Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1971 A Taxonomic Study of the Coprophilous Ascomycetes of Southeastern Illinois Alan Douglas Parker Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Botany at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Parker, Alan Douglas, "A Taxonomic Study of the Coprophilous Ascomycetes of Southeastern Illinois" (1971). Masters Theses. 3958. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/3958 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PA ER CERTIFICATE #2 f TO Graduate Degree Candidates who have written formal theses. SUBJECT: Permission to reproduce theses. 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S. 1n Ed., E�.stern Illinois Uni vers 1 ty, 1969 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Science IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 1971 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE 3 �./f7/ TE .) �· /171 ATE . -· ACKNOHLEDGEMENTS The author \'lishes to express sincere gratitude and appreciation to Dr. 1.'lesley C. Whiteside for the advice, criticism, and encouragement nhich he continually gave throughout the research and writing of this paper. Thanks are also extended to Dr. John Ebinger and Dr. Grant Gray for their criticism and suggestions, and to Mr. Laurence Crofutt for the gracious loan of glass\'/are and media. Larry Dennis of Mattoon is acicnowledged for supplying the culture of Cha.etomiur.1 aterri!!lum. Fine.lly, the author is greatly indebted to his nife , Diana , r1hose patience and encoura�enent, especially during the typing of this paper, has made the completion of this study a most pleasant task. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNO\"/LEDGEI•IENTS • ii INTRODUCTION • 1 LITEHATURE REVIEW • • 8 MATERIALS AND HETHODS • 1L� SPECIES LIST AND COLLECTION DATA . • . 22 DISCUSSION . 38 SUNl-'tARY . ·49 LITl�R.l\.TURE CITED • • . 50 KEY TO COPROPHILOUS .A.SCOMYCETES • 56 • • • • CHART 1 • • • • 61 CHART 2 • . 65 . PLATES • • 69 iii INTRODUCTION This taxonomic study has been primarily undertaken to gain a knov1ledge of the relative abundance and number of pecie of coprophilous ascomycetes, excluding the yeasts, s s in southeastern Illinois. The area encompassed in this study includes Coles, Cumberland, Clark, Douglas, La�rence, and Richland Counties. In the course of this research over one hundred collections of various kinds of herbivore manure have been examined. Also included are tuo pellets from predatory birds. Previous kno\'Jledge of this group of fungi in Illinois has been restricted to study conducted by Lane a_ ( 1951), primarily from collections rJade in Champaign County. The Ascomycetes are laree group of higher fungi. a According to Ains•:1orth ci.ncl Bisby ( 195!�), there are approx­ imately 1,700 genera and 15,000 species, while Bessey (1950) a:ppro�[imates the nm::i.ber of species to be 42, 000 . The distin­ guishing characteristic of all mer:ibers of the class .1\scomycetes is a sac-like cell called an ascus. The ascus contains asco­ spores, nhich are the p:roduct of karyocar:1y ci.nd meiosis 1:1ithin the ascus, and therefore are the perfect s�ore stasc. l�ny ascooycetes also reproduce asexually, forning irn�erfect spores usua.lly called conidia, althou.sh in �1easts and certa:L!l other grou-p2 they are so�-�etiraes dGsigDated. as blastospores or oidia ( arthrospores)� 1 2 The taxonomy of the class Ascomycetes is based on morpho­ logical characters. The kind and color of ascocarp, the type of ascus, the arrangement of asci, and the characteristics of ascospores are important features used in the classification of this group of fungi. The four kinds of ascocarps found in this class are the cleistothecium, a completely closed structure; the perithecium, generally a vase-shaped structure with an ostiole; the apothe­ cium, an open, cup-shaped structure; and the ascostroma, a stroma which forms the wall of the ascocarp. Five major cate­ gories of ascomycetes are recognized according to the type of ascocarp and the arrangement of the asci within the ascocarp: those which bear naked asci with no ascocarp, the Hemiascomycetidae; those �hich produce scattered asci within a cleistothecium or perithecium, the Euascomycetidae, series Plectomycetes; those with asci arranged in a basal hymenium within a cleistothecium or a perithecium, the Euascomycetidae, series Pyrenomycetes: those with asci formed in a apothecium, the Euascomycetidae, series Discomycetes; and those with asci produced in an ascostroma, the Loculoascomycetidae. The primary division of ascomycetes is according to ascus morphology. Two distinct ascus types are evident, the bituni­ cate ascus and the unitunicate ascus. All members of the sub­ class Loculoascomycetidae have bitunicate asci . The subclass Hemiascomycetidae has unitunicate asci, as do most members of the subclass ·Euascomy:c. etidae. The f�w members of the 3 Euascomycetidae, the Patellariaceae, which possess bitunicate asci never form their asci in an ascostroma, but rather in an apothecium. The bitunicate ascus has a wall composed of two distinct layers, the exoascus and the endoascus. The exoascus ruptures at the apex, allowing the endoascus to expand, forming a long cylindrical sac. Typically the ascospores are forcibly dis­ charged through an elastic pore at the apex of the expanded endoascus. This pore is not distinct in the mature ascus prior to dehiscence, and lacks the variation in structure found in the majority of unitunicate asci (Luttrell, 1951). The unitunicate ascus wall is composed of two thin, closely appressed layers, giving the impression of a single wall. The ascus wall may be relatively rigid, or in some instances it may be extensible. Ascospore release is accom­ plished by one of several mechanisms. The evanescent ascus dissolves or breaks down to release the ascospores. The asci in which forcible discharge of ascospores occurs have several apical mechanisms. In the large: order Pezizales, the ascus opens by a lid, or operculum, which is forced open vihen the spores are discharged. Dennis (1968) described the ascus of the order Helotialen as having a simple apical pore, usually penetrating a somewhat thickened and conical portion of the ascus \·1all, and the ascus of the order Ostropales as often having a cap-like thickening at the tip. Luttrell (1951) assigned a representative genus to �esignate the dispers�l 4 mechanism in those orders in �hich the ascospores are dis- charged throueh a split or an apical po re in the ascus. The Nectria type ascus usually lacks a distinct por� , and. the spores are discharged through a weakened area in the ascus apex. The Erysinhe type ascus always lacks a distinct pore, and the asci burst as a result of a split in the ascus ape��. In the Claviceps type, the ascus apex forms a thickened hemi- spherical cap penetrated by a fine po re. The Xylaria type has a thickened apex and a pore. The pore has a thickened annular ring surrounding it , giving the appearance of a cro\'/n in the apex of the ascus. The Diatrype and Endothia types . both have an apical pore surrounded by a refractive ring (Luttrell, 1951). The type of ascospores, nurnber of spores per ascus, and to a lesser extent the color, ornamentation, size , and arrange� raent of spores are important characters used primarily in the separation of genera of ascomycetes. The spore types which occur in this gro up are the amerospore , a one-celled, rounded or ovoid spore; the didymospore, a t\'10-celled spore; the phrag- mospore, a spore with two or more septa ; the dictyospore, or muriforr.1 spore, \'lith septa in t1:10 or more ple.nes; and the scolecospore, a long, thin spor e, rlith or v1ithout septa (Ainsnorth and Bisby, 1954). The number of ascospores per ascus j_s t yp::!..ca. 11 -Y eir;n. 't , but the number may vary from one to over a thousand spores per ascus in certain species. The arrangement of asco�pores is usually uniseriate or biseriete, 5 but inordinate.and fasciculate arrangements occur in some genera. Spore color may range from hyaline to shades of purple, bro rm, or black. In some groups the ascospores are ornamented by granules, warts; spines , cracks , anastomosing striae, or reticulations. Ascospore size and ornaaentation are important in the separation of species. Coprophilous ascomycetes are a corimon group of fungi encountered on various kinds of herbivore dung. When properly treated, dung collected at any time of the year will provide representatives of this group abundantly. Some species appear very frequently and in laree nunbers, r1hile others seem to be restricted in occurrence. Coprophilous species are found in the orders Eurotiales and Microascales of the Plectomycetes, Chaetomiales and Sphaeriales of the Pyrenomyc etes , Pezizales of the Discomycetes , and Pleosporales of the Loculoasco�ycetes.