0712mn

The Mycological Society of San Francisco  December 2007, vol. 58:09
Mycena News is seeking 
content pertaining to any of 
the following topics. Please 
consider submitting an article 
to: [EMAIL].
-Photos of this season’s most 
beautiful mushrooms
-Foray reports and experiences 
in the field
-Your favorite recipes
-Mushroom related poems and 
artwork
MycoDigest: Are Mushrooms Genetic 
Individuals or Genetic Mosaics?
Brian Perry
Although most of us may not give it much thought as we stoop to liberate yet 
another Boletus edulis from its terrestrial confines (assuming, that is, you were at 
the Mendocino Woodlands Foray last month!), the mushroom we are picking 
represents the union of two mating type compatible strains of the species—a 
fungal “Mom and Dad,” in essence. In the life cycle of a typical mushroom, these 
strains are present in the soil or other substrates in the form of long, filamentous 
cells termed hyphae (and mycelium collectively), which arise from germinating 
spores produced by mushrooms of previous generation(s). It is the mycelium that 
represent the business end of the fungus, absorbing nutrients and water from 
the substrate, forming associations with plants, etc. The mushrooms that we 
so diligently hunt for are 
simply the reproductive 
structures of these 
organisms. It is within 
specialized sexual cells 
of the mushroom, called 
basidia, that mushroom 
sex finally takes place 
and from which spores 
are produced. Like 
other organisms that 
reproduce sexually, the 
sterile (i.e., somatic) cells 
in mushrooms and the 
mycelium that give rise 
to them, are genetically 
identical, each containing 
a contribution from both the parent strains. Or are they? Recent studies indicate 
that this condition may not be true for all mushrooms, and that divergence 
from this common pattern may have profound effects regarding the ecology and 
longevity of these fungi.
Within the typical mushroom life cycle, spores and the primary mycelium they 
give rise to, are haploid in their genetic makeup, meaning that the nucleus present 
in each cell contains only a single copy of each chromosome (think sperm and 
Armillaria mellea is thought to be among the largest and 
longest-living species on Earth.
 Photo courtesy of MykoWeb 
and Mike WoodInside This Issue...
MycoDigest.....................................1
President’s Post......................................2
Announcements........................................2
What’s Bookin?.....................................3
Holiday Dinner Menu..........................3
Houby Hunting....................................4
Membership Renewal Form..............7
December MSSF Calendar..................8
Send submissions to
 Mycena News!
MycoDigest is a section of Mycena News dedicated to the scientific review of 
mycological information.
Continued on page 6

Page 2 The Mycena News, December 2007
PRESIDENT’S POST
A
s you read this, the Fungus Fair will have come and 
gone, and judging by virtually all of our prior 37 
Fairs, it was a great success—that is, lots of people ex-
posed to the kingdom Fungi for the first time; plenty of 
curious minds filled with new ideas of how to appreciate 
mushrooms; a bunch of myco-neophytes and myco-vet-
erans inspired to join MSSF; a healthy batch of T-shirts, 
books, and bowls of soup purchased; and a good time had 
by all. Couldn’t have been done without the cadre of out-
standing volunteers we have in the Society. You know who 
you are and we extend our heartfelt thanks for your good 
work.
It occurs to me that there are basically two levels of vol-
unteering for the organization: the regulars and the oc-
casional volunteers. The regulars are those that are highly 
active, usually as members of the Council, including of-
ficers, councilors and committee chairs, or just being at 
every event helping out wherever they can. The occasional 
volunteers are those of you that lend us a hand once or 
twice a year at the Fungus Fair and other events. Both 
kinds of volunteers are valuable to us. Of course, we need 
the two or three dozen people who are willing to take on 
significant duties in the Society, yet too many more than 
that would be unwieldy and bureaucratic. And when we 
put out the call for help at certain events we are very grate-
ful to the hundred or so of you who routinely raise your 
hand and show up for a few hours out of your busy sched-
ules.
I’d like to see a third level of volunteers step up for us—
tweeners if you will. There are several committees that can 
use some help on a regular basis that wouldn’t require the 
type of commitment the chair persons have chosen to take 
on. For example, our Hospitality Committee, competent-
ly chaired by Liana Hain, could use some more folks to 
be greeters at our General Meetings or to bring goodies to 
eat and drink. Our Education Committee is co-chaired by 
Alice Sunshine and Paul Koski, a pair of excellent educa-
tors with great ideas. They’d love to have a few others of 
you join them with even more great ideas. Take a look at 
our list of committees in the roster and consider joining 
one, not as the leader and organizer, but as a committee 
member, there to support and enrich these vital parts of 
our organization. If you’re not sure where you might fit 
in, let me know and I’ll direct you to where we could use 
a few good tweeners.
Hope to see you at the Holiday Dinner!
~J.R. Blair
Do you need to renew your membership? Check your Myce-
na News mailing label to see. If your membership is paid only 
through 2007, you’ll need to renew for 2008 to continue receiv-
ing membership services.
We really want members to renew now, before the end of the year! 
Fill out the required information on page 7 , and mail a check 
for the appropriate amount (made out to “MSSF Membership)” 
to MSSF-Membership c/o the Randall Museum, 199 Museum 
Way, San Francisco, CA 94114. An envelope is provided inside 
this newsletter!
You can also renew online by using the PayPal option on the 
MSSF website. If you do, please send an e-mail (to membership@
mssf.org) or telephone (1-[PHONE]) with the information 
requested on the membership form on page 7. Paypal provides 
only the name, mailing address, and e-mail of those who enroll 
or renew. It does not give secondary member names, telephone 
numbers, an alternate e-mail address, or interests, so please con-
tact Membership with these details. 
The regular, adult/family membership fee is $25. Seniors over 65 
and full-time students pay $20. E-members pay $15 to download 
the Mycena News and other publications from the website. Check 
our website for reduced rates for multiple-year memberships. 
The MSSF treats membership information as private, but it does 
VERY occasionally release its membership list for mailings by 
mycological businesses. If you do not want your name included 
in such a mailing list, either contact the membership chair or 
indicate on your renewal that you do not want to receive com-
mercial mailings.
MeMbership renewals
Received recently were around 10 books from Mrs. Alfred Cher-
ry. The most remarkable were a set of four pamphlets dated from 
1897, entitled Student Handbook: Mushrooms of America Edible 
and Poisonous by Thomas Taylor M.D., Washington D.C. Among 
the 10 books were six cookbooks as Al Cherry loved to cook, a 
welcome addition to our library. 
Donations are welcome for our Library—contact moniquecar-
[EMAIL]  or Denise Gregory at fungilover@hotmail.
com.
library news
ANNOuNCEMENTS

Curt Haney
T
his month’s new book is The T otally Mushroom Cookbook by Helene Siegel 
and Karen Gillingham, illustrated by Ani Rucki. Published by Celestial Arts, 
Berkeley, CA, 1994.
 
This is a really cute little 95-page cookbook 
crammed full of great mushroom recipes. It is small 
in size and easily fits in your purse, backpack, car 
or as a stocking stuffer for the Holidays. The five 
chapters are:
 
- Mushrooms in Salads, Starters, and Broths
- Mushrooms and Their Friend, the Egg
- Partially Wild Accompaniments
- Mushrooms in the Mainstream
- Mushroom Standards
 
One of my favorite recipes in the book is for Porcini Risotto.
 
This book will be available at the December General Meeting and at the Fungus 
Fair at the Oakland Museum.  The cost is $5.95 minus 10% for MSSF members 
plus tax.
Page 3The Mycena News, December 2007
Contributors:
Lisa Bacon, J.R. Blair, Monique 
Carment, Alvaro Carvajal, Pat 
George, Curt Haney, Brian Perry
Editing and Layout:
Cordelia Chadwick, Jeffrey Fisher
Mycena News is the member’s 
newsletter of the Mycological 
Society of San Francisco, and 
is published monthly from 
September through May. 
Please e-mail photos, comments, 
corrections, and correspondence 
to [EMAIL].
T o subscribe, renew, or make 
address changes, please contact 
Alvaro Carvajal: alvaro.carvajal@
sbcglobal.net or [PHONE].
Past issues of Mycena News can be 
read on-line at www.mssf.org.
December 2007, vol. 58:09
MSSF Officers 2007-2008
President:  J.R. Blair
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
Vice President:  Dan Long
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
Secretary: Phil Brown 
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
T reasurer:  Lisa Bacon
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
What’s Bookin?
 Holiday Punch 
 Grand Array of Appetizers 
 Garden Salad 
 Chef’s Wild Mushroom Soup 
 Roast T enderloin of Beef with Mushroom Sauce 
 Vegetarian Entrée 
 Potatoes with Mushrooms 
 Cook’s Choice of Vegetable 
 Candy Cap Gelato and Coffee 
Holiday Dinner Menu
A Mushroom Lover’s Culinary Extravaganza 
Always featuring the choicest mushrooms available, the Holiday 
Dinner this year will be especially rich in fungi. The venerable Michael 
Giacomini, our favorite chef, will command the kitchen with his 
dedicated band of volunteers. Check page 8 for reservation information 
The menu is a work in progress:

to agriculture (corn, soybeans, and grazing pastures) with 
only 10% being forest lands. These forests (locally known 
as “timbers”) are mostly concentrated in the mid-central to 
eastern part of the state. According to the Iowa Department 
of Forestry, oak and oak/hickory forests make up about 46% 
of Iowa’s woodlands. The oaks fall into two categories: White 
Oaks (white, bur, swamp white, chinkapin, overcup) and Red 
Oaks (red, black, northern pin, shingle). Other species of 
trees found in these woods are ironwood, ashes, hard maples, 
walnuts, dwindling numbers of elms and black cherry, and 
woody shrubs. The forests are threaded with rivers, cricks 
(creeks), lakes, and ponds. Additional moisture comes in the 
form of magnificent thunderstorms and substantial snowfall. 
Edible fungi can be found in spring, summer and fall. Most of 
us prefer spring and fall foraging, because the summer brings 
swarms of bloodthirsty mosquitoes accompanied by frequently 
unbearable heat and humidity. The 
white tail deer population is epidemic 
in proportion, as are the deer ticks that 
go with them. These bambis make 
their California kin look like large 
dogs. They pose an enormous threat as 
you drive to your favorite foray spots, 
as they spring out of cornfields and 
up from ditches. Once in the timber, 
I personally worry more about getting 
chased by an angry Black Angus bull 
as one forages, a flashback to getting 
hung up on barbed wire while making 
a hurried and graceless exit from a 
pasture in my reckless youth.
One of my favorite childhood 
mushroom memories is waking up 
one sunny spring morning to find our 
front yard carpeted with what seemed 
like several hundred black morels. Five 
siblings poured out onto the lawn, each 
chortling that they could pick more 
than the others, but all conspiring 
to pick quickly so that none of the 
neighbors could share in our fortune. Iowa Bohemies are not 
as overt as the Illinois branch. They actually have a Bohemian 
Creed (www.csagsi.org/creed.htm). T wo items acutely outline 
their stealth tactics:
“12. Prior to removing car from garage, scan skies for possible 
inclement weather; if forecast is acceptable, prepare for “houby” 
hunt
13. Camouflage all houby hunting equipment from neighbors, 
Page 4 The Mycena News, December 2007
B
eing of Czech or Slovak descent is a big thing in Iowa. I 
was raised in the small town of T oledo, 60 miles west of 
Cedar Rapids. In this region, the majority of locals claim some 
Czech heritage and proudly refer to ourselves as “bohemies.” 
Homemade sauerkraut and kolaches (sweet dough pastries with 
various fillings in a well on the top) are a few of the dishes we 
cherish from our heritage. Anton Dvorjak reportedly wrote the 
New World Symphony while visiting relatives in a small town 
outside Cedar Rapids. On October 21, 1995, the National 
Czech and Slovak Museum’s (www.ncsml.org) current building 
was formally dedicated, with Presidents Bill Clinton of the 
United States, Václav Havel of the Czech Republic, and Michal 
Kovác of the Slovak Republic presiding over the dedication. I 
visited this impressive, world class museum for the first time in 
September. You can find anything Czech in the Czech Village 
neighborhood of Cedar Rapids, including exquisite hand-
blown glass mushrooms at the Czech 
Cottage (www.czechcottage.com).
Houba (pronounced how-ba) is 
the Czechoslovakian name for 
mushroom. The plural is houby 
(technically pronounced how-bee). 
As often happens in assimilating 
cultures and languages, many 
Midwesterners use a bastardized 
pronunciation (who-bee). Since 
Bohemies are foodies in our own 
right, it comes as no surprise that all 
over the Midwest we commemorate 
the bountiful spring mushrooms 
with a variety of festivals. In Cedar 
Rapids, Houby Days occurs in 
mid-May. As one might expect, it 
consists of a parade, folk music, folk 
dancing, beer, food, and more food. 
All of this adoration centers around 
the ONLY spring mushroom most 
people are interested in, the glorious 
morel (specifically Morchella 
angusticeps and Morchella esculenta).  
My sister-in-law Anne went on a foray near Ames this past 
spring where there were so many morels they left hundreds on 
the ground. Imagine!  
Unlike many parts of California, in Iowa you can find fungi 
virtually everywhere. Elevations range from 480–1670 feet, 
with the best areas at around 850 feet. The rich black soils 
are mostly loess and loam, with scattered areas of sand and 
clay. As one might expect, the land is predominantly devoted 
Houby Hunting (A Neophyte Mycophile Finds Fungi in Iowa)
Lisa Bacon
Fall foray finds. Photo by Lisa Bacon

Page 5The Mycena News, December 2007
proceed to secret place for houby with caution (i.e. drive 
through alleys, around the block several times, down wide 
streets) to insure you are not being followed by neighbors who 
discover place for your houby picking”
Hmm…I think MSSFers are a little more subtle and less 
paranoid in keeping their “spots” secret.
At the end of my recent extended visit to Iowa, I was able 
to exercise and hone my mycological skills. My niece Madie 
found what she believed to be a false morel. Since it was fall, I 
doubted that was true. My budding knowledge of mycology led 
me to ascertain that it was a stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus). My 
brother Brian introduced me to a delightful couple, Bill and 
Nancy Carlson, who invited me out to foray on their farm. 
On an overcast Saturday morning late in September, Bill 
and I set out in the “beast,” an aged four wheel drive dump 
truck to visit his favorite spots on 80+ acres of rolling hills 
covered with pastures and substantial 
oak forests bordering the Iowa River. 
Bill has carefully cleared out much of 
the underbrush, making it a forager’s 
dream. An avid hunter, he has deer 
blinds all over his property. Personally, 
I think they could double as mushroom 
spotting towers. Bill assured me the 
Black Angus herd was “friendly” 
and we romped around foraging for 
several hours. I introduced Bill to the 
term “LBM.” He shared wonderful 
tales of hunting and foraging. We 
came back to Nancy’s hot coffee and 
delicious pickled salmon (made from 
fish caught in Wisconsin of all places). 
In true Bohemie fashion, Bill and 
Nancy sent me back to town with all 
kinds of mushrooms as well as loads of 
beautiful squash from their garden). I 
sautéed most of the edibles in butter 
for brunch with my ailing father the 
next morning. 
I tried to document the fungi in the 
wild, but my camera was uncooperative. Special thanks to Roger 
Heidt, of the Prairie State Mushroom Club (www.geocities.
com/iowafungi/), for kindly helping me identify some of the 
less obvious fungi. I also obtained a fabulous laminated field 
guide, Mushrooms in Your Pocket – A Guide to the Mushrooms of 
Iowa, for $9.99 (ISBN 87745-887-1). Hint: would be useful 
for California IDs, as well. I am intrigued by the colloquial 
names for mushrooms in different geographic areas and have 
listed them using their local Bohemie names. In the photo on 
page four, the specimens (clockwise from lower left) are:
Button mushrooms ( Armillariella mellea)—aka honey 
mushrooms. The main group shown was collected past their 
prime, with the exception of a few on top of the largest puffball. 
There were hundreds of them on and around stumps. They are 
best taken when in the button stage.
Small puffballs (Lycoperdon pyriformis or Morganella 
pyriformus)—unexpectedly flavorful.
Goat’s beard ( Grifola frondosa)—aka hen of the woods. My 
family had been raving about this mushroom prior to my forage. 
I was unable to gather what they were referring to, since my 
brother Kenny, normally a tremendously articulate individual, 
said they had “webby things” underneath. Absolutely delicious! 
Bill’s favorite way to eat them is to cook them with a beef roast 
and throw away the roast.
Giant puffballs ( Calvatia gigantica)—having never seen one 
before, seeing these in their natural habitat was one of the 
highlights of the foray. The larger 
one in the photo is the size of a 
soccer ball. Didn’t get a chance to 
cook, but I am told they are similar 
to tofu in texture and taste. 
Sulfur mushrooms (Omphalotus 
illudens)—aka Jack-o’-lanterns—
again specimens were old and they 
are poisonous, but added color to 
the collection.
Smaller specimens collected, but 
not cooked if edible, were: lawyer’s 
wig (Coprinus comatus), wood 
ear (Auricularia aricula), red tree 
brain? (Peniophora rufa), and an 
unidentifiable inky cap.
When I returned to California, 
I sent Bill and Nancy a copy of 
Aurora’s Mushrooms Demystified. 
They surprised me with an open 
invitation to bring friends to camp 
and forage on their farm. Anyone 
up for a houby hunting trip to Iowa in May? •
Do you have a vacation story about mushrooms? Have you 
forayed in far-away lands? Send your stories to mycenanews@
mssf.org
Bill Carlson holding an Omphalotus illudens. Photo by 
Lisa Bacon

Page 6 The Mycena News, December 2007
MycoDigest continued
eggs here, folks). Depending on their genetic compatibility, 
when hyphae of the same species encounter one another in the 
environment, they will fuse and give rise to a new secondary 
mycelium. The hyphal cells of this secondary mycelium each 
contain two un-fused, haploid nuclei—one from each strain 
(again, think eggs and sperm). This condition of two haploid 
nuclei per cell is termed “dikaryotic.” Mushrooms and other 
higher fungi are unique in that this dikaryotic phase is believed 
to persist for an extended portion of the life cycle. In most other 
organisms, compatible haploid nuclei (usually in the form of 
gametes) fuse soon after they encounter each other.
When environmental conditions are suitable, the secondary 
mycelium will form primordia that soon develop into 
mushrooms. As mentioned above, it is within the basidia that 
reproduction finally occurs. In these sexual cells, fusion of the 
two haploid nuclei occurs, creating a diploid nucleus that has a 
full complement of chromosomes (one copy from each strain). 
Shortly after this fusion, meiosis occurs, returning the resulting 
four daughter nuclei to the haploid condition. These resulting 
nuclei eventually migrate into the developing spores, which are 
soon dispersed to start the life cycle over again. During meiosis, 
recombination of DNA may occur between sister chromosomes, 
shuffling together new combinations of genes and resulting 
in novel genetic variation differing from that found in the 
nuclei of the parent strains. It is this resulting variation that 
is the evolutionary advantage of sexual reproduction, for it is 
these new combinations of genes that natural selection may 
act upon. Although the majority of genetic variation resulting 
from sexual reproduction undoubtedly has little or no effect, 
it will on occasion be beneficial in some form; this thereby 
confers a selective advantage upon the mutated population. As 
you can imagine, this novel variation is paramount in helping 
a species adapt over time to the challenges of an ever-changing 
environment.
Interestingly, the life cycle of Armillaria species are quite 
different from the typical cycle described above. In Armillaria the 
haploid nuclei present in newly produced secondary mycelium 
quickly fuse, forming diploid nuclei. Unlike other mushroom 
species, in which the individual cells are typically thought to be 
dikaryotic (i.e. contain two genetically distinct haploid nuclei) 
throughout most stages of the life cycle, the somatic cells of 
Armillaria appear to each contain a single diploid nucleus. The 
mycelium of Armillaria, and presumably the mushrooms it 
produces, therefore lack the extended dikaryotic stage believed 
to be characteristic of most higher fungi. This, however, is by no 
means the end of the story. Recent work done by several teams 
of investigators (see sources below) indicates that in at least two 
species of Armillaria, A. gallica and A. tabescens, the individual 
nuclei within the cells of both the mycelia and non-basidia 
portions of the mushrooms are in the haploid condition, rather 
than diploid as they have long been assumed to be.
Using various methods of nuclear staining and fluorescence 
microspectrophotometric measurements, investigators were 
able to determine the quantity of DNA within the nuclei of 
cells constituting the various stages of the life cycle. As would be 
expected, haploid cells had on average half of the DNA present 
in diploid cells, or cells caught in the act of replicating their 
DNA in preparation for mitotic or meiotic division. Knowing 
that mushrooms are developed from secondary mycelium (i.e. 
two compatible strains that have fused), the implications of the 
above findings are that prior to mushroom formation, there 
must have been an event similar to what occurs in the basidia 
during a typical mushroom life cycle. The two haploid nuclei 
initially present in the secondary mycelium must fuse to form 
diploid nuclei (diploidization), and then go through meiosis to 
produce haploid daughter nuclei (haploidization). In essence, 
what these investigators propose is the occurrence of one or 
more extra-basidial diploidization-haploidization events prior 
to mushroom formation. This haploid, secondary mycelium 
eventually produces mushrooms, the somatic cells of which 
also contain a single, haploid nucleus.
Considering what we know about meiosis and recombination, 
it is apparent that the extra round(s) of diploidization-
haploidization have the potential to generate additional genetic 
variation beyond what we see in the typical mushroom life cycle. 
In fact, as researchers have demonstrated, the genetic variation 
generated by these extra events can become incorporated into 
a single mushroom, such that the individual cells making up 
the tissues of this structure contain nuclei that harbor different 
combinations of genes. Unlike the typical mushroom life cycle 
in which the cells of the secondary mycelium and mushrooms 
are genetically identical, the cells of these tissues in A. gallica 
and A. tabescens likely represent a mosaic of genetically distinct 
nuclei. As this genetic mosaic of nuclei are incorporated 
into basidia (where they experience another diploidization-
haploidization event), there is the potential to generate even 
more genetic variation.
As discussed above, the generation of genetic variation is 
beneficial to a species as a whole, as it may provide the means 
over generations to adapt to a changing environment. However, 
in the case of these Armillaria species, the production of genetic 
variation may even be beneficial at the individual level. As most 
of us are aware, Armillaria species are believed to represent 
some of the largest and longest-living organisms on Earth, the 
so-called “humongous fungus” of Michigan and more recently 
Oregon. In these fungi, individuals are estimated to span an 
area of 15 to 900 hectares, and range in age up to 8,500 years, 
persisting in the environment in the form of mycelium and 
rhizomorphs (i.e. thick mycelial cords). Is it possible that the 
longevity and capacity for growth these fungi display could be 
linked to the genetic mosaicism present in their cells? T o address 
this question, researchers have tested the ability of genetically

Page 7The Mycena News, December 2007
distinct cell lines, isolated from a single individual, to grow 
under diverse environmental conditions, including water 
availability, temperature, and substrate pH. Not surprisingly, 
these genetically distinct cell lines display variation in their 
growth ability under variable conditions.
Such results support the idea that genetic mosaicism may even 
be beneficial at the level of the individual, and may indeed play 
a role in the longevity and growth rates these fungi display. It 
is easy to imagine the magnitude of environmental challenges 
and stresses that a fungus would have to overcome during a 
life that may span hundreds of years. The ability of various 
regions of these large somatic structures to differentially react 
to a variable environment, due to differences in their genetic 
makeup, would undoubtedly be selectively advantageous at 
some level. The question remains, however, how widespread 
is genetic mosaicism within the fungi? So far the presence of 
an extra-basidial diploidization-haploidization event has only 
been documented in two species of Armillaria. Additionally, 
what I have presented here is a very simplified explanation of a 
very complex process. As you can imagine, there is much about 
genetic mosaics that is yet to be understood, and even those 
who research this process do not agree on all the mechanisms 
by which it occurs. Genetic mosaicism is undoubtedly a very 
important process that has played a large role in the evolution 
of at least some species of fungi, and shows great promise for 
exciting research in the years to come. •
Sources and additional information:
Grillo, R., Korhonen, K., Hantula, J. and Hietala, A.M. 2000. 
Genetic evidence for somatic haploidization in developing fruit 
bodies of Armillaria tabescens. Fungal Genetics and Biology 30: 
135-145.
Peabody, D.C and Peabody, R.P . 1985. Widespread haploidy in 
monokaryotic cells of mature basidiocarps of Armillaria bulbosa, 
a member of the Armillaria complex.  Experimental Mycology 9: 
212-220.
Peabody, D.C., Peabody, R.B., Tyrrell, M.G. and T owle, M.J. 2003. 
Phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary potential in somatic cells 
of Armillaria gallica.  Mycological Research 107: 408-412.
Peabody, R.B. and Peabody, D.C. 1987. Haploid monokaryotic 
basidiocarp tissues in species of Armillaria. Canadian Journal of 
Botany 65: 69-71.
Peabody, R.B., Peabody, D.C. and Sicard, K.M. 2000. A genetic 
mosaic in the fruiting stage of Armillaria gallica.  Fungal Genetics 
and Biology 29: 72-80.
Peabody, R.B., Peabody, D.C., Tyrrell, M.G., Edenburn-MacQueen, 
E., Howdy, R.P . and Semelrath, K.M. 2005. Haploid vegetative 
mycelia of Armillaria gallica show among-cell-line variation for 
growth and phenotypic plasticity. Mycologia 97: 777-787.
Peabody Lab Webpage: http://faculty.stonehill.edu/dpeabody/
research_short.htm
MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SAN FRANCISCO - Membership and Membership Renewal Application
New Members please fill out as much information as you can. Members who are renewing need to fill out only the blanks for which 
information has changed within the last year. Please check the current Roster to see if any of your address, phone, and e-mail need updating!
Name 1:_______________________ Home Phone: _________________________________________________________________
Name 2:______________________ Business Phone: ________________________________________________________________
Street/Apt#/PO:______________________ Cell Phone:______________________________________________________________
City:____________________ E-mail 1:___________________________________________________________________________
State:____________________ E-mail 2:___________________________________________________________________________
Zip Code:____________________ Interests:________________________________________________________________________
New Membership?_____ Renewal?_____
Membership type: ____Adult/Family ($25) ____ Senior/Students ($20) ____ Electronic ($15)
If sending a check, please make it out to “MSSF membership” and mail it, with this form to: MSSF Membership, c/o The Randall Junior 
Museum, 199 Museum Way, San Francisco, CA 94114
If paying by Credit Card, please provide the following information:
Circle Type of Credit Card: MasterCard, Visa, Discovery, or American Express
Credit Card Number: _______________________ Expiration Date: _______________________

Mycological Society of San Francisco
c/o The Randall Museum
199 Museum Way
San Francisco, CA 94114
First Class Mail
u.S. Postage
PAID
Oakland, CA
Permit No. 1451
December 2007, vol. 58:09
MSSF Calendar, December 2007
December 10, 2007, 7pm. MSSF Holiday Dinner.  Hall 
of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, SF . Reservations required by 
December 6. Please contact Lisa Bacon at lisa.bacon@comcast.
net
December 29, 2007, Point Reyes National Seashore  
Mycoblitz 5. Please plan to attend this year’s Mycoblitz at the 
beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore. We’ve found 438 
species so far and need your help to find more. Dr. T om Bruns 
is foray mycologist. Meet at the Bear Valley Visitor Center 
between 9–10 am. For more information, contact David Rust: 
[EMAIL] / [PHONE].
Monday, January 7, 2008, ( please note the date! ), 7 pm. 
Culinary Group Dinner. As usual, we will meet at the Hall of 
Flowers, Golden Gate Park, 9th and Lincoln, SF . The dinner cost 
is $14. We will feature goat roasted in our caja china. Contact 
Pat George at [PHONE] or [EMAIL] no 
later than Friday, January 4, to make your required reservations. 
Don’t forget to bring your own tableware as the Hall does not 
provide it, your beverage, and an appetizer to share. Our next 
dinner/meeting will be on February 4.
January 19–21, 2008, 11th Annual SOMA Wild 
Mushroom Camp, Occidental, CA. T om Volk, Else 
Vellinga, Taylor Lockwood, and others will present. Join us 
for a weekend of forays, classes, presentations, and mushroom 
cuisine.  Fees: $275 for full weekend, $215 with off-site 
lodging, $125 for Sunday only. Info: [PHONE], or 
[EMAIL].  Early-bird specials 
available until TODAY;    don’t wait!   Register online at 
www.SOMAmushrooms.org, e-mail SOMAcampinfo@
SOMAmushrooms.org, or call [PHONE].
Deadline for the January 2008 
issue of Mycena News is
December 15.
Please send your articles, 
calendar items, and other 
information to:
[EMAIL]