putting australian fungi on the map

August 2005

PUTTING AUSTRALIAN FUNGI ON THE MAP

Inside this Edition:News from the Fungimap President ............1Fungimap Committee ..................................2Interesting Groups .......................................2Letter: Fungi Study in the U.S.A.................4Simply Podoserpula.....................................5Common Mushrooms of Talamanca Mts ....6Book orders ................................................7Membership ................................................8Fungal News: SA & ACT ...........................9Fungal News: Tas, WA, Cairns, NSW......10Forthcoming Events, Contacts, PUBF.......11Acknowledgments: Fungimap Recorders..12Founding Donors.......................................12

NEWS FROM THE FUNGIMAPPRESIDENTThe last few months have been a busy timefor Fungimap on several fronts. The verysuccessful Fungimap III Conference washeld in Tasmania in May, and at theConference Fungi Down Under: theFungimap Guide to Australian Fungi waslaunched. Formal steps for incorporation ofFungimap have also now been completed.

A new management committee was set up atthe Fungimap III Conference, consisting ofTom May (President), Katie Syme (Vice-President), John Carpenter (Treasurer) andCommittee members Pam Catcheside andSarah Lloyd. Subsequently, Teresa Lebelwas co-opted onto the committee asSecretary. Teresa is a Senior Mycologist atRoyal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, andbrings to the committee a great knowledgeand enthusiasm for fungi, especially nativetruffles.

Administration and finances are beingupdated for the new organisational structure.We are grappling with merging threedifferent financial systems (the old accountsat RBG Melbourne and the FNCV and thenew Fungimap accounts). Once these arestreamlined, everything should be muchsimpler for day to day operations ofFungimap. In the meantime, there have beensome delays in processing book and otherorders. We thank you for your patienceduring this period of adjustment.

Fungimap is not registered for GST, so wewill not be charging GST on sales. We havepassed on this saving to members as reducedprices for most books and other sales (seeupdated book prices on p. 7). The exceptionis Fungi Down Under, which will continueto be sold via RBG Melbourne (order detailson p. 7). The price for this book wasdeliberately set relatively low, and it remainsexcellent value at $29.95 for a full colour,highly illustrated book packed withinformation about the target species andfungi in general.

The Fungimap Office will still operate fromRoyal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, and weare very grateful for the continuing supportof the Gardens in providing office space andfacilities for Fungimap.

Cassia Read departed the Fungimap Officerecently to take up postgraduate studies inBotany. Cassia did a fantastic job as Co-ordinator over the last 18 months, and set upexcellent procedures in the Fungimap Officefor dealing with the huge variety ofenquiries and other correspondence. She alsoensured (with Sarah Lloyd) the success ofthe Fungimap III Conference. Cassia’s calmand efficient presence will be missed, but wewish her well in her studies, which involvecryptogamic soil crusts. Pina Milne is thenew Fungimap Co-ordinator, working half aday a week. We hope to increase the hoursfor the Co-ordinator position towards theend of the year. (Continued page 3)

FUNGIMAP WEBSITE:http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungimap/The Fungimap Website is in the process of beingupdated. It is now in a format that is much easier toedit. The book sales page has been updated and anorder form for Fungi Down Under added. However,some parts of the old website have not yet beenmigrated to the new system (notably the Newslettersand the information on the 100 target species). Wehope to have these portions updated over the nextcouple of months. In the meantime, access to the oldwebsite is still possible for a limited time via:http://fungimap.rbg.vic.gov.au/fmn/fmn.html(for Newsletters) andhttp://fungimap.rbg.vic.gov.au/fsp/fsp.html(for target species).

Fungimap Newsletter 25 August 2005

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CONTACTING FUNGIMAP

Fungimap CentralRoyal Botanic Gardens MelbournePrivate Bag 2000South Yarra VIC 3141

Telephone: (03) 9252 2374E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungimap/

Fungimap CommitteePresidentTom MayRoyal Botanic Gardens MelbournePrivate Bag 2000South Yarra VIC 3141E-mail: [email protected]

Vice PresidentKatrina SymeRMB 1020South Coast HwyDenmark WA 6333E-mail: [email protected]

SecretaryTeresa LebelRoyal Botanic Gardens MelbournePrivate Bag 2000South Yarra VIC 3141Email: [email protected]

TreasurerJohn CarpenterC/-Royal Botanic Gardens MelbournePrivate Bag 2000South Yarra VIC 3141Email: [email protected]

Committee MembersPam Catcheside72 Eve RoadBellevue Heights SA 5050E-mail:[email protected]

Sarah Lloyd999 Denmans RoadBirralee Tas 7303E-mail: [email protected]

INTERESTING GROUPSSAAde la i de Funga l Stud i e s GroupMonthly meetings and forays during the fungi season.Contact: Pam Catcheside, Ph: (08) 8222 9379Email: [email protected]

QldFar north Queensland, Cairns regionContact: Sapphire McMullan-Fisher if interested in goingon casual fungi walks. Ph: 07 4093 8556Email: [email protected]

TasFung i Lover s Adventu re Group (FLAG)Fungi activities in northern Tasmania.Contact: Sarah Lloyd Ph: (03) 6396 1380Email: [email protected]

VicF ie l d Natura l i s t s C l ub of V i c to r i a ,Fung i GroupForays, monthly meetings & presentations.Contact: Geoff Lay, Ph: (03) 9898 4816or Arthur Carew (03) 5968 4505Web: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~fncv then Calender ofEvents

WAPerth Urban Fung i P ro jec tFungi workshops, walks, surveys in Perth Urban bushareas.Contact: Roz Hart, Ph: (08) 9334 0500Email: [email protected] Natura l i s t s ’ C l ub , Fung i GroupFungal forays, workshops, identification evenings andtalks, based in Perth.Contact: WA Naturalists’ ClubEmail: [email protected]: http://www.wanats.iinet.net.au/Wi l l i am Bay Nat i o na l Pa rksAssoc i a t i o n , Fung i Stud i e s GroupFungi forays around Denmark.Contact: Katrina Syme email: [email protected]

NSWSydney Funga l Stud i e s GroupFungi forays, talks and workshops in the Sydney area.Secretary: Donald Gover, Ph: (02) 9661 4898Email: [email protected]

Cent ra l Coas t Fung i GroupFungi forays in the Central Coast region of NSW.Contact: Pam O’Sullivan Ph: (02) 432 1543, orNikki Bennetts Ph: (02) 4392 1728


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FUNGI DOWN UNDER

VOLUNTEER

Fungi Down Under: the Fungimap Guide toAustralian Fungi is a wonderful publicationthat comprehensively deals with all the 100Fungimap target species, with copiousillustrations and maps. The book has beenpublished by Fungimap, and profit from salesof the book will be an important source offunds for Fungimap.

As well as promptly handling incoming ordersfor the book, we would like to increase thevisibility and availability of the book. We arelooking for a volunteer to spend a few hours aweek in the Fungimap office at RBGMelbourne looking after: direct sales (fromfliers), sales to booksellers and agents, andpublicity (such as sending out review copies).Familiarity with databases such as Access(where we keep the financial records of booksales) would be advantage. Training will beprovided.

If you would like to be involved in promotingand distributing this exciting publication, pleasecontact Tom May (03 9252 2319,[email protected]) or Teresa Lebel([email protected]).

From the EditorPam Catcheside

I have agreed to be Editor of theFungimap Newsletter now that CassiaRead has left. Cassia did a fantasticjob as editor and it will be difficult tofollow in her footsteps. I will try.

In the next issue of FungimapNewsletter, we plan to have a sectionon your recollections of the verysuccessful Fungimap III Conferencein Tasmania.

Please would you send your(preferably happy or fond!) memoriesabout the conference [email protected] or to [email protected]

(Continued from Page 1)

Volunteers have always been integral to the success ofFungimap, especially for contributing records, but alsoon the Committee and at the Fungimap Office. Thereare some very dedicated people who have beenentering records in the database, filling book orders andassisting with the website and general correspondence.I’d like to especially thank Wendy Cook, Geoff Lay,Graham Patterson, Libby Read, Ros Shepherd andSteven Wilkinson, who have regularly put in time atthe Fungimap Office over the last year.

I enjoyed attending the celebration for Fungi DownUnder at FNCV Hall in June, when many of thecontributors to the book were able to meet with Ed &Pat Grey and Leon Costermans. I gave a presentationabout the evolution of field guides to Australian Fungi,and it made me realise how far things have come overthe last few decades. Until the 1970s, the sole fieldguide to Australian fungi was Victorian Toadstools andMushrooms by Jim Willis, a very handy book in itsday, but without the extensive use of colour imagesthat we are now fortunate to enjoy in field guides. Theformat of Fungi Down Under, with each of the 100species illustrated in colour by several images and withcomprehensive text that points out distinguishingcharacters, all on the one page, sets a new benchmarkfor field guides to Australian fungi. The maps for allspecies are also an innovation.

With the rains of the last two months over many partsof Australia, I hope that fungimappers have beenenjoying spotting new and interesting fungi, and thatFungi Down Under has been making identification ofthe target species easier.

Tom May

STOP PRESS 2Favolaschia calocera now in Australia

This very distinctive fungus has recently been spotted in Australia(Victoria) for the first time. It is a well-known fungal weed in NewZealand, originally from Madagascar. It looks a little likeDictyopanus pusillus but is bright orange.

See: IMC8 Fungus of the Month - July 2005 at:http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/research_and_conservation/fungi

STOP PRESSChlorovibrissea found

From Reporter Ian Bell.

Two species of Chlorovibrissea, C. bicolor and C. melanochlorawere found at Marysville, Victoria on 31st July 2005. They werediscovered on a foray of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria by amember, Arthur Carew.

C. bicolor is a Fungimap target species. Both C. bicolor and C.melanochlora are on the NZ 'Nationally Critical' fungal species list.

(See Fungi Down Under page 116.)


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FUNGI STUDY IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONALPARK, TENNESSEE AND NORTH CAROLINA, USA

Letter from Sandy and Jerry Sheine

The Third National Fungimap Conference held inGowrie Park, Tasmania, April 29-May 03, 2005, was ahuge success. Jerry and I were privileged to attend theConference and appreciated the hospitality wereceived. The Australians were so friendly and made usfeel very welcome. Most of all, we admire theprodigious amount of work that the Fungimapparticipants have done in just a few years, namely tomap, describe and photograph the fungi of Australia.Your new book, Fungi Down Under, is one of the bestmushroom books that we have seen. We also enjoyedyour FNCV CD-ROM, Fungi Group Forays 2004. Wehope that, in the future, some of you can attend one ormore of the monthly Fungi Conferences in the USA.Information on them can be found on the websites forthe North American Mycological Association,www.namyco.org, the Northeast MycologicalFederation, www.nemf.org and the MycologicalSociety of America, www.msafungi.org

For the past six years, Jerry and I have participated, asadvanced amateurs and volunteers, in a fungi study inGreat Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennesseeand North Carolina, along with both amateur andprofessional mycologists. Jerry has done thephotography for the project. The Fungi study is onlypart of a huge project in the Park called the All TaxaBiodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a 10-15 year project tostudy all the life forms in the Park. The ATBIconcentrates on 20 taxa, each studied by a TaxonWorking Inventory Group or TWIG. We are part of theFungi TWIG. Some other ongoing TWIG studiesinclude slime moulds, algae, ants, birds, frogs, beetles,butterflies and moths, fish, mammals, reptiles, treesand shrubs and wildflowers. The goal of the ATBI isthe identification of all life forms in a given geographicarea by building a list of species, describing surveymethods and drawing up an account of the naturalhistory of the area. Originally, the study was based on amodel used by American and Costa Rican mycologiststo study the Fungi of Costa Rica. Dr. Roy Halling fromthe New York Botanical Garden, who attended yourFungimap Conference, was part of that project.

Jerry and I, as part of the Fungi Twig, spend 1- 4weeks each summer, volunteering as parataxonomistsand photographers, studying the macrofungi in thePark. In 2002, at the suggestion of Dr. Rytas Vilgalysfrom Duke University, Dr. Dennis Drehmel from NorthCarolina State University, adapted some of theFungimap protocols for our ATBI study. We have 50target species, all taken from the book, Mushrooms ofthe Great Smokies, by L.R. Hesler (now out of print).

Members of the local Asheville Mushroom Club havebeen trained to identify collections, record informationon data sheets and photograph the collections. So far,we have over 500 vouchered and photographedspecies. Many other fungi collections are in the processof being identified. With the help of professionalmycologists, we have recorded over 2000 species ofFungi and Slime Molds in the Park. In July 2004 wetook part in a 'Mycoblitz'. About sixty mycologists,graduate students and parataxonomists from all overthe U.S.A and around the world, covered several areasof the Park and collected, photographed and recordedtheir finds.

Why did the National Park Service, part of the UnitedStates Department of the Interior, choose Great SmokyMountain National Park for the ATBI study?• The Park contains the greatest diversity of life

forms of any National Park in the United States.• It has more visitors annually than any of the other

National Park in the United States.• It covers 800 sq. miles, ranges in altitude from sea

level to over 6000 ft, contains several ecosystems,three distinct geologic zones and is 90% forested.

• It contains the Appalachian Mountains, a very oldmountain chain running from Georgia in the southto Maine in the north. The portion within the Parkremained glacier free during the last ice age. A partof the famous Appalachian Trail falls within parkboundaries.

• Pollution from industry, acid rain, ozone, insectsand fungi are killing tree species such as beech,spruce, hemlock and red pine, particularly at thehigher altitudes. Scientists monitor air quality daily.

• The Park has a paid staff of professionally trainednaturalists who have mapped out transects in thePark to study, and who collect and record the ATBIdata and assist the TWIGS.

The main support for the study comes from DiscoverLife in America (www.dlia.org), a non-profitorganization which receives grants from the GreatSmoky Mountains Association and Friends of GreatSmoky Mountains National Park. The study is alsosupported by the National Park Service, throughNational Science Foundation grants to Universities,private foundation grants and individual contributions.

Jerry and I plan to continue our work on the ATBI thissummer. We would like to think that the ATBI is asister study to Fungimap and that we continueexchanging our information and ideas.


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SIMPLY PODOSERPULAKevin Thiele

Podoserpula pusio is a common Fungimap speciesfound in Tasmania, southern New South Wales,Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and NewZealand, in wetter forests on rotting wood orsometimes on humus-rich soil or tree-fern trunks. It’sunlike any other fungus, with tiers of soft, buff topinkish caps on a common stipe. The spore-bearingsurface on the underside of the caps is pinkish andirregularly wrinkled.

While searching for Fungimap species in EastGippsland, I have frequently seen what appear to betwo separate species of Podoserpula. One is the typicalpinkish, tiered form (Fig. 1). The other is a paler,simple (non-tiered) form, in which each fruiting bodycomprises a single, spoon-shaped, flattened cap with alateral stipe (Fig. 2). The fruiting bodies have the samedistinctively soft texture as the tiered form, but areusually paler and with a less pinkish and less wrinkledundersurface. Fruiting bodies are usually found ingroups on treefern trunks and are sometimes caespitose(with several stipes arising from the same point of thesubstrate).

The tiered form and the simple form often occur inclose proximity, and extensive searches have notrevealed any intermediates (intergrades) between them.This suggests that they are distinct species.

Podoserpula pusio was first described as Craterelluspusio by Berkeley in 1856, using material collected inTasmania. Subsequently, another name, Craterellus

multiplex, was coined by Cooke and Massee, also forTasmanian material. It’s clear that these fungi are notclosely related to Craterellus (compare withCraterellus cornucopioides, another Fungimap speciesand a microscopically and macroscopically verydifferent fungus). For this reason, the new genusPodoserpula was created by Reid in 1963. Reid arguedat the time that the simple form and tiered formsknown by the epithets pusio and multiplex wereidentical, and the species took the earliest name,Podoserpula pusio.

However, if the observations in East Gippsland arecorrect, and there are indeed separate tiered and non-tiered species, then it’s unclear which name or namesshould be used.

To help sort out the taxonomy of this interesting littlegroup, it would be very helpful if Fungimap volunteerscould keep an eye out for Podoserpula and record anyinformation that might shed light on the relationshipsof the simple and tiered forms. In particular, if you findboth simple and tiered forms growing together, have agood look around to see if they are distinct or tend tograde one into the other. Please photograph anythingyou see, and contact me directly [email protected] with observations and/orphotos.

Who knows, maybe one form is a new species, whichcould even be called Podoserpula mycocarta (I’ll leaveyou to work out the Greek)!

Fig. 1. Podoserpula, tiered form.Photo: Kevin Thiele

Fig. 2. Podoserpula, simple form.Photo: Kevin Thiele


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BOOK REVIEW

COMMON MUSHROOMS OF THE TALAMANCA MOUNTAINS,COSTA RICA

by Roy E. Halling & Gregory M. Mueller (2005)The New York Botanical Garden [Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden Volume 90] ISBN 0-89327-460-7.

The Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica are a 300 kmlong range extending to the border with Panama.Vegetation is tropical wet montane forest dominated byspecies of Quercus. In these ‘cloud forests’ there is aprolonged dry season, but annual precipitation can exceed3000 mm. Quercus-dominated forests extend from thesouthern U.S.A. to Colombia, and contain manyinteresting species of mycorrhizal and other fungi.

This field guide to the fungi of the Talamanca Mountainscovers 101 ‘mushrooms’ (i.e. agarics and boletes) from tenfamilies. For each included species there is a colourphotograph, sometimes a studio shot, otherwise in thenatural habitat. Photos are not large, but they are all clear,and with at least one fruit-body turned over so thatlamellae and stipe details are visible. Each species is alsoaccompanied by a description of macro- and micro-characters, and information on substrate, distribution,mycorrhizal hosts (where relevant) and a shortcommentary mentioning the distinguishing characters.Names are up-to-date, and commonly used synonyms areprovided. Genera are pretty much the same as in currentAustralian publications, except that Nolanea andPouzarella are used (rather than sinking these underEntoloma).

Some gorgeous species are illustrated, such as the brightred bolete Boletus frostii (with deeply reticulate stipesurface) The marvelous Nolanea murraii is anotherhighlight (with its cuboid spores and yellow pileus apexdrawn into a long apex). However, the best feature ofCommon Mushrooms of the Talamanca Mountains is thenovelty of most of the species included. There is arefreshing lack of what could be called the ‘usual suspects’(those oft-illustrated species such as Amanita muscaria,Leccinum scabrum, Lactarius deliciosus or Russulaemetica). Instead, there are 36 species endemic to montaneQuercus forest, such as Rhodocybe mellea, Phaeocollybiaoligoporpa, Amanita costaricensis and Laccaria gomezii,as well as neotropical species like Leucocoprinussulphurellus and Lentinula boryana. Very few of theincluded species extend further south than Colombia,although many extend northwards from Costa Rica (oftento Eastern North America).

The species depicted were selected because they arereadily recognisable and easily identified; thus the absenceof more species in difficult genera such as Cortinarius.The species included would thus seem excellent candidatesfor a mapping scheme in the same fashion as Fungimap.

A welcome innovation is the inclusion for most species ofcolour photographs from the light microscope of sporesand other diagnostic microscopic features (and a few blackand white shots from the Scanning Electron Microscope).The micro-photos are small, but all of exceptional quality,exemplified by the depiction on the spores of Boletellusananas of the extremely fine cross walls between thelongitudinal striae. Often details of spore surface or edgeare in crisp focus on different spores (presumably by useof montages in some cases). There are some greatexamples of the colour of spores and their ornamentationin stains such as Melzer’s Reagent (dextrinoid forRhodocollybia and amyloid for Russula) and Cotton Blue(cyanophilous for Clitopilus and Lepista).

There is an index and a glossary, handy for explanations oftechnical terms encountered in the descriptions ofmicrocharacters. There is also a useful section oncollecting mushrooms for scientific study. The inclusion ofa list of voucher specimens for images in the book is to becommended. Citing specimens enables confirmation ofidentifications with future changes in taxonomy, and is afeature which would be good to see in more Australianfield guides, especially where there are illustrations notidentified to species.

A few layout features can be disconcerting, such as theinterruption of keys to species by the title page for theparticular family. In the descriptions of each species, themicrocharacters would have been better as a separateparagraph. However, the whole volume is attractively laidout, with clear text and good colour reproduction. Thespiral binding is unusual, but does at least allow the pagesto lie flat when the book is opened.

Very few, if any, of the species in Common Mushrooms ofthe Talamanca Mountains will be encountered inAustralia, but I can highly recommend the book as a guideto the appearance (macroscopic and microscopic) ofmushroom genera that are common the world over (such asAmanita or Lactarius). Moreover, the book offers anintriguing view of genera that might possibly occur inAustralia (Ripartitella, Megacollybia, Phyllotopsis andTricholosporum), and provides a fascinating snapshot of alargely unique mycota, highlighting the great diversity ofmacrofungi that exists in different forest types around theworld.

Tom May (Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne)

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FUNGI DOWN UNDER ORDER FORMSend___copies of Fungi Down Under @$29.95 each__________________Postage & handling @$3.00 per copy __________________(prices include GST)TOTAL __________________Please enquire before ordering from overseas to confirm postage

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FUNGIMAP BOOK SHOPUPDATED PRICE LIST August 2005

Fungimap Inc. is not registered for GST, so we have been able to lower the price of books sold throughFungimap. Pay by cash or cheque to 'Fungimap'. New this month is Common Mushrooms of theTalamanca Mts, Costa Rica and A Field Guide to Australian Fungi. Note that Fungi Down Under issold through RBG Melbourne (see separate ordering details).

FUNGIMAP BADGE (ASEROE) $10.00 (Plus Postage & Handling $0.50)AUSTRALIAN FUNGI ILLUSTRATED Ian McCann $27.00 (P&H $3.00)A FIELD GUIDE TO THE FUNGI OF AUSTRALIA Tony Young $27.00 (P&H $10.00)A FIELD COMPANION TO AUSTRALIAN FUNGI Bruce Fuhrer $22.50 (P&H $3.00)A FIELD GUIDE TO AUSTRALIAN FUNGI Bruce Fuhrer $45.40 (P&H $10.00)MUSHROOMS, TALAMANCA MTS, COSTA RICA Halling & Mueller $26.00 (P&H $10.00)TREASURES FROM THE KINGDOM OF FUNGI Taylor Lockwood $45.50 (P&H $10.00)FUNGI OF THE SOUTH-WEST FORESTS Richard Robinson $5.90 (P&H $2.50)FNCV FUNGI KIT $4.00 (P&H $0.60)VICTORIAN NATURALIST FUNGI ISSUE $4.55 (P&H $0.50)FUNGIMAP NEWSLETTER 20 $4.00 (P&H $0.50)FUNGIMAP CD-ROM OUT OF PRINT (REPRINT DUE SOON)Please send your order (with payment in Australian dollars by cheque or money order) to:FUNGIMAP, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Private Bag 2000, South Yarra, Vic., 3141

For orders from overseas, please enquire about postage charges before sending your order.

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FUNGIMAP NEWSLETTER

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ITS TIME TO JOINIf you do not choose to become a member of FungimapInc., this will be your last Newsletter.


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TWO NEW BOOKS

FUNGAL NEWS

News from SAPam Catcheside

Adelaide Fungal Studies Group surveyed Deep CreekConservation Park in mid-June and Kuitpo Forest inearly July 2005. Fewer species were recorded at eachsite than in 2004, reflecting the late start to the season.At Deep Creek we found groups of beautiful, white-lilac fruit bodies of Cortinarius alboviolaceus, astriking stand of Shaggy Ink Cap Coprinus comatus oncleared land but Russulas and Lepiotas, usually fruitingin June, were notable by their almost total absence. AtKuitpo, as at Deep Creek, most of the fungi were 'littlerotters', with very few mycorrhizal species.

However, I was cheered to find on a visit to DeepCreek two weeks ago that mycorrhizal species weremagnificent: masses of Green Skinhead Dermocybeaustroveneta, Vermilion Grisette Amanitaxanthocephala and yellow funnels of Austropaxillusmuelleri as well as several truffle species.

In mid-May at Penambol Conservation Park nearMount Gambier, David and I again found many fruitbodies of the Dark Vegetable Caterpillar Cordycepsgunnii (see Fungimap Newsletter 24, p.5).

News from A.C.T.Heino Lepp

I've just finished my annual fungal course, at theAustralian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) inCanberra. The sessions are open to anyone and I hadbetween 15 and 30 participants per week. The courselasted 9 weeks, one longer than last year, and coveredtopics such as: mycelium vs. fruiting body;ascomycetes & basidiomycetes; methods of sporerelease; various aspects of fungal ecology; fungal lifecycles - from haploid spore to dikaryon and back tohaploid spore; history of the discovery andunderstanding of spores, hyphae, asci and basidiabetween about 1500 and 1850; the changingapproaches to how fungi are classified; fungi andhumans. As well as the weekly talks there were walksin the ANBG to look at fungi in situ plus some sessionsto look at microscopic features (with the help of avideo camera attached to a compound microscope). Ahalf dozen participants spent an afternoon workingthrough some basic agaric keys to see theease/difficulty of identifying something to genus.

This year, as in past years, stinkhorns have dominatedthe enquiries I get from the general public. As always, Iam thankful that stinkhorns are so distinctive thatidentification to genus is possible on fairly meagreinformation!

See Review, p. 6 See Order Form, p. 7


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News from TasmaniaSarah Lloyd

Fungi (and birds) around TasmaniaOn June 11th the Fungimap excursion to Notley GorgeReserve attracted five people who braved thedownpour. With only light patchy rain in the previousmonth, the hitherto dry conditions had not stimulatedmuch fungal growth. Leeches, however, respondquickly to any moisture and newly hatched youngoutnumbered the fungi by about ten to one!During a trip to the east coast to participate in theannual winter waterfowl count, our team, assigned tosurvey the northern section of Moulting Lagoon, (in theFreycinet National Park) counted over 4,000 swans,several hundred grebes, one White-bellied Sea Eagleand NO fungi. However, while visiting a wet forestarea after the count I found, along with a few “targets”,several exquisite fruit bodies of Favolaschia sp.growing on a dead leaf of cutting grass (Gahniagrandis) - an exciting moment indeed.At Lake St Clair (the southern end of the Cradle Mt.NP) the fungi season was all but over, which made merealise just how fortunate the timing of Fungimap IIIhad been. The most prevalent fungi were manyHeterotextus miltinus and the beautifully colouredPleurotopsis longinqua (formerly Panelluslonginquus). The visit to Lake St Clair was en route(albeit a very circuitous one) to the far northwest of thestate. Here the extensive mudflats exposed at low tideattract thousands of migratory waders. Someoverwinter in Tasmania and an annual summer andwinter count is conducted in the area. Channelsseparating the island from the mainland can only becrossed at low tide, but the counts are conducted athigh tide as it is then that birds are unable to feed andcongregate at favourite roosting sites. This leavesplenty of time to explore the island while waiting forthe tide to be low enough to get home. While walkingto the roost I noticed scattered among the Spinifex(Spinifex sericeus) growing on the sand dunes, manyfungi, possibly Mycenastrum corium.There are no Fungimap outings scheduled for theremainder of the year. However, if anyone would liketo explore the fungi of an area please contact me on6396 1380 or [email protected]

News from southern WAKatrina Syme (Denmark, WA)

One of my favourite areas in the South Coast Region isthe Fitzgerald Biosphere, an area of 1.3 millionhectares. It stretches from Pallinup River in the west toeast of Ravensthorpe and has an annual rainfall rangingfrom 360 to 600mm.

In its heart, the Fitzgerald River National Park hasaround 1,900 plant species, 72 of which are endemicwith 250 declared rare or priority taxa. FitzgeraldRiver/Ravensthorpe is one of 15 Federal Government-recognised national biodiversity hotspots, but this does

not include fungi, because fungal knowledge of theentire region is very poor, with only 76 fungi(including 38 unknown species) recorded to 2003.

I’ve managed to visit the area four times in the pastfew months and, in late June, travelled with friends toRavensthorpe after good winter rains had fallen in theregion. We went via Stirling Range National Park,where the first discovery was the enormous boletePhlebopus marginatus! This impressed my friends andthey were hooked. Two days later, seventy-threespecies, including seven different Amanitas, werelisted and twenty one fully documented collections,including Russula, Galerina, Peziza and Cortinariuserythraeus, were made. The most exciting discoverywas of a magnificent group of grey-gilled fungi I’dnever seen before, found when we pulled up tophotograph a group of flowering Sandalwood trees. Itwill take some time, but we’ll gradually improve thefungal knowledge of this fascinating region.

P.S. I've been working away from home for much ofthe fungus season and have been unable to fulfilrequests to run workshops. Fortunately, a veryknowledgeable young Fungimapper - Jarred Pedro –has stepped in and conducted five very popular fungiforays and workshops at local schools andkindergartens this year. I was accosted by an excitedparticipant in the supermarket the other day and told allabout it! Congratulations and thanks to Jarred (now inyear 10, for those who remember him from the 2001conference).

News from CairnsSapphire McMullan-Fisher

The cool has finally arrived. An exciting mycologicalfind was Phallus indusiatus, with a lovely, lacyindusium.

News from New South WalesBettye Rees

A variety of interesting talks and demonstrations werearranged for the annual day-long Workshop held at theUniversity of New South Wales by the Sydney FungalStudies Group Inc. on Saturday, 23rd July. Informativeand entertaining talks were presented on the Historyand practice of medical mycology, Fungal diversity insoils, Sex and community (with special interest inPenicillium) and Good guys Bad guys (a talk about thepositive and negative effects fungi have on our lives.An excellent display featuring lichens heralded a newdirection of interest for some members of the group. Asuperb fungal slide show and a talk dealing withongoing work in the taxonomy of Cortinarius inAustralia rounded out the day. The secretary, DonGover, and his wife Judith are to be congratulated forputting so much effort into the day, and the usualsumptuous lunch contributed by people attending wasenjoyed by all.


11

FORTHCOMING EVENTS Please note that not all these activities are organised by Fungimap

Event Date Place State ContactRoyal Botanic Gardens MelbournePlant Sciences & BiodiversitySeminar.Speaker: Tom May

Wednesday, 3rd

AUGUST, 1 pm

Mueller Hall, RBGMelbourne

Vic Tom May Ph. (03) 9252 [email protected]

Field Naturalists Club of Vic,Fungi Group

7th AUGUST Cathedral Range Vic Geoff Lay Ph: (03) 9898 4816 (ah)Arthur Carew Ph: (03) 5968 4505


21st AUGUST Hamer Arboretum,Olinda

Vic Geoff Lay Ph: (03) 9898 4816 (ah)Arthur Carew Ph: (03) 5968 4505

Adelaide Fungal Studies GroupExcursion

27th AUGUST Hale CP & MtCrawford Forest

SA Pam CatchesidePh: (08) 8222 9379

Adelaide Fungal Studies GroupSpecimens: identification/discussion

30th AUGUST Plant BiodiversityCentre, Adelaide



4th SEPTEMBER Big Pats CkWarburton

Vic Geoff Lay Ph: (03) 9898 4816 (ah)Arthur Carew Ph: (03) 5968 4505

Adelaide Fungal Studies GroupExcursion

10th SEPTEMBER Springmount CP SA Pam CatchesidePh: (08) 8222 9379

Adelaide Fungal Studies GroupSpecimens: identification/discussion

13th SEPTEMBER Plant BiodiversityCentre, Adelaide


Queensland Fungi Conference 5th NOVEMBER Parliament House,Brisbane

Qld [email protected] Ph: (07) 38784581

Sydney Fungal Studies Group 26th NOVEMBER Christmasluncheon

NSW Judith and Don GoverPh: (02) 9661 4898

FUNGI CONFERENCE,BRISBANE

Saturday, 5 November 2005Undumbi Room, Parliament House

Parliamentary Annexe, Cnr George and Alice St, Brisbane

Introduction to the World of Fungi; their Use inRevegetation; Invertebrates and Fungi; Approaches toFungi Conservation; Community Involvement inFungi Projects; Lichen; and more………

Speakers: Dr Tony Young (Mycologist Qld); Nigel Fechner(Qld Herbarium); Dr Tom May (Senior Mycologist RoyalBotanic Gardens Melbourne); Dr Neale Bougher (MycologistWA Herbarium); Dr Rod Rogers (Lichenologist Qld); Dr ChrisBurwell (Entomology Curator Qld Museum); Katrina Syme(Hon. Assoc. Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, BotanicalArtist, Environmentalist WA)

For more information contact Cubberla-Witton CatchmentsNetwork Inc [email protected] phone 07 38784581

Other Fungimap Contacts

Australian Capital TerritoryHeino LeppC/- PO Box 38Belconnen ACT 2616Email: [email protected]

New South WalesBettye ReesC/- 10 Lloyd AvenueHunters Hill NSW 2110Email: [email protected]

Perth Urban Bushland Fungi

The PUBF, led by Neale Bougher and RozHart, has had a very successful season. Theyhave had wonderful community participationand have recorded and vouchered lots ofinteresting fungi.

The PUBF website is www.fungiperth.org.au


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: FUNGIMAP RECORDERS FUNGIMAP FOUNDING DONORS

ACTJack Simpson 1

NSWJel & Ted Brown 4Barry Kemp 6David Read 1Margery Smith 2Sydney Fungal StudiesGroup 6

TASAndrew North 8Roy Skabo 6

VICRichard Appleton 3Elaine Bertotto 10Arthur & Denise Carew 30John Eichler 16Sally Green 2Jean Lightfoot 4Tom May 1Marie McIntyre 3Sharon Morley 3Joan Patrick 2Nigel Sinnott 1Kevin Thiele 20

USATaylor Lockwood 9

Fungimap Founding Donors have generously madedonations during the period when Fungimap wasbeing incorporated (during which we were limitedin our capacity to seek funds from government andnon-government sources). We are most grateful forcontributions from the following:

Barbara BairdCaroline CaseyEileen CollinsValda DedmanIan & Margaret EndersbyPatricia GurryRoger HiltonSheila HoughtonJackie MilesDave & Lyn MunroEthel PerryW.K. PietschLois Prictor2 Anonymous

TO CONTACT FUNGIMAP

FUNGIMAPRoyal Botanic Gardens MelbournePrivate Bag 2000South Yarra Victoria 3141

E-mail: [email protected]

FUNGIMAP WEBSITE:http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungimap/The Fungimap Website is in the process of being updated.

© 2005 Fungimap Inc.Vic Cert Inc A0047228L

This Fungimap Newsletter was edited by Pam Catcheside& Tom May.

FUNGIMAP NEWSLETTER 25FUNGIMAP

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