Figure 1. Location of Black Forest Regional Park (A)

I don’t get out on many mushroom hunts these days, but with the record one-day rainfall of last week, I figured that over the weekend it would be as good a time as any to get out. So, on Sunday, September 18 we took a short trip over to Black Forest County park in El Paso County just to the northeast of Colorado Springs.

It was a nice day and, although the ground had started to dry up already, it was still moist under the duff. The park is characterized by sandy soil and a mixture of tall pine trees and clumps of scrub oak (see Figure 1 for map location).

Figure 2. A small late summer collection of Colorado mushrooms

I thought we would come up with a lot more, but we did manage to bring home six collections. After spreading them out on a table and setting some up for spore prints, I tried my best to identify what I could (Figure 2).

One needed no research and was obviously what is known as the lobster mushroom, which is of course actually some (usually difficult to identify exactly Russula or Lactarius) mushroom species covered with a reddish-orange parasitic fungus called Hypomyces lactifluorum . Supposedly edible, but no thanks.

Spore prints were not very successful. Apparently the mushrooms were a little dry, but one did drop an ample amount of pinkish brown spores. Using Arora’s Mushrooms Demystified, it keyed out fairly reliably to Pleurotus cervinus, although the cap was a little paler than what is seen in most photographs . I really should join the local mycological society so I can get more familiar with the local species.

Figure 3. Lobster mushrooms

Lacking spore prints, compounded by my general lack of knowledge about Colorado fungi, I was unable to make much headway on the others, although the clustering species with decurrent gills could possibly be Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca (but I wouldn’t bank on it). They were a nice yellow
color with inrolled cap margins and a slightly brownish center region on the cap,  growing in attractive clumps (Figure 4).

I dampened some of the caps from specimens that I had not obtained spores from in the hope that they would rejuvinate and perhaps yield something. I’ll check  again in a day to see if anything shows up. Without spores, there isn’t much chance of getting a good ID. I am sure someone who is more familiar with the local mycoflora could probably recognize them though.

I was pretty good at identifying Texas mushrooms, but I am admittedly out of practice. I need to work on my Colorado mycology chops!

Figure 4. Cluster of mushrooms with decurrent gills

NMMS Logo

Rob Hallock, PhD, and Gretchen Cheverton have been kind enough to write about their experience at the New Mexico Mycological Society Annual Foray, held in Taos during the latter part of august 2009. And here it is…

New Mexico Mycological Society Annual Foray

Taos, New Mexico, was really dry this August, but the New Mexico Mycological Society (NMMS) proved it can throw a fantastic foray even in adverse conditions.

On Thursday August 20^th, mushroomers from as far away Sweden, Oregon, and Wisconsin descended upon Taos for the 25^th annual NMMS foray. Six people came from neighboring state Colorado, including chief identifier Vera Evenson and her trusty herbarial assistant Rosa-Lee Brace, but most participants were from New Mexico. The foray hosted talks by Clark Ovrebo, Relf Price, and Vera Evenson.  Myxomycete expert Uno Eliasson offered his prolific knowledge of the Protista.

In all, there were 120 specimens vouchered.  These were documented, photographed, dehydrated, and then shipped off to an herbarium.  The Boletaceae were poorly represented.  Jelly fungi were absent.  Cortinarius, Inocybe, and Hypholoma were well represented.  Edibles were few and far between, with the exception of a pound or so of chanterelles that someone scored.  And Hypholoma capnoides if you eat that.

The weather had been dry for several weeks preceding the foray and mushrooms were more or less limited to the banks of running streams. Vera Evenson was noted saying “it may not be the number of mushrooms you collect, but the kinds” – which is, of course, accurate but something you never hear when the mushrooms are plentiful. Hunters did find numerous mushrooms, though, and we had a great tour of them by Walt Sundberg.  Fortunately, picking mushrooms is only part of why we go to national or regional forays.  The other reasons are to spend a whole weekend with other fungi-philes: talks, workshops, picking each other’s brains, learning the new mushrooms that arrive at the tables and making new friends. And whenever you find people passionate about mushrooms you find people passionate about food. The chanterelles found their way into an amazing fruit compote dish that was served up for everyone.

On Saturday evening, NMMS and the Colorado Mycological Society joined together to present Britt Bunyard, the editor of Fungi magazine, with a special surprise.  In 2008 Britt donated copies of the magazine to the Rocky Mountain National Park mycoblitz, and one copy of Volume 1 no. 2 (summer ’08) found its way to the volunteer campground. The copy was put to the ultimate field test.  David Wallis, past president of NMMS, rescued the copy and held on to it for a year.  At the NMMS 25^th annual foray, it was finally time to return it to its rightful editor.  David Wallis described the beat up and battered copy best: “You can still read the information on the front cover, even though our campsite copy served as a cutting board, pot holder, placemat, and handy surface for impromptu spore prints. It also served to sop up the occasional spills of the Mycoblitz favorite: Mojitos.  Then came the real test. FUNGI Volume 1 Number 2 lay uncomplainingly in the rain for a dozen or more showers while we drove around Rocky Mountain National Park searching for–fungi. The last folks to leave the campsite (the small contingent from New Mexico) took pity on the poor vegetable-stained, spore-printed, waterlogged magazine, and decided to take it home. We thought, however, that it should ultimately return to its origin, to its creator Britt Bunyard.”

David introduced me and I got to hand the keepsake issue of Fungi to Britt to a loud round of applause.

New Mexico was the perfect setting, beautiful sunsets, abundant friends and spectacular expansive landscape. I even know of a few people who snuck off to browse the world renowned galleries of Taos but I’m not naming any names. What happens in New Mexico stays in New Mexico, and we’ll be sure to return next year.