Abstract Detail

Mycological Section

Redhead, Scott A. [1].

A century of mushrooming in Canada.

The first Canadian nationwide guide to mushrooms and toadstools by Gussow and Odell (1927) treated 166 species: 109 common agarics, 11 boletes, 3 chanterelles, 5 polypores, 7 clavaroid and 4 hydnoid fungi, 4 stinkhorns, 9 puffballs, 1 bird’s nest fungus, 1 jelly fungus, and 12 fleshy Ascomycetes e.g. true and false morels and cup fungi. Groves (1962) edible and poisonous mushrooms of Canada guide covered 301 species (230 common or conspicuous agarics, 24 boletes, 7 chanterelles, and 40 other miscellaneous species with large fruitbodies). Prior to or coinciding with the first national guide, Murrill (between 1909-24), Burlingham (1910-15), Kauffmann (1924-32), Overholts (1924-32) and Pennington (1915) published a series of treatments in North American Flora incidentally recording just over 100 common, rare, or unique agarics (Agaricaceae) and boletes (Boletaceae) from Canada. Nearly all of these species have been reclassified and there has been an explosion of new taxa (orders, families, genera and species) first based upon microscopic examination and now based on phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences. The term mushroom itself is vaguely defined and defies clear definition, just as species, genera and families defy definition and even fungal individuals cannot be clearly delineated. The fates of these first reported “mushroom” species and the current states of affair for agarics and some other mushrooms in Canada will be outlined.

1 - ECORC - National Mycological Herbarium (DAOM), Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Science & Technology Branch, 960 Carling Ave., Neatby Bldg., CEF., Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada

Keywords:
Agaricales
Boletales
Dikarya
Pezizales
Cantharellales
history
Nomenclature
taxonomy.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 22
Location: Salon 1/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 4:00 PM
Number: 22002
Abstract ID:1149
Candidate for Awards:None