Pembrokeshire Fungus Recorder Issue 4/2013

Pembrokeshire Fungus Recorder Issue 4/2013 Published quarterly by the Pembrokeshire Fungus Recording Network www.pembsfungi.org.uk Contents Fungus records Choke fungus on grasses Pot plant ascomycete surprise Kew DNA project finds two new Waxcap species Network News Hygrocybe acutoconica at Freshwater West Dave Levell Introduction 2012/2013 rainfall (mm) 200 As for the previous period, the Average rainfall for this quarter was be- 2012 2013 low the 20-year average for each 150 month. Fortunately (for fungal fruiting) September was not too far below average. 100 (Weather data courtesy of FSC, 50 Orielton) 0 This autumn sees the first UK- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec wide national fungus day (logo pictured right) with events planned across the country on and around the 13th October. Our local event on the day is a Freshwater East dune and grassland foray. See Network News for more information about activi- ties involving our network. At the time of writing, fungus recording is well underway in the County with a stream of interesting records coming in. Looking ahead, the challenge is for key members to develop skills in particular genera or habitats so we can extend the breadth of knowledge across the network. David Harries, PFRN coordinator ([email protected]) October 2013 Records Two species of Bird’s Nest fungi have been reported in recent weeks: Adam Pollard photographed some fine examples of Cyathus striatus (Fluted Bird's Nest Fungus) spotted by Suzanne Powell in woodland at West Williamston Nature Reserve. This is the first record for the species in Pembrokeshire which looks like a collection of shaggy, brown cones up to 10 mm high on dead wood. C. striatus is distin- guished from similar species by the grooved (striate) inside surface of the cone. Mature specimens hold egg-shaped spore-containing structures called "peridioles" which are dispersed by the action of rain- water droplets. A similar species, Cyathus olla, turned up on dead vegeta- tion on sand dunes at Poppit in late September. This species is a little larger than C. striatus, with a wider mouth lacking distinct grooves on the inside. Top: Cyathus striatus on dead wood (Adam Pollard) Right: Cyathus olla on dead stem on dunes (David Harries) Adam reported another good find, and first for the County, in mid September: Pluteus umbrosus, (Velvet Shield) characterised by its wrinkled cap covered in velvety scales. This species is found on rotting wood - in this case Sycamore - or sometimes sawdust . Matt Sutton was rewarded with a good crop of early autumn species, especially amanitas, russulas and boletes, in woodland at Wyndrush Pastures. An especially interesting find was Amanita olivaceogrisea - a rarely recorded species found in wet woodland. Voucher material has been collected and prepared for Kew. Another find reported by Matt just before just before compiling this report was a rare form of Phallus impudicus (Common Stinkhorn) - variety togatus which describes the white lace-like skirt that surrounds the head of the fruit body. Mid: Pluteus umbrosus (Adam Pollard) Right: Amanita olivaceogrisea View “in situ” and an example of a fresh cap still showing veil remnants (Matt Sutton) 2 Matt Sutton reported two remarkable fungi growing on decay- ing Russula fruit bodies: Asterophora lycoperdoides (Powdery Piggyback Cap) and A. parasitica (Silky Piggyback Cap). Further examples of Asterophora were subsequently reported from Minwear (Vicky Tomlinson) and Orielton Field Centre (DJH). Both species typically measure 5 to 15 mm in cap diameter and have the unusual property of forming two types of spore - basidiospores for sexual reproduction (like most common gilled fungi) and chlamydospores for asexual reproduction, producing clones of the original fungus. A. parasitica has a cap covered in fine fibrils giving a silky white appearance. Basidiospores and chlamydospores develop on the gills. The caps of mature specimens of A. lycoperdoides become covered in a pale grey/brown coating of chlamydospores. The gills however are poorly formed and contain only a few basidiospores. The chlamydospores have an unusual star shape as shown in the photograph. Top: Asterophora parasitica (Matt Sutton) Mid: A. lycoperdoides 20 µm. Bottom: Detail of chlamydospores (David Harries) Choke fungus on grasses (DJH) Anyone finding a white or yellow collar surrounding a grass stem might, at first glance, suspect they are looking at a collection of insect eggs. In fact, this is the fertile part, called the stroma, of a fungus from the genus Epichloë (Choke fungus). Choke fungus has a complex relationship with both the host grass and insects (Bultmann and Leuchtmann, 2008). The infected grass becomes more robust and vigorous and, due to the production of toxic substances, becomes less susceptible to grazing by herbivores and insect attack. A downside to infection is that flowering of the infected plants is inhibited leading to the loss of seed production which is a concern to commercial grass seed producers. The name "choke" arises from the sterilising or choking of the infected grass. The relationship with insects involves a fly: Botanophi- Stroma (plural stromata): a mass of fun- la phrenione. The fly lands on the fungus stroma to feed gal tissue that has spore-bearing struc- and to lay eggs which subsequently hatch into larvae tures embedded in or on it. which in turn feed on the fungus. The fungus thus provides a food source for the fly. 3 After laying its eggs, the fly moves off to visit another clump of grass affected by Choke fungus. In doing so, it carries with it tiny fungus cells called spermatia which were in- gested whilst feeding. These are excreted onto the stroma on other Choke-infected grasses whilst the fly feeds. Once deposited, the spermatia cross-fertilise with other cells to enable the fungus to reproduce and continue its life cycle. The spermatia are not able to move by themselves, so the fungus relies on the fly to transport them to another site. Now that the stroma has been cross-fertilised it can develop ascospores which, when mature, are ejected to enable the fungus to spread to new sites by infecting seeds on other grasses flowering nearby. The grass seed carries the fungus which subsequently develops inside the new growing plant until conditions are right for development of a stroma and continuation of the life-cycle. The specimens shown here produced white 20 µm. stromata, becoming orange-yellow when mature, 10-15 mm long, on Agrostis stolonifera (Creeping Bent). The ascospores measured 24-33(-47) x 1.6-2.3 Top: Collection of choke-affected grass stems μm. The host species and measurements of the stromata and ascospores are consistent with the Bottom: Stroma detail description for Epichloë baconii. (Spooner and Kemp, 2005). Earlier British records for Epichloë were mostly recorded as E. typhina based on the available literature and understanding of the genus at the time. In 1995, Spooner and Kemp provided a key to 6 species of Epichloë found in the UK leading to a wider range of species records. The Fungus Records Database for Britain and Ireland shows 30 records (including duplicates) with none from Wales. The specimens shown here were collected from a grassy path edge near a pond at Somerton Farm (near Pembroke) in August. The host grass was identified by Holly Harries and confirmed by Nigel Stringer. Voucher material has been deposited with the fungarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. References: Bultmann, T. L. and Leuchtmann, A. (2008). Biology of the Epichloë-Botanophila Interaction: an Intriguing Association between Fungi and Insects. Fungal Biology Reviews 22 (3/4): 131–138 Spooner, B. M. and Kemp, S. L. (2005). Epichloë in Britain. Mycologist 19 (2): 82-87. 4 Pot plant ascomycete surprise (DJH) Purchases can sometimes throw up unexpected surprises. One such bonus arose from a purchase of a rather fine citrus plant (Kumquat) from our local LIDL store. Some months after the purchase, I noticed a collection of small orange discoid fungi amongst mosses on the surface of the soil in which the plant was potted. The apothecia measured from 1 to 3 mm. in diameter and had no visible hairs around the edge. Examination of the internal structure by microscopy confirmed the species as an ascomycete with asci each containing 8 ellipsoid, smooth, ascospores measuring 20-27 x 15-18 μm. Details were sent to Peter Thompson who suggested the species was Octospora roxheimii and referred me to an illustration in his recent publication (Thompson, 2013). Peter pointed out that the species was associated with Funar- ia mosses and was usually recorded from burnt ground. I looked again at the plant pot and took photographs of the most dominant moss which appeared to be consistent with Funaria hygrometrica which is known to favour bare, disturbed, nutrient-rich soils including old bonfire sites. I for- warded images of the moss to Sam Bosanquet, who kindly confirmed the moss identification and pointed out that the Developing spores in ascus. moss Bryum argenteum was also present. (bar: 50 µm) Details were also sent to Jan Eckstein, who “....maintains a specialist website dedicated to the study of bryoparasitc Pezizales - a small group of about 90 closely related species of Ascomycetes which are parasitic to Bryophytes.” Jan very kindly confirmed the identification, and noted that on his website the species is referred to as O. excipulata. The website indicates the host mosses as Funaria hygrometrica, very rarely Aphanorhegma patens and Physcomitrium sphaericum, with the fungus infecting the stem and leaf cells but not the the rhizoids. The habitat is recorded as open, disturbed ground, especially on burned ground and on potting soil in greenhouses and garden centres.

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