McIlvainea: Journal of American Amateur Mycology, Volume 19
The summaries below are linked to their respective articles on this site. From the Editor gives a deeper introduction to this work in progress. More articles will be added shortly.
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Phylogeny, Natural Selection and the State of Mushroom Classificationby Todd W. Osmundson This paper addresses several topics relevant to mushroom classification: (1) the question of whether the “traditional” (i.e., comparative morphological) system of classifying fungi is fundamentally unscientific, or whether its principles have simply often been subjectively applied; (2) the pitfalls inherent in classifying organisms based on hypotheses related to the action of natural selection; (3) the advantages to combining both molecular and morphological approaches to classification; and (4) the question of whether DNA studies offer the solution to the problem of unstable classifications and the frequent name changes that follow from them. |
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NAMA Toxicology Committee Report for 2009: North American Mushroom PoisoningsBy Michael W. Beug, Chair NAMA Toxicology Committee This paper contains discussion and tables for the mushroom poisoning cases reported to NAMA in 2009. There were 75 cases of mushroom poisoning involving humans, 13 involving dogs and 3 involving horses. Five human deaths were attributed to mushroom poisoning, primarily by deadly species of Amanita. Several dog deaths were reported and two horse deaths were positively attributed to mushrooms. |
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The Pacific Northwest Key CouncilBy Michael W. Beug This paper gives the history of The Pacific Northwest Key Council, formed in 1974 by Dr. Daniel E. Stuntz and Kit Scates Barnhart. The Pacific Northwest Key Council is one model of how dedicated individuals interested in mushrooms can work with professional mycologists to further mycological knowledge. |
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Western Spring Ramaria Species: Subgenera Laeticolora and Ramaria: Trial Keyby Michael Beug There are just 13 known western spring Ramaria species, 2 of which are probably confined to California. Most of these species are only found in the spring, but four are also found in the fall. All of the spring Ramaria species have large to massive fleshy stipes. Many are very meaty and fruit in great abundance, providing tempting fare for the mycophagists among us. |
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A mushroom by any other name would smell as sweet: Dracula orchidsBy Bryn T. M. Dentinger and Bitty A. Roy In the cloud forests of the Neotropics, the orchid genus Dracula appears to be a remarkable example of a bizarre but successful fungal mimicry: Over 100 species have flowers that look and smell like fleshy mushrooms to attract pollinating flies. Although it has been speculated that Dracula orchids and some other flowers may mimic mushrooms as a way to access an abundant and untapped pollinator resource, until recently no empirical data have been gathered to investigate this hypothesis. |
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