Category: Blog
Mushroom Church?
In France, local governments and religious organizations are looking for ways to save disused churches. A recent Christian Science Monitor article discusses how many of these historic sites are being preserved by converting them to other uses like are concert venues, hotels, and nightclubs….
Update: Montana Morel Deaths
I earlier reported[1] a mass mushroom poisoning which sickened 51 people and resulted in 3 hospitalizations and 2 deaths. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), working with FDA, has now issued its final case report.[2] The culprit: consumption of uncooked or…
OMS Scholarship Winners publish new papers
Recent issues of Mycologia1 feature brand-new publications by past OMS Scholarship winners. Korena Mifune is the lead author of a paper2 published online in Mycologia on June 1. The paper details findings about mychorrizal fungi in “canopy soils” — thick mats of organic matter…
Montana Morchella Morbidity
After eating in the same restaurant, 50 people were sickened, several were hospitalized, and 2 died. Morchella (morels) are the likely cause. (“[P]reliminary analysis strongly suggests that … morel mushrooms were the food item that caused the outbreak.”1 “Available epidemiological evidence indicates that imported…
Mushroom Mixes: Do you know what you’re buying?
An FDA Alert reminds us about buying mushrooms based on someone else’s label, especially mushroom mixes. Import Alert 25-021 lets the government seize and detain certain imported mushroom products containing “morels”. The alert explains: In the past, shipments of canned and dried morel mushrooms have…
Fantastic Fungi? Baudoinia compniacensis (whiskey fungus)
Baudoinia compniacensis (whiskey fungus) is a little-known, recently newsworthy fungus. It’s a crust-like organism that likes humid, warm micro-environments. It grows on a wide variety of substrates, including building walls, road signs, patio furniture, bark, and leaves. It has been found in North America,…
Big Fleas Have Little Fleas
Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite ’em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum. Many of you know about “Zombie Ants” — ants whose bodies and brains are taken over by a Cordyceps fungus. See, for example:…
Announcing Hebeloma.org
Hebeloma is mushroom genus that we often fail to notice. After all, they are drab, not large, generally reported as not “edible” or as positively toxic, and difficult to identify to species. But they’re an important, common, ectomycorrhizal genus with worldwide distribution (every continent…
OMS 2022 Fall Mycocamp Report
We’re happy to report a successful restart to our Fall Mycocamp. Camp Coordinator Jeff Yarne and Safety Czar Mara Dale kept us safe from COVID. We had three great talks by renowned mycologist Else Vellinga. Despite difficult mushroom fruiting conditions (driest summer and warmest…
Rare Fungi Challenge
The Fungal Diversity Survey (FunDIS) has issued an ongoing challenge to find and document West Coast species of rare mushrooms. Many are fall-fruiting species. The ones most likely to be found in Oregon are: There’s a 2-page handout for each of the “Rare 20…
