Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers

321 Pages·2021·33.537 MB·English

by  Alison Pouliot, Tom May

MUSHROOMING
A GUIDE for FORAGERS
Alison Pouliot Tom May

‘We may read over, with the most sedulous attention, Batarra, Micheli,
Gleditsch, and Haller, or turn over the multitudinous plates of Schaeffer to
little purpose: to know the Fungi well we must watch them daily and yearly; in
short we must live with them’.
William Curtis (1777) Flora Londinensis, vol. 5. William Curtis, London.
Text accompanying plate [70], Agaricus aeruginosus.
Alison Pouliot
MUSHROOMING
A GUIDE for FORAGERS
Alison Pouliot Tom May
© Alison Pouliot and Tom May 2021
All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent
amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the copyright owner. Contact CSIRO Publishing for all permission requests.
The authors assert their moral rights, including the right to be identified as an author.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia.
ISBN: 9781486311736 (pbk)
ISBN: 9781486311743 (epdf)
ISBN: 9781486311750 (epub)
How to cite:
Pouliot A, May T (2021) Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Published by:
CSIRO Publishing
Locked Bag 10
Clayton South VIC 3169
Australia
Telephone: [phone]
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Website: www.publish.csiro.au
Front cover: A selection of edible fungi (photo by Alison Pouliot).
Back cover: Mixed mushrooms frying in the pan (photo by Alison Pouliot).
All images © Alison Pouliot, except © Wayne Boatwright (Chlorophyllum molybdites p. 111 top middle, top right),
© Fran Guard (C. molybdites p. 111 middle left, middle right), © Taylor Lockwood (Trichoderma cornu-damae
p. 133), © Tom May (Amanita xanthocephala p. 132), © Ray Palmer (Leucoagaricus leucothites p. 189) and © Vanessa
Ryan (C. molybdites p. 111 top left, middle middle, bottom middle, bottom right).
Edited by Joy Window (Living Language)
Cover design and typeset by Cath Pirret Design
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reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or
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Acknowledgement
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands that we live and work on across Australia and pays its
respect to Elders past and present. CSIRO recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have made
and will continue to make extraordinary contributions to all aspects of Australian life including culture, economy
and science. CSIRO is committed to reconciliation and demonstrating respect for Indigenous knowledge and science.
The use of Western science in this publication should not be interpreted as diminishing the knowledge of plants,
animals and environment from Indigenous ecological knowledge systems.
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management of the world’s forests.
Nov20_01
Contents
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .viii
Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix
Chapter 1 The rise of wild mushrooming in Australia 1
A fungal awakening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Slow mushrooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Fungus, sporophore, mushroom or toadstool? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Ecological foraging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Australian knowledge of edible fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Humans and fungi cross continents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2 What fungi are 9
What are fungi made of? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How fungi feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mutually beneficial relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 3 Fungi in Australian biodiversity conservation 13
An Australian approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Foraging in the UK and the USA – learning from elsewhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Potential effects of foraging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Conservation considerations for Australian foragers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chapter 4 Major groups of fungi 21
Morphogroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Basidiomycota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Ascomycota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Major morphogroups of macrofungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Chapter 5 Features of fungi 29
Morphological features – finding one’s way around a mushroom . . . . . . . . . . 29
Colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Smell and taste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Spore prints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Chemical tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
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Wild Mushrooming
Chapter 6 Names and identification 45

Naming fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
DNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Citation of names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Field guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 7 Finding fungi 49
The desire to forage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Managing risk and setting expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
How to find fungi – what to look for and what to ask. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
When to find fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Where to find fungi – fungus habitats and distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Where can you forage? The legalities of collecting fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Collecting fungi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Chapter 8 Poisonous fungi 61
Causes of fungus poisoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Fungus toxins, syndromes and symptoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Building knowledge about toxic fungi in Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Overview of toxic and potentially toxic mushrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Responding to suspected mushroom poisoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
How to read a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Amanita phalloides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Amanita muscaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Agaricus xanthodermus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Chlorophyllum brunneum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Chlorophyllum molybdites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Coprinopsis atramentaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Omphalotus nidiformis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Paxillus involutus group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
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Contents
Chapter 9 Edible fungi and their lookalikes 135

Profile selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Lookalikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Typical environments where profiled fungi are found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Lactarius deliciosus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Coprinus comatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Lepista nuda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Macrolepiota clelandii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Marasmius oreades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Agaricus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Suillus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Hydnum crocidens group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Tremella fuciformis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Lycoperdon pratense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Emerging knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222
Cultivated fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Chapter 10 Fungi in the kitchen and on the table 229

Storage and preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Preserving mushrooms – drying, freezing and pickling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Cooking mushrooms – frying, roasting and grilling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Nutritional value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Recipe selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300
Further reading and resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
vii
Acknowledgements
This book was 5 years in the making and many people have helped inform and shape it
along the way. It represents a new concept for a field guide and we are grateful for the
flexibility and commitment of CSIRO Publishing in taking on the project. We thank the
publishing team, especially Briana Melideo, Melinda Chandler, Lauren Webb and editor Joy
Window.
We have benefitted from the expert knowledge of mycologists Grace Boxshall, Pam
Catcheside, Nigel Fechner, Teresa Lebel, Heino Lepp, Steve Trudell, Sallie Tucker Jones and
Rytas Vilgalys. Chapter 8 draws on the novel classification of mushroom poisoning published
by Julian White (Women’s & Children’s Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia) and
colleagues, and we thank Julian, Christine McKenzie and Dawson MacLeod for reviewing
this chapter.
Several people helped us improve the readability of the book by reviewing chapters,
testing recipes and proofing drafts. We thank Pat Connor, Alison Cowan, Jill de Vos, Lesley
and Terry Evans, Meredith Jelbart, Anna King, Iona Maroske, Sara Maroske, Michael
Pouliot, Michael Prideaux, Kay Rae, Rachel Tham and Jan Waddington.
The final chapter brings together the foraging finds and pops them on the plate. We are
grateful to Fofi Christou, Sasha Gora and Trish Veitch for advice and editing. From curious
cooks to accomplished chefs, many people generously contributed their favourite mushroom
recipes and also allowed us to sample the fungal fare. You can discover who they are through
their delightful stories and delectable recipes in Chapter 10.
The field component of the book took us to numerous locations. We thank those who
provided local knowledge and hospitality and shared their anecdotes and experiences of the
fungal realm. Valérie Chételat lent her astute and aesthetic photographic eye in assisting
with image preparation. We also thank Katie Syme for her illustrations on pp. 30 and 33 and
Wayne Boatwright, Fran Guard, Taylor Lockwood, Ray Palmer and Vanessa Ryan for
helping us out with additional images.
viii
Disclaimer
Information in this book regarding the edibility and toxicity of fungi is believed by the
authors to be true and accurate at the time of writing. Readers are advised that taxonomy,
nomenclature and toxicology are constantly developing and species names and knowledge
about edibility and toxicity change accordingly. Although the book includes known common
toxic lookalike species, further toxic species are likely to exist. Consuming wild fungi carries
risk and readers are advised to read the section on pp. 49–51.
In particular, readers’ attention is drawn to the warning that the consumption of even a
small portion of some toxic fungi can cause organ damage or death. Hence, every forager
should first learn the toxic species, especially those that are potentially fatal, before foraging
for fungi. No simple rules exist for distinguishing edible mushrooms from poisonous
mushrooms. To minimise poisoning risk, always assume a mushroom is toxic, unless an
authoritative source definitively states it is edible. While the edibility/toxicity of many
Northern Hemisphere species is reasonably well established, less is known about Australian
fungi, and it is not possible to directly extrapolate this knowledge to Australian fungi.
Accordingly, neither the authors nor the publisher accepts any legal responsibility or
liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from any error in or omission from the
information contained in this book or from the failure of the reader to understand or
accurately interpret information.
Wild mushrooms are the focus of this book but information is also presented on some
cultivated mushrooms. Cultivated species provide the benefit of availability and certainty
about identity. The recipes included in Chapter 10 utilise a variety of wild and cultivated
species. Where recipes include wild foraged species, they can often be replaced by cultivated
species.
Note: Tom May is a Principal Research Scientist at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and
an Honorary Associate of the Victorian Poisons Information Centre, but his contributions to
Wild Mushrooming have been made in his own time, and the views expressed in this work
do not necessarily represent the views of these organisations.
ix