Subject: morels in Eastern Canada

From: [email-masked] (Paul Stewart)
Date: 19 May 1995 01:02:17 -0400

Here in Prince Edward Island, Canada (~46N Latitude) I found a dozen or 
so morels about 1-2 inches high starting a week ago, in sandy soil 
covered with moss under black spruce trees less than 10 years old. I 
thought they were M. esculenta but on closer inspection they had the same 
radially arranged furrows as M. elata. Is this a rare species? Where is 
it usually found? The short mention in Stamets's recent book suggests it 
belongs to the "black morel" group along with M. angustifolia. Does this 
mean it may be cultured as that species described in his text, in rye 
grass seed cased with peat moss and CaSO4? I put some tissue onto MYA and 
OMYA just in case I find out eventually. Are morels considered 
mycorrhizal? If so, on what roots, of trees?

On a more general line, what is the youngest tree age expected to support 
mycorrhizal mushrooms? I heard trees need to be 30-40 years old, but I 
have found chanterelles under much younger spruce and pine (10-15 
years). Is it possible that the root systems of previous trees after a 
clearcut still support the mycorrhizal mycelia until it can get a 
foothold on younger trees that grow in next? Does this suggest that 
mycelial communities such as morel or chanterelle could be dozens, even 
hundreds of years old? It seems to me that there are never enough of 
these fungi around to replenish or sustain the mycelial network in the soil.
I'm looking for ideas to enhance what's already there but not dense 
enough or whatever to produce fruiting. The morels seemed to explode from 
the ground a few days after a freak sleet storm that left 2-3 inches of 
wet snow on the ground for three days, then just as suddenly melted. For 
more flushes could this be repeated with crushed ice or snow from a local 
rink, dumped on the same spot in a few weeks?

In case all this seems too frivolous to respond to, here's an easy one:

Anyone know of a WWW or other site where I can find back issues of 
McIlvanea the mushroom journal? Thanks all...guess we get morels here 
after everyone else is done with them.

ABIOGEN c/o Paul Stewart
RR #2 Vernon Bridge
Prince Edward Island
CANADA   C0A 2E0
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Richard Winder)
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 16:25:45 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] 
(Paul Stewart) writes:
>radially arranged furrows as M. elata. Is this a rare species? 

{snip}

We've been finding all kinds of intergrades on Vancouver Island, morels with
features intermediate between M. esculenta, M. angusticeps, and M. deliciosa.
Just when you think you've got them sorted out, a new intermediate form
shows up.  I'd say morel taxonomy is still kind of cloudy at this point.

>Are morels considered 

Facultatively ectomycorrhizal, perhaps.  
q.v.:

Buscot, F. and Kottke, I. 1990. The association of Morchella rotunda (Pers.)
Boudier with roots of Picea abies (L.) Karst.  New Phytologist 116:425-430.

Buscot, F., and Roux, J. 1987.  The association between living roots and
ascocarps of of Morchella rotunda (Pers.) Boudier.  Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc. 
89-249-252.

I also remember reading somewhere that there may be mycorrhizal associations 
with various smaller plants (ferns, moss, grass).  I can't recall where,
though.
>mycorrhizal mushrooms?

In the tundra of our two northern territories, I've seen Boletes (which 
looked B. strobilaceus) which were taller than any possible hosts in the
vicinity! (Presumably the hosts were the numerous stunted Salix spp.).  Of 
course, with lots of underground root connections, there may have been plants 
there with the same photosynthesizing capacity as a larger tree, but I think 
this implies that tree age/height may not be critical.  It might be that many 
saplings planted together could be the functional equivalent of one large 
tree.  -RSW

  RICHARD WINDER                    Title: Research Scientist
  Canadian Forest Service           Phone: (604) 363-0773
  Victoria, B.C.                    Internet: [email-masked]