Tom Volk's Fungi
Department of Biology
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Updated June 13, 2009. Welcome to Tom Volk's Fungi ! My web page went online November 25, 1995, although I had several hundred images online on a "gopher" server starting July 1994. The first month I had 158 hits, mostly from my reloading the page to see if it was still online. By contrast, last month there were more than 17,000 hits on this page. In the past 12 years I have had more than 990,000 hits on this main page (173,000+ in the past year), with untold millions on all my pages and images. Thanks to all the non-professional and professional mycologists, students, teachers and the myco-curious who have visited and revisited my pages.
A couple years ago, I was featured in "La Crosse Magazine," published by Severson Design. You can view the pdf of the file here. It has one of the few pictures of me that I don't hate. Thanks to La Crosse Magazine for the nice feature!
I am very grateful to Mike Clayton of the UW-Madison Botany Department for getting me started and for hosting my pages all these years. Visit his Botany Instructional Technology web page at botit.botany.wisc.edu. You'll be very impressed.
Please read some of the 250 or so webpages made by my students in Organismal Biology, a class I have now taught three times. Each student could choose any organism and make a web page about it. Of course many of them chose the "charismatic megafauna," but some chose more interesting organisms. In future years students will not be allowed to repeat previous organisms, so we got the pandas and the cheetahs and the elephants out of the way. Some of the pages are very creative, and I have been very impressed with the overall quality. Please visit MultipleOrganisms.net.
Agaricus augustus, the Prince-- and quite an august mushroom Agaricus bisporus, the white button mushroom, pizza mushroom, portabella, or crimini. Agrocybe praecox, a common spring inhabitant of wood chips. Aleurodiscus oakesii, the oak parchment, cause of "smooth patch disease" The death angel, Amanita bisporigera, Amanita virosa, and Amanita verna. Amanita marmorata subspecies myrtacearum, a Hawaiian mushroom in honor of Dr. Orson K. Miller, Jr., in honor of the 2007 North American Mycological Association Orson K. Miller Jr. NAMA foray in Pipestem, West Virginia, August 16-19 Amanita muscaria, the fly agaric -- a hallucinogenic and poisonous mushroom. Armillaria gallica, the Humongous Fungus. Armillaria nabsnona, honey mushroom number nine. Or you can jump right to nabsnona.html this page , which is an online version of the original paper by Volk, Burdsall, and Banik describing this species. Armillaria solidipes, an older name for Armillaria ostoyae, North American Biological Species I, NABS I, with co-author Hal Burdsall. Aspergillus, a deuteromycete useful in industrial mycology-- and also a human pathogen. Aspergillus fumigatus, cause of Aspergillosis. Asterophora lycoperdoides, the star bearing powder cap mushroom. Astraeus hygrometricus, an earthstar. Auricularia auricula-judae, Judas's ear fungus. Blastomyces dermatitidis, cause of Blastomycosis in humans and other animals. Boletus edulis, the king bolete, steinpilz, cép, or porcino (plural porcini). Bridgeoporus nobilissimus, the giant, rare, and endangered polypore of the Pacific Northwest. Or you can jump right to bridgeop.html this page , which is a reprint of a paper by Burdsall, Volk, and Ammirati called "Bridgeoporus, a new genus to accommodate Oxyporus nobilissimus." Calvatia gigantea, the giant puffball. . Candida albicans, cause of most yeast infections in humans. Candida krusei, Geotrichum, and Acaulospora scrobiculata, a trio of fungi needed for making chocolate for Valentine's day Cantharellus cibarius, the chanterelle. Caulorhiza umbonata, the rooting redwood mushroom Chlorociboria aeruginascens, the green stain fungus, with co-author Jessie Glaeser. Cladonia cristatella, the British Soldier Lichen Cladonia rangifera, one of the reindeer lichens Claviceps purpurea, cause of the plant disease ergot and likely factor in the Salem Witch Trials Clavicorona pyxidata, the crown-tipped coral fungus. Clitocybe nuda, the wood blewit. Chlorophyllum molybdites, the green spored Lepiota, the most common cause of mushroom poisoning in North America . Climacodon septentrionale, the northern tooth fungus. It's my 50th Fungus of the Month! Coccidioides immitis, cause of the nasty fungal disease coccidioidomycosis, aka Valley Fever Collybia tuberosa, the mushroom-loving Collybia. Coprinus comatus, the shaggy mane Cordyceps ophioglossoides, a pathogen of an underground fungus Cordyceps subsessilis, also called Tolypocladium inflatum Cortinarius semisanguineus, a beautiful mycorrhizal mushroom used for dyeing wool. Craterellus fallax, the black trumpet chanterelle Craterellus tubaeformis---- Tubies, in honor of mushroom forays and fairs in California. Cryphonectria parasitica, causal agent of chestnut blight. Cryptothecia rubrocincta, the Christmas lichen Cyathus striatus and Crucibulum vulgare, bird's nest fungi. Daldinia concentrica, the coal fungus, carbon balls, cramp balls, King Alfred's cakes deuteromycetes found on money Dictyophora duplicata,the netted stinkhorn. Disciotis venosa, the veined cup fungus and a relative of the morel. A mycological Easter egg hunt. Entoloma abortivum, the aborting Entoloma, a.k.a. hunter's heart, Totlcoxcatl, ground prunes Entomophthora muscae, a fungus that infects houseflies. Epidermophyton floccosum, one of the causes of athlete's foot. Faerie cups, various Ascomycota species such as Microstoma floccosum, Aleuria aurantia, Sarcoscypha occidentalis, Geopyxis carbonaria Filoboletus manipularis, a poroid mushroom from the tropics Flammulina velutipes, the velvet stem, or enokitake. Fomes fomentarius, the tinder polypore. Fuligo septica, the dog vomit slime mold. Gastrocybe lateritia, the bean sprout mushroom. Geomyces destructans, a fungus associated with bat White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) Gibberella zeae or Fusarium graminearum, head blight of wheat Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae, the cedar-apple rust. Gyromitra esculenta, one of the false morels. Gyroporus cyanescens, the blueing bolete. Galerina autumnalis, the deadly Galerina Ganoderma applanatum,the artist's conk. Ganoderma lucidum, reishi, the varnished conk used in Oriental medicine Gymnopilus spectabilis, waraitake, big laughing Gym, a hallucinogenic mushroom Hemitrichia serpula, the pretzel slime mold, in honor of Oktoberfest Hericium americanum, the bear's head tooth, monkey head, or icicle fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, cause of a lung disease called Histoplasmosis. Bob Dylan had this disease in 1997. Hohenbuehelia petaloides, a fungus that eats nematodes. Hydnellum caeruleum, the blue and orange Hydnellum. Hydnum umbilicatum, the sweet tooth mushroom or Hydnum repandum, the hedgehog. Hygrocybe conica, the witch's hat mushroom. Hypomyces lactifluorum, the lobster mushroom. Lactarius indigo, the indigo milk mushroom. Lactarius rubidus, candy caps Laetiporus cincinnatus, the white-pored chicken-of-the-woods Leucopholiota decorosa, the decorated white pholiota Lycoperdon pyriforme, the pear-shaped wolf-fart puffball Marasmius oreades, the fairy ring mushroom, also magically delicious Marasmius oreades, the fairy ring mushroom, special for St. Patrick's Day Monotropa uniflora, the ghost plant, aka Indian Pipe (just an honorary fungus) It's the morel! Morchella species, including Morchella esculenta Mutinus caninus, the dog stinkhorn, in honor of Dogtoberfest. Mycena haematopus, the bleeding Mycena . Mycena leaiana, the bright orange Mycena The Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom, Omphalotus olearius. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, cause of paracoccidioidomycosis, aka South American Blastomycosis, Brazilian Blastomycosis Paragyrodon sphaerosporus, the leathery-veiled bolete, an unusual fungus that we found at the NAMA foray in La Crosse in 2005. Penicillium chrysogenum = P. notatum, the source for penicillin-- making it possible to have more veterans for Veteran's Day. Phanerochaete chrysosporium, a corticioid fungus useful in biopulping and bioremediation. Phellinus igniarius, Iqmik, used by native Americans Phellinus tremulae, one of the causes of heartrot, in "honor" of Valentine's Day A patriotic trio of corticioid (crust) fungi: Phlebia coccineofulva, Hyphoderma puberum, and Pulcherricium caeruleum Phytophthora infestans, cause of late blight of potato and the Irish potato famine. Pisolithus tinctorius, the dog turd fungus or dyemaker's puffball. Pilobolus crystallinus, the Fung in the Dung, in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom. Pluteus cervinus, the deer mushroom. Powdery Mildews, plant parasites. Profollias downhoki, the missing link between fungi and plants, Psilocybe cubensis, the hallucinogenic cow patty mushroom, Rhytisma acerinum and Rhytisma punctatum, two causes of Tar Spot of maple. Rozites caperata, the gypsy mushroom, reported to have antiviral properties. Russula emetica, the vomiting Russula. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, bakers' and brewers' yeast Sarcoscypha coccinea, the scarlet cup fungus. Schizophyllum commune, one of the world's most widespread fungi, and possessor of more than 28,000 different sexes. This page also includes an explanation of sex and mating types in fungi. Scorias spongiosa, the beech aphid poop-eater, Scutellinia scutellata, the eyelash cup fungus. Sistotrema confluens, an odd tooth fungus in honor of the tercentennary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. Sordaria fimicola, a fungus used in genetics Sparassis crispa, the cauliflower mushroom, a.k.a. the noodle mushroom. Sphaerobolus stellatus, the cannonball fungus, in honor of "the rockets' red glare." Sporothrix schenckii, cause of rose-picker's disease. Spinellus fusiger, in honor of Albert Einstein's 125th birthday. with co-author Adam Gusse. Stachybotrys chartarum, an alleged cause of "sick building syndrome." Stereum ostrea, the false turkey tail Suillus americanus, the chicken fat mushroom Terfezia and Tirmania, desert truffles Trametes versicolor, the turkey tail fungus. Tremella fuciformis, the snow fungus, an edible jelly fungus Tremella mesenterica, witch's butter. Trichoderma viride, the dark green parasitic mold and maker of fungal-digested jeans. Tricholoma magnivelare, the American matsutake mushroom Tuber gibbosum, the Oregon white truffle. Urnula craterium, the black tulip fungus. Ustilago maydis, corn smut or huitlacoche -- that's right it's "Smuts on the Internet." Venturia inaequalis, cause of apple scab. Xylaria polymorpha, dead man's fingers.