Amanita Echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél

AMANITA ECHINOCEPHALA (VITT.) QUÉL. IN ROMANIA

AMANITA ECHINOCEPHALA (VITT.) QUÉL. ÎN ROMÂNIA

HUŢANU Mariana University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iasi, Romania

Abstract: The paper refers to Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél., that is a less frecquent species in Romania. This species has been identified in Iaşi city, for three years, in August 2004, September 2005 and August 2006. We have also found in the Exhibition Park from Iaşi city, in 2005 year, some specimens of Phallus hadriani Vent.: Pers., a rare species in Romania [12], that was cited for the first time on 1995 and 1996 in Iaşi city, by the author [7]. Key words: chorology, macromycetes, rare species.

Rezumat: Lucrarea se referă la Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél., care este o specie puţin frecventă în România. Această specie a fost identificată în Iaşi, timp de trei ani consecutiv, în august 2004, septembrie 2005 şi august 2006. De asemenea, în anul 2005 s-au identificat în Parcul Expoziţiei din Iaşi, câteva exemplare de Phallus hadriani Vent.: Pers., o specie rară în România [12], care a fost citată prima dată din Iaşi, în 1995 şi 1996, de către autoare [7]. Cuvinte cheie: corologie, macromicete, specii rare.

INTRODUCTION The paper refers to Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél., that is a less frecquent species in Romania. We have also found in the Exhibition Park from Iaşi city some specimens of Phallus hadriani Vent.: Pers., another less common species in Romania.

MATERIAL AND METHOD We made some pictures of the material we collected on the ground to emphasize the macroscopic characteristics. We also made pictures of the spores under the optic microscope Krüss. The material is in the personal collection.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The taxonomic classification of the species Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél. is the following: the family Amanitaceae, the order Agaricales, the subclass Agaricomycetidae, the class Basidiomycetes, the phyllum Basidiomycota, the kingdom Fungi [13]. The cap of the mushroom is like a puffball in the begining, then it becomes convex, 6-20 cm in diameter, white and covered with conic and sharp pits, more frequent in the centre that on the edges. The edge is sorrounded by a membrane that hangs on, delicate laced. The cuticule is shiny and sticky. The stalk of the mushroom is spindle-like, 10-20 cm high, white, sturdy, sometimes with a ruffled thick base. The ring is large, with wavy edges, placed directly under cap. The gills are white, very thin and dense. The spores are white, 10 x 7 μm, of

61 an oval shape (fig. 1). The trama is white, with faint smell and taste. The colour of the cap may be change in time with age, in the young specimens the cuticule is purely white, but it gets older, it gets browner [2, 3, 6]. The habitat of this species is the dry decidous and coniferous forests. It is a species met in summer and autumn, from August to October. The edibility of the mushroom is doubtfoul. Species with similar colour and aspect are Amanita vittadinii (Moretti) Vitt. and A. strobiliformis (Vitt.) Bertill. [3].

Fig. 1. The spores of the species Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél. under the optic microscope (600 x)

The chorology of the species in Romania. The species Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél., is less frequent in Romania, being known in the following sites: • the Bârnova forest - Iaşi [5, 8]; • the Botanical Garden of Bucarest, on the soil, under lime trees, on 7.X.1963 and 31.X.1963 [10]. It is also mentioned in the paper of the authors K. Laszló and D. Pázmány, after Vera Bontea [4]. This species has been identified also in the Iaşi city, in Copou district, where many specimens has been founded on the soil, under the decidous trees, on 2004 year (23 and 25 August), 2005 year (20 September) (fig. 2 and 3) and 2006 year (23 and 25 August). In the places where the mushrooms were identified, we have noticed the following species of cormophytes: Fraxinus excelsior L., Acer platanoides L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Tilia cordata Miller, Tilia tomentosa Moench., Quercus robur L., Aesculus hippocastanum L., Cornus sanguinea L. On 2005 year (21 August) we also found on the soil, under Aesculus hippocastanum L., in the Exhibition Park, the same city and the same district, some specimens of Phallus hadriani Vent.: Pers., a rare species in Romania [12], that was cited for the first time on 1995 and 1996 in Iaşi city, by the author [7].

Fig. 2. Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél., general image (Iaşi, September 2005).

Fig. 3. Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél., general image (Iaşi, September 2005).

CONCLUSIONS 1. The paper refers to the species Amanita echinocephala (Vitt.) Quél. Another species that we have found in the same district is Phallus hadriani Vent.: Pers. 2. On complete the chorology of some species less frequent in Romania with new informations. 3. We consider that the presence of these species in Iaşi city is a little surprising, as they found propitious life conditions in such seminatural habitats.

Acknowledgements. The photos both of spores and mushrooms are made by collegues from Biological Research Institute and to whom we are most grateful.

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