within hourswith warmth).

Feel free to forward this inquiry to others. Thanks forany help anyone can offer.

Richard Butsch

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October 12, 2006Jim:

Minutes after my previous email, I found this website:www.mycorrhizae.com

But I’d still appreciate any advice.

Richard Butsch

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October 12, 2006Richard:

Thanks for passing on the website information - I willmake sure it gets into the next newsletter. To try toanswer some of your questions:

To the best of my knowledge, mycorrhizal connectionshave no detrimental aspects - they form a symbioticrelationship between the organisms.

The type of mushrooms that you should be looking fordepends entirely on what type of tree you wish to “inoculate”.

The mushrooms that you have growing would seem tobe one of the “stinkhorns” - you should be able to readilyconfirm that by smelling some of the fruiting bodies thathave a colored material on the end of the fungus.

I will forward your email to a couple of members whoshould be able to give you more information.

Jim

October 13, 2006Jim:

Thanks. The trees I have are zelkova and maples - withJapanese green maple, river birch, and yew busheswithin about twenty feet.

Richard

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October 17, 2006Dear Mr. Butsch,

You probably already have more information than youever wanted to know about mycorrhizal fungi. Youngtrees being planted in harsh environments such as on aland fill or waste lands around coal mines may need theright mycorrhizal fungi added to survive. Nurseriesgrowing trees for reforestation may also inoculate newseedlings. Legumes may grow better if inoculated withnitrogen-fixing bacteria. But, I doubt that you need aninjection of mycorrhizae around a healthy mature treein an average area. Your tree roots are undoubtedlyalready colonized by many species of mycorrhizalmushrooms. Your tree long ago replaced its naturalroot hairs for absorbing water and nutrients withassorted mycorrhizal fungi. I do not know if one mycor-rhizal mushroom will replace another mushroomcarrying out the same function. The root system of anysingle tree will be colonized by many mycorrhizae. Forexample, you can find many species of Russula, Boletus,and Amanita under one tree growing by itself on a lawn.These are all mycorrhizal fungi.

The injection is unlikely to do any harm but may beuseless. If you like to experiment, inject half the areaunder the tree and see if there is a difference in a year ortwo on that side of the tree. If you have twin trees, doone and not the other.

Your inquiry about the phallus-like mushroom suggeststhat you already have a soil rich in organic matter, a soilthat is teeming with all kinds of fungi and other soilorganisms. The mushroom you described is most likelya stinkhorn, Mutinus elegans, even though you did notmention a fetid odor. It looks like a dog’s penis; you canfind a picture in most field guides.

Much research is going on with mycorrhizal organismsand it is difficult to keep up with the latest findings. Itis also an area that invites quackery.

Gene Varney

12NJMA NEWS

RECIPE FILE

Mixed Wild Mushroom and Smoked Pork Gumboby Jim Barg (as served at the 2006 Grete Turchick Foray and Picnic)

1 cup flour

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

11⁄2 cups chopped Vidalia onion

11⁄2 cups chopped mixed color bell peppers

1 cup chopped celery1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot!)

3⁄4 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

2 cups lean smoked pork butt, diced into 1⁄2-inch cubes

5 cups fresh or frozen mixed wild mushrooms, sliced/diced(In the past, I’ve used just about any “meaty” wild mushroom or combina-

tion of mushrooms, including Lepista nuda, Grifola frondosa, Laetiporus

sulphureus, Agaricus campestris, Rozites caperata, Hydnum repandum, any

chanterelles, edible Lactarii, edible boletes, even Coprinus comatus. Puffballs,

however, do not work well.)

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

1 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 green onions, sliced thinly

filé powder (powdered dried sassafras), as desired

1. Prepare a roux by combining the flour and oil in a large dutch oven or heavy largesaucepan over medium heat. Whisking slowly and constantly, allow the roux toreach a chocolate brown color, which should take about 20-25 minutes. Do not allowthe roux to burn (once the roux begins to brown, watch it VERY closely...if it turns black, discard it and start over!).

2. Add the onion, bell peppers, and celery to the browned roux and stirconstantly for another five minutes.

3. Add the pork, cayenne pepper, and salt and stir for anotherthree minutes. Add the broth and water, stir until smooth, andbring to a boil.

4. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for one hour, stir-ring occasionally (and scraping the bits off the bottom of the potas you stir).

5. After one hour, add the mushrooms. Allow to simmer for anoth-er hour, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley and green onion andcook for five more minutes. Adjust the seasoning, if needed.

6. Serve over white rice, adding filé powder to bring to desired consistency.

Yield: 8 servings

13NJMA NEWS

RECIPE FILE

Mushroom Pinwheelsby Jim Richards (as served at the 2006 Grete Turchick Foray and Picnic)

11⁄2 pounds of Grifola frondosa, cleaned and cut into 1⁄4-inch dice (Other mushrooms can be substituted)

1 bunch of scallions, cut into 1⁄4-inch dice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 chili peppers, minced (Use more or less according to your preference. I used two Thai hot peppers and two Lemon Drop peppers)

1⁄4 cup dry sherry

3 tbsp. peanut oil

3 tbsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce)1⁄2 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1⁄4 cup chicken stock

2 roasted duck legs (drumstick plus thigh)1⁄2 cup cream cheese

4 wrappers (I used two spinach and two wheat)

1. Remove the skin from the duck legs and cut the meat into 1⁄4-inch pieces.

2. Heat the peanut oil in a wok until quite hot. Add the scallions, garlic, and chilis. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms, sherry, chicken stock, and fish sauce. Cook over high heat until most of the liquid hascooked off. Add the shredded meat from the duck legs. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir briefly. Put themixture aside to cool. (At this stage, the mixture could be used as a filling for wonton wrappers and steamed orfried as dim sum. Or, it could be used to fill phyllo pastry, puff pastry, or whatever your imagination can conceive)

4. When the filling is cool, mix in the cream cheese and check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

5. Spread the mixture on the wrappers. Roll up tightly. Chill until needed.

6. To serve, cut the rolls at a slight diagonal into 3/4-inch slices.

Yields about 40 slices.

14NJMA NEWS

THE NOSE KNOWS:SIMPLE IDENTIFICATIONOF AGARICUS AND MATSUTAKEMUSHROOMS by Bill Windsor (from Spores Afield, the newsletter of theColorado Mycological Society, October 2006 issue)

It has been some 26 years now that I have been scanningthe ground for edible mushrooms, and it has come tothe point that it is no longer a conscious effort. It doesnot matter that I might be engaged in a business meet-ing inspecting a property, or perhaps on a sportingmotorcycle ride; I see mushrooms everywhere.Recently, I have noticed that Agaricus mushrooms arefruiting all over the area at lower elevations.

I am a big fan of edible Agaricus mushrooms, I reallyenjoy their ‘meaty’ flavor. It is an easy mushroom toidentify to genus, but it can be very daunting to identifyto species. Since there are a number of toxic Agaricusmushroom species, and because I tend to be VERYcautious about eating any mushroom that I cannotidentify without question, for many years I avoidedcollecting Agaricus mushrooms for my dinner plate. Itwas CMS member Ellen Jacobson who introduced meto a remarkably simple tool to identify edible Agaricusmushrooms. Even then, it took me a couple of years tolearn to trust that tool. But I am at the point that whenit comes to separating an edible Agaricus from a toxicAgaricus, I use my nose.

Everybody learns things in a personal manner and oftenthat trait is linked to one of the senses. For me, my senseof sight is dominant to my learning. I learn best byseeing something. Because of that, it was initiallydifficult for me to ‘switch gears’ and classify Agaricusmushrooms by smell.

First, it is vitally important that you learn to identify anAgaricus mushroom to genus, and for that I use myvision. This is in harmony with the most basicidentification concept of mycology which separatesgenus by differentiating macroscopic fruiting bodycharacteristics. Once I establish that a given fruitingbody is an Agaricus mushroom in prime age and condi-tion, I then tum over identification to my nose.

Remember, my goal here is to identify an edible Agaricusfrom a toxic Agaricus, and not to identify the mushroomto species. I also must express a warning that it is best tobe able to identify a mushroom to genus and species ifyou are going to eat it. Using smell to separate an edibleAgaricus from an toxic Agaricus may not work for manypeople. I spent a couple of years verifying that my senseof smell matched known edible and toxic Agaricusmushrooms before I became comfortable in using mynose as a reliable tool in Agaricus identification.

As part of the identification process, I separate Agaricus

mushrooms into three smell groups: (A) Almond smell;and (B) Mushroom smell; and (C) Phenol, or chemicalsmell. Any hint of an Almond smell in an Agaricus mush-room is an automatic ‘keeper’ for eating. For me, allAgaricus mushrooms that have an almond smell are primefor eating. Those that smell ‘mushroomy’ are also ‘safe’ toeat and some (such as A. bitorquis) are prime edibles. Idiscard all Agaricus mushrooms that have any trace of aPhenol, or chemical smell, and as a back-up, I also discardall Agaricus mushrooms that quickly turn bright yellow atthe very base of the stem when they are cut open.

Likewise, the unique smell of the Matsutake mushroomallows the nose to be the ultimate tool for field verificationof the mushroom's identity. While there are several‘lookalike’ species within the genus Tricholoma, oncelearned, the smell of the Matsutake mushroom is trulyunmistakable. Your eyesight and knowledge of environ-ment will lead you to Matsutake, but it is your nose thatwill verify that you have found the correct mushroom.

One of the joys of mushroom identification is that all ofyour senses can (and should) be used as part of the iden-tification process. It is fascinating to me that with a littlebit of training, a difficult to identify genus of mush-rooms, such as Agaricus, can easily be separated intoedible and non-edible species by the use of smell. Manyother mushrooms also have specific smells that can aidin identification. Whether you are new to mycology or aseasoned ’shroomer, the nose is a valuable tool in navi-gating the complex task of mushroom identification.

Good forays to you all.

MUSHROOMS AND HEARTSsubmitted by Gene Yetter

The Czech Center in New York City will host an exhibitentitled “Mushrooms and Hearts” showing fungally-themed paintings by Monika Abbott.

These are not the diagnostic or artfully-composedpictures typical of mushroom field guides. They arelarge paintings of mushrooms in various stages of decayor decrepitude, nevertheless artfully composed.

The artist’s work is shown at http://www.monikaab-bott.com (no hyphen). Some of the paintings werefeatured in Mushroom, the Journal, Spring 2004.

The exhibit opens on Tuesday, October 24th from6:30pm to 8:30pm, and it runs through November 24.

The Czech Center is located at 1109 Madison Avenue(at 83rd St). Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday,10:00am - 5:00pm; Thursday 10:00am - 7:00pm.

15NJMA NEWS

TIBETAN HERDERS JOINRUSH FOR PRIZE FUNGUS by Chris Buckley, from Reuters via the Los Angeles MycologicalSociety, June 13, 2006

Yajiang, China (Reuters) - Amid towering mountainsstretching from western China into Tibet, a tiny fungusis luring herders into a feverish treasure hunt thatpromises wealth to people who have often beenbystanders at China’s economic party.

At a mountain pass more than 4,000 meters (13,000feet) above sea level outside Yajiang County in Sichuanprovince, a herder, Tangba, and a dozen other men havejoined tens of thousands of Tibetans hunkered on tree-less slopes across the region, squinting for signs of whatChinese call “worm grass” -- a prized medicine.

“You can become rich if you’re lucky, make a bit ofmoney if you’re not, but it’s not easy,” Tangba said,clutching a jar half filled with shriveled, yellowish stalks.“That why Tibetans are best at it. We know our home.”

“Worm grass” is not really a plant. Known by Tibetansas “summer-grass winter-worm,” it forms when a para-sitic fungus hijacks and devours the bodies of ghostmoth larvae that have burrowed into the alpine soil forup to five years. It then steers their bodies to the surfaceso it can spread its spores.

The mummified moths, two inches or more long, are atraditional Tibetan cure-all that promoters say helpsfight AIDS, cancer, and aging. As Tibetan medicalingredients have won adherents in China and abroad,worm grass and other alpine fungi and plants havebecome lucrative commodities, luring almost entirevillages on harvests from May to July.

“Now many families are going out to find it, just leavingthe old people at home. I thought it was a bit crazy too,but I also want to make money,” said Celang. Heplanned to quit his job in a Kangding town restaurant inwestern Sichuan to hunt fungi.

With luck, Celang said, he could make 2,000 yuan($250) in a month or two, compared to 400 yuan amonth in the restaurant.

Fungus Frenzy

At the mountain pass, Tangba and the other pickers setout every morning, scanning tuft-covered ground fortell-tale fungi shoots and, with a trowel or small hoe, cutcarefully and deeply into the earth to avoid damagingthe larvae corpse.

Sometimes they return to camp with dozens of the dirt-covered caterpillar fungi, at other times only a handful.

The hunt is enacted across large parts of Tibet itself, as

well as neighboring Sichuan and Qinghai provinces,providing a vital economic pump in many areas, DanielWinkler, an environmental consultant and expert onthe fungus based in Kirkland, Washington, told Reuters.

Children get special school holidays to go picking,officials go AWOL, and in some areas influxes of thou-sands of temporary pickers take much of the crop,sparking violence with locals and even killings, accord-ing to Chinese news reports.

Caterpillar fungus, which provide many Tibetan yakherders with about half their annual income, is a case ofbottom-up business in a region dominated by granddevelopment blueprints that have often failed to deliverat the grass roots, Winkler said.

“Without the income from caterpillar fungus, the wholeplace would collapse right now,” he said of the localeconomy.

Pickers with larger hauls or higher hopes converge onmarkets like one in Litang, a far-western Sichuan townthat recalled a Gold Rush outpost overrun by fungushunters. On a recent Sunday, the main street was acrush of pickers and traders, with onlookers followingdeals as intensely as Wall Street brokers.

Tibetan and some Hui Muslim buyers flashed wads of100-yuan notes, gestured bids, and peered at bags andbaskets of fungi. Police had to break up a brawl, appar-ently between quarrelling traders.

Booming Demand

Nomadic Tibetans have traded caterpillar fungus withneighboring Chinese regions for centuries. But localssaid booming domestic and international demand hasmade the annual hunt more intense, and enriched aclass of Tibetan brokers.

China’s exports of worm grass leapt to 4,795 kg (10,570lb) in 2004, up 1,422 percent on 2003, said China's phar-maceutical administration. China produces about20,000 tons of caterpillar fungus a year, according toone official estimate. Litang traders said domesticdemand is growing by 10 percent or more a year.

“You can make good money in Tibetan medical herbs,but you need to know the market and the plants, andwe’re better at that than Han people,” Tibetan traderDimtsenema said in a Kangding nightclub, where hewas celebrating a good week, dressed in a dark suit, redshirt and trimmed goatee.

But much of the annual crop eventually flows throughmostly Han Chinese wholesalers in regional hubs, suchas the Hehuachi traditional medicine market inChengdu, capital of Sichuan.

(continued on next page)

16NJMA NEWS

A kilo today sells for 20,000 to 50,000 yuan, dependingon quality and origin; five years ago, it sold for abouthalf that; a decade ago, for 3,000 yuan, said Hehuachistall holder Deng Yazhi. “The whole world wants it, soworm grass is like gold.”

Commercial appetite for caterpillar fungus may, howev-er, carry long-term costs, some environmental activistshave warned. Swathes of Tibetan highland are beingscoured of medical plants, leaving pockmarked moun-tain slopes vulnerable to erosion and possibly disrupt-ing complex ecological rhythms, they have said.

Winkler, the environmental consultant, said the long-term consequences remain little understood butproduction seems not to have suffered so far and somewarnings may be overblown.

Tibetan pickers said they worried most that growingnumbers of people would continue crowding the grasslands for fungus.

“It’s getting harder and harder to find worm grass,” saidTsangpa, a herder who had traveled to Litang with asmall bagful. “There’s not so much to go around.”

CORDYCEPS, RARE MEDICINALFUNGUS, CULTUREDfrom chinapost.com, July 7, 2006, via the Los Angeles Mycological Society

Singapore - The technology has been developed toculture microorganisms for large-scale production of arare Chinese medicinal fungus, a Singapore companysaid in a published report Thursday. The developmenthas resulted in the cultivation of the Cordyceps sinensisfungus in 9.5 days, compared with 12 months in nature,according the company, Auric Pacific Nutritech (APN).

“Wild Cordyceps sinensis is only to be found in placeslike China, Tibet, Nepal, and Qinghai, at altitudes above3,500 meters,” The Business Times quoted APN gener-al manager Mark Xu as saying. This product is rare with“demand greater than supply.”

Studies have found Cordyceps sinensis to contain bio-active compounds that support healthy lung and kidneyfunctions, and anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatoryproperties.

TRUFFLEMANIAcompiled by Jim Richards

It’s that time of year again, when the articles beginappearing in the press about the ever-rising prices ofwhite truffles. These elusive fungi make their annualappearance from October to around Christmas. And,each year the prices get even higher. In an article in theOctober 4 issue of the New York Sun, Dan Dorfmanwrites that the newest wrinkle this year is the debut ofthe $200 Baked Potato with White Truffles served atNew York’s Four Seasons Restaurant. The price is upabout 33 percent from last year’s $150 Potato.

Why? Restaurants are paying $2500 a pound for whitetruffles from Alba (considered the finest in the world),up from a price of $2000 a pound. At other restaurantsaround the country, the prices are up as well: At Sistina,a portion of risotto or pasta with truffles is $120, a saladwith a sprinkle of this fabulous fungus is $60. NicolaCivetta, the owner of Primavera, the city’s premiumpower Italian restaurant, estimates that diners willspend between $20 million and $25 million on a varietyof truffled dishes in upscale eateries in the Big Apple.He figures that his restaurant will serve about 2,000dishes with truffles this season. This season is expectedto be a good one, with ample rainfall in Italy. “All therain has moisturized the soil, leading to the creation ofvery pungent and firm truffles,” said Mr. Civetta. LuigiRosso, of Il Postino, says that “every year is a recordtruffle year because of rapidly swelling interest”.

In a related article in the October 30 issue of New YorkMagazine, it is reported that Morimoto (of Iron Cheffame and the owner of eponymous restaurants in NewYork and Philadelphia) just purchased a two-poundwhite truffle for $10,500.

MAHLON-DICKERSON FORAY REPORTby Jim Barg

The morning of Saturday, October 21 was breezy andchilly, but that didn’t stop a small group of NJMA die-hards plus two new members from wandering thewoods of Mahlon-Dickerson Reservation in JeffersonTownship. Finds were sparse, but the group stillmanaged to collect well over 30 species, including onegorgeous newly-emerging Grifola frondosa.

In addition to the expected late-season fungi such asHypholoma sublateritium, Lepista nuda, and Amanitacitrinum, red Russulas were still in evidence, hanging onby their last legs, despite frosts that week. Other findsincluded Gymnopilus penetrans, many late-seasonspecies of Lactarius (many which defied precise iden-tification), Tricholoma myomyces, Calostoma ravenelii,Laccaria ochropurpurea, L. bicolor, Hydnum umbilica-tum, and Lycoperdon perlatum (among many others).No boletes were found on this downright cold foray!

17NJMA NEWS

HolidayDinner 2006The NJMA requests the pleasure of your company at our annual Holiday Dinner, Photo Contest,

and Election of Officers to be held at the Unitarian Society in East Brunswick on December 3,2006 at 2:00 p.m.

Please bring a favorite dish (sufficient to serve 8 to 10 people) for the buffet table. If you plan to bring a dishcontaining wild mushrooms you must get clearance for the dish from Bob Hosh, who is coordinating the buffetmenu. You may contact him by phone at (732) 873-1406 or via e-mail at rhosh@patmedia.net. Dishes shouldbe labeled to show ingredients and should arrive ready for the buffet table with serving utensils. All questionsconcerning the buffet menu should be directed to Bob. The club provides beverages.Please note that a donation of $10.00 per person is required to help offset some of the buffet costs.In order that we may cater the party properly, please respond by November 27, 2006!

Directions to the Unitarian Society:The Unitarian Society is near the corner of Tices Lane and Ryders Lane in East Brunswick. From New Brunswick via Route 18: Take U.S. Highway 1 south, exit at Ryders Lane to East Brunswick,continue to the second light, and turn left onto Tices Lane. The Unitarian Society is the 2nd drive on theright before you go under the NJ Turnpike.From the south via the Garden State Parkway: Take Route 18 north toward New Brunswick to Tices Laneexit (take jughandle from right lane of 18 across to Tices Lane). Follow Tices Lane until you pass under theTurnpike. The entrance is in the woods on the left just after you leave the underpass. From the NJ Turnpike: take Exit 9 to Route 18. Take Rt 18 South to East Brunswick. On 18, turn right ontoTices Lane at the third traffic light. Follow Tices Lane until you pass under the Turnpike. The entrance is inthe woods on the left just after you leave the underpass.

NJMA Holiday Dinner Registration FormFill out this form, make your check payable to NJMA, and mail both, before November 27, to:

Bob Hosh, 209 South Middlebush Road, Somerset, NJ 08873Questions? Phone: 732-873-1406 E-mail: rhosh@patmedia.net

NAME(S): ____________________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE: _______________________________ E-MAIL: __________________________________

NUMBER OF PEOPLE ATTENDING ____________

x $10.00 each = $ _______________ (Don’t forget to enclose your check for this amount)

I will bring sufficient to serve 8 to 10 people (please specify below):

I will help with: ______ Setup ______ Serving ______ Cleanup

(Detach and mail)

_________________________ Hors d’Oeurves

_________________________ Vegetable casserole

_________________________ Potato or pasta salad

_________________________ Meat casserole

_________________________ Green salad

_________________________ Dessert

NJMANEWSc/o Susan Hopkins

P.O. Box 291

Oldwick, New Jersey 08858

FIRST CLASS MAIL

In this issue:

• FUNGUS FEST RECAP• “THE QUIET MAN”• AN EMAIL EXCHANGE• NEMF IN QUÉBEC• HOLIDAY PARTY• WONDERS OF RUSSULAE• FORAY REPORTS• THE NOSE KNOWS• CATERPILLAR FUNGUS• MUSHROOM PINWHEELS

…plus much more!

The genus CortinariusThe genus Cortinarius

PHOTO BY JIM BARG

Very common in the late summer and fall, members of this genus areeasily recognized by a web-like veil (or veil remnants on the stem),

called a cortina. Cortinarius species produce a rust-brown spore print.We prefer to consider all Cortinarius species to be inedible or poisonous.

Very common in the late summer and fall, members of this genus areeasily recognized by a web-like veil (or veil remnants on the stem),

called a cortina. Cortinarius species produce a rust-brown spore print.We prefer to consider all Cortinarius species to be inedible or poisonous.