124 THE MICHIGAN BOTANIST Vol. 46

NOTEWORTHY COLLECTION

MICHIGAN

Multiclavula vernalis (Schw.) Petersen (Clavulinaceae) Previous knowledge. Most lichen-forming fungi belong to the Ascomycota, but a small number are known from the Basidiomycota (Oberwinkler 2001). Among the lichen-forming basidiomycetes, Multiclavula is one of the most fre- quently encountered genera in temperate climates. Many Multiclavula species have a tropical distribution (Petersen 1967; Nelsen et al. 2007), but five lich- enized species are known from North America (Brodo et al. 2001; Esslinger 2007). Interestingly, not all Multiclavula species associate with algae; some species occur free-living, while others are known to associate with moss pro- tonemata, and possibly slime molds (Petersen 1967). The thallus of lichenized Multiclavula taxa is composed of small bulbils consisting of algal cells with a thick layer of fungal hyphae surrounding the algal cells (Oberwinkler 1984, 2001; Nelsen et al. 2007). The thallus covers the substrate, and basidiocarps are occasionally produced. Various morphological and anatomical characters of the basidiocarp are generally used for identification, along with the ecology of the species (Petersen 1967; Nelsen et al. 2007). Because the basidiocarps are ephemeral, Multiclavula species may frequently go unnoticed, and are most likely much more common than reported. Significance of the report. Only one lichen-forming species of Multiclavula, Multiclavula mucida (Fr.) Petersen, is known from Michigan (Nelsen 2005). Here, a second lichen-forming Multiclavula species, Multiclavula vernalis (Schw.) Petersen, is reported for the first time from Michigan. M. vernalis occurs throughout eastern North America (Bennett 2006; Brodo et al. 2001; Nelsen 2006) and globally, is one of the most widespread of all Mul- ticlavula species (Petersen 1967; Petersen & Kantvilas 1986), but has not been reported from Michigan (Fryday et al. 2001). Diagnostic characters. Multiclavula vernalis typically occurs on soil; the fungal hyphae associate with algae (Coccomyxa), forming a lichenized crust over the substrate. It produces simple to lobed, clavate (club-shaped) basidio- carps that are cream to orange in color (Fig. 1) and may be up to 2 cm tall (Pe- tersen 1967). Specimen citations. MICHIGAN. Houghton County: Found on soil in the Michigan Tech Trails, on the north side of the southern trail in Peepsock Loop, near where Peepsock Loop meets the Linden Loop. 13 May 2007, Nelsen 3979 (MSC).

Multiclavula mucida (Fr.) Petersen (Clavulinaceae) Previous knowledge. Multiclavula mucida is the most cosmopolitan of the Multiclavula species (Petersen 1967). In North America, it is known from south- 2007 THE MICHIGAN BOTANIST 125

FIGURE 1. The terricolous M. vernalis, growing amongst mosses. A layer of algae and fungal hy- phae cover the soil, and cream to orange basidiocarps (shown in image) are produced. ern Ontario (Wong & Brodo 1992), Wisconsin (Wetmore & Bennett 2002; Thomson 2003; Lay 2004) and throughout eastern North America (Brodo et al. 2001). It forms a lichenized crust (with Coccomyxa algae) over shaded, rotten logs and has cream to tan basidiocarps which are clavate and simple or some- times basally branched (Petersen 1967; Brodo et al. 2001). Basidiocarps of M. mucida are similar in size to those of M. vernalis, growing up to 2 cm high (Petersen 1967). Diagnostic characters. Macroscopically, M. vernalis and M. mucida differ es- pecially in their ecology and basidiocarp color. Microscopically, the two differ in a number of characters. The basidia of M. vernalis are shorter than those of M. mucida (7–20 µm in M. vernalis and 15–25 µm in M. mucida), while the sterigmata are shorter in M. mucida (up to 4 µm in M. mucida and up to 7 µm in M. vernalis) and sometimes supernumerary (more than four) in M. mucida (Petersen 1967). Additionally, spores are larger in M. vernalis (4.5–7.7 × 1.8–3.2 µm in M. mucida and 8–12 × 2.5–3.5 µm in M. vernalis), while the cells of the contextual hyphae are much shorter in M. vernalis (Petersen 1967). Significance of the report. The M. mucida collection reported appears to be the second from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with the first being made in Baraga county (Nelsen 2005). M. mucida is also known from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula (A. Fryday, personal communication), and the record presented here is 126 THE MICHIGAN BOTANIST Vol. 46 the northernmost record in Michigan. Its rarity is probably related to the ephemeral nature of M. mucida, which makes collecting difficult. Specimen citations. MICHIGAN. Houghton County: Churning Rapids, 30 September 2006, Nelsen 3978 (MSC). Found on rotting log near stream just off of Great Oaks Trail, approximately 300m from trailhead at Christensen Road.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Carrie Andrew is thanked for discovering the M. vernalis and for discussion. Carrie Andrew and Mark Leach are thanked for companionship and assistance in the field. Jim Bennett, Alan Fryday and Cliff Wetmore are thanked for discussion, and Alan Fryday for improving the manuscript.

LITERATURE CITED Bennett, J. P. (2006). New or overlooked Wisconsin lichen records. Evansia 23: 28–33. Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff and S. Sharnoff. (2001). Lichens of North America. Yale University Press, New Haven and London. 795 pp. Esslinger, T. L. (2007). A cumulative checklist for the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada. North Dakota State University: http://www. ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/esslinge/chcklst/chcklst7.htm (Most Recent Update 2 April 2007), Fargo, North Dakota. Fryday, A. M., J. B. Fair, M. S. Googe and A. J. Johnson. (2001). Checklist of lichens and allied fungi of Michigan. Contributions from the University of Michigan Herbarium 23: 145–223. Lay, E. (2004). Wisconsin lichens and lichenicolous fungi collected during the 2002 Tuckerman lichen workshop. Evansia 21: 17–35. Nelsen, M. P. (2005). The basidiolichen Multiclavula mucida (Fr.) Petersen: new to Michigan. The Michigan Botanist 44: 192–193. Nelsen, M. P. (2006). An addition to the lichen flora of New Jersey: the basidiolichen Multiclavula vernalis (Schw.) Petersen. Evansia 23:11. Nelsen, M. P., R. Lücking, L. Umaña, M. T. Trest, S. Will-Wolf, J. L. Chaves and A. Gargas. (2007). Multiclavula ichthyiformis (Fungi: Basidiomycota: Cantharellales: Clavulinaceae), a remarkable new basidiolichen from Costa Rica. American Journal of Botany 94: 1289–1296. Oberwinkler, F. (1984). Fungus-alga interactions in basidiolichens. Beiheft zur Nova Hedwigia 79: 739–774. Oberwinkler, F. (2001). Basidiolichens. Pp. 211–225, In The Mycota IX: Fungal Associations. (B. Hock, editor). Springer-Verlag, Berlin. Petersen, R. H. (1967). Notes on clavarioid fungi IX: Redefinition of the Clavaria vernalis-C. mu- cida complex. American Midland Naturalist 77: 205–221. Petersen, R. H. and G. Kantvilas. (1986). Three lichen-forming clavarioid fungi from Tasmania. Aus- tralian Journal of Botany 34: 217–222. Thomson, J. W. (2003). Lichens of Wisconsin. Wisconsin State Herbarium, Madison, Wisconsin. 386 pp. Wetmore, C. M. and J. P. Bennett. (2004). Lichen studies in St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, Wisconsin. Report submitted to National Park Service. Wong, P. Y. and I. M. Brodo. (1992). The lichens of southern Ontario. Syllogeus 69:1–79.

——Matthew P. Nelsen Biotechnology Research Center School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan 49931-1295 Email: [email protected]