On October 23 at their White Eagle property, the Sippican Lands Trust hosted a Mushroom Tour led by Wesley Price, a trained mycologist whose love for all things fungi quickly became apparent.
“The largest living organism on the surface of the planet is the mushroom,” Price told the group. He also explained how mushrooms, or toadstools if you prefer, fit into the ecosystem, the role of fungi in supporting all life, and why he is reticent to point out edible specimens.
Price sadly shared, “A three-year-old child recently died from eating a poisonous mushroom.” Authorities in Victoria, British Columbia believe the child consumed an amanita, also known as a ‘death cap’, while foraging with his family.
Price cautioned the group on the importance of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt if a mushroom is safe, saying, “It’s hard to be an expert.”
On a lighter note, he said that no mushroom in North America is harmful by simply touching it and of the millions of mushrooms on Earth, only about 10 percent had been identified.
As the tour ambled down the trail, Price pointed to various mushrooms as well as lichens, selecting some for identification and discussion. Of lichens, he said that the presence of lichen on trees is indicative of a healthy atmosphere and was not deleterious to trees but could, over time, turn rock to sand.
The tour participants learned that mushroom names can be quirky. There are puffballs, honey mushrooms, turkey tails, chicken of the woods, and inky caps to name a few.
During the walk, Price found a puffball past its prime but still able to send a smoke-like plume of spores into the air when pumped.
Marion resident Joe Keogh often forages for chicken of the woods, which he testified does indeed taste like chicken. Ellen Keogh, his wife, said jokingly that she had come along to “protect” her husband from making a mushroom mistake.
Price said that all mushrooms, regardless of their benign characteristics, could cause some people to suffer with stomach ailments. “All mushrooms should be cooked before eating,” he firmly stated.
Price, whose background in biology kept his discussion on the theme of natural systems and cycles, said that every plant has a mushroom partner that aids it in some fashion. He also said that research is ongoing into the medicinal benefits of mushrooms while pointing out that 70 percent of the DNA found in mushrooms is also found in the human body.
The most interesting find of the afternoon was the discovery of a purple Cortinarius that Price said was exceptionally rare to see.
“I’ve only seen these a few times,” said Price.
Of the mushroom, Price said, “It is a keystone species.” A keystone species is one that supports an ecosystem and whose existence makes that ecosystem possible.
Price, a founding member of the Cape Cod Mycological Society, said a good source of information for those interested in expanding their fungi knowledge is www.mushroomobserver.org. The website is a repository of information from mycologists throughout the world and a place where the weekend forager may receive guidance on identifying mushrooms in the field.
By Marilou Newell