Members call themselves amateur mycologists - those who study mushrooms and other fungi.

"We consider ourselves serious amateur mycologists," said the association's president, David Rose.

Within a relatively short time he evolved from a gifted amateur mycologist to one appreciated by his more academic peers.

The new mushroom dynamic has stunned amateur mycologists, by nature a gentle breed.

In 1880, he moved to West Virginia and began his post-military career as a minor author and amateur mycologist.

I knew something about mushrooms; before I married Jeff, I had gone with an amateur mycologist.

The good news is that the experienced amateur mycologist can identify them.

He helped amateur mycologists correctly identify fungal specimens during his weekends.

"In return, amateur mycologists provided him with many specimens of fungicolous Hypomyces."

He even had amateur mycologists, among them the late John Cage, the composer, bring wild mushrooms to the restaurant.