Karstenia 37:11-18, 1997 0 The Gasteromycetes of the Aland Islands, SW Finland: an annotated checklist CARL-ADAM fuEGGSTROM HJEGGSTROM, C.-A. 1997: The Gasteromycetes of the Aland Islands, SW Finland: an annotated checklist. - Karstenia 37:11-18. Helsinki. ISSN 0453-3402 Both herbarium specimens and published data on the Gasteromycetes s.l. of the Aland Islands are treated. Altogether, 37 species have been reported which is a little more than half of the total species number of Finland. Seven species, namely Bovista nigres­ cens, B. plumbea, Calvatia excipuliformis, C. utriformis, Lycoperdon perlatum, L. pyriforme and Phallus impudicus seem to be common or fairly common in the Aland Islands. Eight species, viz. Geastrum elegans, G. floriforme, G. schmidelii, G. stria­ tum, Langermannia gigantea, Lycoperdon echinatum, Melanogaster ambiguus and Tulostoma brumale are listed as threatened in Aland. Key words: Aland Islands, checklist, Finland, Gasteromycetes Carl-Adam Hceggstrdm, Department of Ecology and Systematics, PO. Box 7, FIN- 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland Introduction trum specimens in the herbarium of Dr. Stellan Sunhede which are treated in detail in his doctor­ The written knowledge of the Gasteromycetes of al thesis (Sunhede 1989). Besides my own col­ the Aland Islands has hitherto been both scat­ lections (included in H), I have obtained speci­ tered and rather insignificant. In his papers on mens from the following herbaria: H, OULU, Basidiomycetes of Finland, P.A. Karsten (1889, TUR, TURA and UPS . No specimens were sent 1893, 1898) enumerates 27 species, some of from GB , KUO, LD and S. Furthermore, I have them dubious, or defined differently than now, of tried to find published information on Gastero­ the Gasteromycetes s.l. found within the present mycetes from Aland. boundaries of Finland; none of them were men­ Older published data are rarely accompanied tioned to occur in Aland. by preserved material in herbaria. Therefore, Ulvinen (1976) enumerated 50 species of published information on certain species may Gasteromycetes s.l. found in Finland. Three fur­ contain wrong determinations regarding the spe­ ther species, whose status in Finland was uncer­ cies. Lacldng methods for controlling such cas­ tain, were also included. Since then, several es, I decided to report this information according more species have been found and the total to the original papers. A few of the determina­ number of Gasteromycetes s.l. species found in tions are obviously wrong and these are dis­ Finland is now about 70. cussed in each case. Some of the herbarium This paper deals with the Gasteromycetes s.l. specimens were too young to identify their spe­ found in the Aland Islands. In preparing the pa­ cies, or even their genus. per, I have studied all available herbarium speci­ Microscopic characters were studied in most mens collected in Aland, except for a few Geas- herbarium specimens, among others all those be- 12 HtEGGSTROM: GASTEROMYCETES OF ALAND KARSTENIA 37 (1997) longing to Lycoperdaceae. The spores and capil­ Knowledge of the Gasteromycetes of the litial hyphae were studied both in lactophenol Aland Islands was built up slowly. By 1930 only with or without cotton blue and Melzer's rea­ three species were known from this area. Due to gent. The tiny warts or spines of Lycoperdon and the efforts of Ole Eklund, Ernst Hayren, Lauri E. Bovista spores were better seen using Melzer's Kari, Carl Th. Marner and Garan Stenlid, six reagent. new Aland species were found during the 1930s. One further species, Geastrum pectinatum was probably also found during this period, because The Aland Islands a note on its occurrence in the Aland Islands was published by Ingels tram (1940). The Aland Islands comprise an archipelago of During the 1940s several persons (mostly the more than 6 000 islands at the edge of the north­ same as during the 1930s and Otto von Schul­ ern Baltic Sea. Biogeographically this archipela­ mann) contributed to our knowledge of the go belongs to the hemiboreal zone (Ahti et al . Alandian Gasteromycete flora. Twelve or thir­ 1968). The bedrock mostly consists of acid rapa­ teen new species were found. kivi granite and other granites and of gneisses, During the following two decades a slight too (Hausen 1964). The soil is rich in calcium decline in collecting activity occurred. Only four because of the Ordovician limestone which orig­ new species were found. During the 1970s and inates from the bottom of the Bothnian Sea and 1980s, attention was again paid to the fungi of Lumpam Bay (Brenner 1930, Hausen 1964). Aland. This is partly the result of the efforts of Due to this calcium-rich soil and the fairly fa­ the present author, who collected Gasteromyc­ vourable climate, the vegetation is in many plac­ etes whenever he found them. Also, many other es luxuriant and rich in species. The calcicolous persons collected Gasteromycetes. These efforts element of both fungi and plants is prominent. contributed eleven new species of the Alandian Many species grow here at their northernmost Gasteromycete flora. limits in the Baltic Sea area. The influence of In the mid 1990s 37 species had been report­ man upon nature has been intense, although pas­ ed from the Aland Islands. This is a little more turing activities have been reduced during this than half of the total species number of Finland. century. However, grazing in woods and semi­ Several Gasteromycete species found in other natural habitats, such as wooded meadows, parts of Finland, have eluded the collector's eye wooded pastures and seashore meadows, is in Aland. This regards especially the hypogeous much more common in Aland than in other parts genus Hymenogaster and some Bovista species, of Finland. particularly B. paludosa Lev. which presumably may be present in some of the Alandian rich fens. The investigation of the Alandian Gasteromycete flora List of taxa The first piece of information regarding Gaster­ omycetes in Aland is the specimen of Lycoper­ The communes are abbreviated: Br = Branda, don pyriforme collected in the commune of Ec = Eckera, Fi = Finstram, Fa = Fag!O, Ge = Jomala by P.A. Karsten in 1881 (H). He did not, Geta, Ha = Hammarland, Jo = Jomala, Ka = however, mention this record in his papers Kakar, Ku = Kumlinge, Le = Lemland, Ma = (Karsten 1889, 1893, 1898). Therefore, the first Mariehamn, Sa = Saltvik, So = Sottunga, Su = published information is a short note on Phallus Sund, Va = Vardo. Whenever possible, the co­ impudicus (Elfving 1907) based on specimens ordinates according to the Finnish uniform grid collected in 1906 in Jomala (at least three collec­ system (Grid 27° E) are given with an accuracy tions in H; cf. Luther 1947a). Two more short of 10 km (3 + 2 numbers), or 1 km (4 + 3 num­ notes on the same species were published by bers). Some information is too general for deter­ Brenner (1908) and Palmgren (1908). mining accurate co-ordinates. KARSTENIA 37 (1997) HJEGGSTROM: GASTEROMYCETES OF ALAND 13 Lycoperdales building (6667:121), 26.VIII.1972, C.-A. Geastraceae Hreggstrom (H). - Not seen since, although searched for in this place several times during Geastrum elegans Vittad. - Le: Hirso, on the 1973-95. - Literature: Hreggstrom (1979), seashore opposite the island Botesholm Sunhede (1989), Ulvinen (1994). (6677:110-1), 17.1X.1948, G. Stenlid 639 Geastrum striatum DC. - Kokar: Kyrkogardso, (UPS; det. S. Sunhede). -Literature: Sunhede on and at an ant-hill on an old cow dung heap at (1989), Ulvinen (1994). Linus' cow shed (6674:156), 6.VI.1974, C.-A. Geastrum fimbriatum Fr. - Recorded seven Hreggstrom (H). - Literature: Sunhede (1989), times (Ec, Fi, Jo, Le, Su and Va; H, TURA, Ulvinen (1994). UPS). First record: Ec: Torp, S of Skeppsvik, beneath a hazel shrub (669:08), 18.VI.1945, G. Lycoperdaceae Stenlid (H) . According to Stenlid (1947), the date was 20.VI.1945. -The species was found Bovista pusilliformis (Kreisel) Kreisel - Only in deciduous stands, under a spruce and in a pine found twice. First record: Le: NatO, in a wooded wood on sandy soil with the quite high pH of 6.8 meadow about 200 m E of Norrbacka (Huhtinen 1992). Three of the finds were from (6680:109), 22.VIII.1971, C.-A. Hreggstrom the calcareous area of Lumparn Bay. - Litera­ (H). - Each collection consists of one some­ ture: Stenlid (1947), Huhtinen (1992). what unripe fruit body, but the microscopical characters are typical of B. pusilliformis as de­ Geastrum floriforme Vittad. - Jo: Hamma­ scribed by Kreisel (1962, 1967). Especially the rudda, on gravelly soil between junipers near the numerous minute pores and amphiseptal branch­ seashore (668:09), 4.IX.1949, G. Stenlid (UPS; ing of the capillitial hyphae are characteristic det. S. Sunhede). -Literature: Sunhede (1989), features of this species as described by Kreisel Ulvinen (1994). (1962, 1967). According to Mr. M. Jeppson Geastrum pectinatum Pers. - Recorded 13 (Trollhattan, Sweden, letter in 1990), both speci­ times (Jo, Le and Va; H, OULU, TUR, UPS, mens belong to B. aestivalis (Bonord.) Demou­ herb. Sunhede). First record: Aland according to lin (Demoulin 1979). This species has a rather N. Stenlid (Ingelstrom 1940). - This species variable morphology, for instance capillitial hy­ was mostly found in spruce woods. It usually phae with small and large pores, and a wide eco­ grows in the needle litter, or on abandoned or logical amplitude occurring on dry open sandy dying ant-hills. A few finds were from luxuriant soil, or on mull and clayey soils in deciduous deciduous stands. All finds except two were lo­ woods. In my opinion, the variability both in cated on the two adjacent islands Nato and Hirso morphology and ecology of B. aestivalis sensu in Le. - Literature: lngelstrom (1940), von Demoulin seems to be too great to make it a sin­ Schulmann (1961), Sunhede (1989).