GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

336 GROWTH PARAMETERS
Taxonomic Synonyms & Considerations: At
various times, called Strophariaferrii Bres. or
Stropharia irnaiana Benedix.
Description: Cap 4-13 cm. reddish brown at
first, fading in age, broadly convex to plane at
maturity. Margin incurved at first, connected
by a thick, membranous veil. Veil breaking
with age to form a thick membranous ring radially
split with gill-like ridges, usually darkened
with spores. Teeth-like veil remnants
often seen at the time the ring separates from
the cap. Stem thick, equal, enlarging towards
the base where thick, white radiating
rhizomorphs extend.
Distribution: This mushroom is especially common in the mid-Atlantic states like New York, New
Jersey, and Massachusetts. Although first described from North America in 1922, this mushroom is
now found in Europe, New Zealand and Japan. This mushroom probably became widely distributed
through the export of ornamentals and wood chips.Yokoyama has deposited a strain in the culture library
of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC # 42263 = IFO 30225) isolated from rice
straw.
Natural Habitat: In hardwood forests and/or amongst hardwood debris or in soils rich in
undecomposed woody matter, especially common in the wood chip mulch used in outdoor urban!
suburban plantings of ornamentals.
Microscopic Features: Spores purple brown, giving a purplish black spore print, measuring 11-13 x
7.5-8 p, smooth, ellipsoid. Clamp connections present.
Available Strains: "Vinnetou," a popular European strain and "Olympia", a widely distributed strain
from the Pacific Northwest of North America
Mycelial Characteristics: Whitish, linear to longitudinally radial, not aerial, comparatively slow
growing. Mycelium in culture lacks the pronounced rhizomorphs seen in nature. Under sterile conditions,
the mycelium is cottony, not aerial, and often flattens with differentiated plateau-like
formations. (If the culture dishes are taped with Parafilm ®, the mycelium becomes aerial.)After prolonged
incubation on grain, the mycelium secretes a clear, yellow, metabolic exudate. If not
transferred to new media and allowed to over-incubate, this highly acidic exudatejeopardizes the vitality
of the host mycelium. This fluid may have interesting pharmacological, antibiotic, and/or
enzymatic properties and, to my knowledge, has not yet been analyzed.
Fragrance Signature: A unique, strong, phenolic-like fragrance is imparted by the mycelium after colonizing
grain. Once on sawdust, the mycelium out-gasses a rich, pleasing, Figure 296. S. rugoso-annulata fruiting from wheat
straw topped ("cased") with a layer of soil.
and forest-like scent.
Natural Method of Outdoor Cultivation: This mushroom can be easily transplanted, a technique
PDF compression, OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor