Abstracts of Journals Received in the Library April-June 2011 Journals Abstracted Miscellanea Mycologica – No 99, February 20ll Miscellanea Mycologica – No 100, June 20ll Rivista di Micologia - 53 (3), 2010. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Pilzkunde - Vol. 89, No. 2, 15th April 2011 Mykologicke Listy – No 115, 2011 Clusiana – Vol. 49, No 1-2, 2010 Cahiers Mycologiques Nantais – No 23 June 2011 Mycological Research Information about recent issues (including free access to contents lists and abstracts of published papers) can be found on the Elsevier website at www.elsevier.com/locate/mycres Miscellanea Mycologica – No 99, February 20ll Abstractor – Anne Andrews J J Wuilbaut (pp.4-52) [French] After brief introductory comments about some common or unusual finds in the autumn 2010 season this issue consists entirely of good colour photos of species found in Belgium or the Savoy region of France. Miscellanea Mycologica – No 100, June 20ll Abstractor – Anne Andrews JJ Wuilbaut (pp. 4-36) [French] This issue consists almost entirely of good photographs of Mediterranean species of fungus found on a visit to Majorca in the autumn of 2010. A number of habitat shots are included and also three picures of an orchid, Ophrys sp. Stijve T & Sobestiansky G (pp. 37-42) A brief introduction on the nature of myxomycetes is followed by mention of three species Fuligo septica, Enteridium lycoperdpon and Lycogala epidendrum, which can become quite large and are commonly eaten in Mexico. The author wondered if they had any nutritional value and analysed the plasmodia of each and found that the quantity of water, glycogen, sugars, proteins and free amino acids in Fuligo septica was much the same as that of various popular edible fungi but that it contained unusually large amounts of mineral salts, especially of calcium carbonate while the other two species have much smaller amounts. These three species do not contain dangerous concentrations of heavy metals. They were tested for 60 other chemical elements and F. septica was found to have surprisingly high concentrations of Zinc and Magnesium, and also to concentrate Baryum and Strontium. The other two species do not have large concentrationsof these but L. epidendrum concentrates Copper. These concentrations are not a danger to the Mexicans because the myxomycetes only constitute a very small part of their diet. This study serves to emphasise one of the differences between myxomycetes and fungi and provide further justificaton for their belonging to separate kingdoms. Illustrated with colour photos. (2 refs.) Rivista di Micologia 53 (3), 2010 Abstractor – Francesco Doveri Cappelli A. (pp.195-210)"Approach to the genus Agaricus. The following species are described, briefly discussed and illustrated in colour: A. bitorquis (Quel.) Sacc., A. devoniensis P. D. Orton, A. bisporus (J.E. Lange) Imbach, A. subfloccosus (J.E. Lange) Hlavcek, A. subperonatus (J.E. Lange) Singer, A. pequinii (Boud.) Konrad & Maubl., A. gennadii (Chatin; Boud.) P.D. Orton, A. pearsonii Bon Boisselet, A. bernardi Quel., A. bernardiformis Bohus, A. pilosporus Peck. Rava M. (pp. 211-218) A new variety of Hygrocybe persistens, H. persistens var. oscurofibrillosa var. nov. A variety of Hygrocybe persistens with a dark fibrillose pileus is described as new, illustrated with colour photos and compared with similar taxa. Della Maggiora M. & Matteucci S. (pp. 219-233) "Three interesting Hygrocybe collected from Lucchesia" H. fornicata, H. nitrata, and H. nitiosa (A. Blytt) M.M. Moser are described, widely discussed, and illustrated with colour photos. Costanzo G (pp. 237-249) Three interesting Cortinarius in sect. Armillati, C. haematochelis (Bull. : Fr.) Fr., C. armillatus (Fr.) Fr., and C. paragaudis are described and discussed. Illustrated with colour photos. Maletti M. & Paolini R (pp. 251-260) "Rare or poorly known fungi from the Province of Pesaro and Urbino" (Pers. : Fr.) P. Kumm., Hygrocybe colemanniana (A. Bloxman) P.D. Orton & Watling, Lactarius romagnesii Bon, Lepiota cystophoroides Joss. & Riousset, and Phallus impudicus var. togatus (Kalchbr.) Costantin &; L.M. Dufour are described and discussed. Each of them is illustrated with a colour photo. Agnello C. (pp. 261-267) "First record of Smardaea ovalispora from Italy" The species is described and discussed, and its taxonomic history is dealt with. Macro- and microscopic colour photos are provided. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Pilzkunde Vol. 89, No. 2, 15th April 2011 (in German, some articles also in French & Italian) Abstractor – Ray Tantram Roffler U. (p. 46-47, 49) [also in French p. 48-49, 46-47] Fungus of the month (3) is Otidea mirabilis a very rare species, with only a single record in ‘Swissfungi’ for 2008. It was found on a recently-made hay pile under a large Oak at a woodland edge in September 2010 at the sub-alpine height of 800metres. Macro and micro features (slides examined in water) are described. Size and shape are very variable in this lilac-brown species. Internet searches show records from Tenerife, Italy, the Czech Republic and Spain, on very different substrates. It appears a generalist. Microscopic details of this Swiss collection agree very well with those described for Spain and Italy. A colour plate shows the ascocarps in situ, and line drawings present ascospores, paraphyses, marginal elements, ascus base and excipulum out-growths.(2 refs.) Mordasini E. (p. 53-54, 50-52) [Original Italian p. 50-52] Fungus of the month (4) is Faeberia carbonaria. Stringent anti-fire regulations in Tessin have limited the appearance of fire-site species. A large pile of small branches of Ash, Beech, Oak and Birch was burnt in the autumns of 2004 and 2005. Spring 2007, with its high rainfall and comparatively high temperatures finally gave rise to fungal fruiting of typical bonfire species, including Faeberia carbonaria. This species is described from fresh material collected at the site. Micro features were determined from both fresh material and from exsiccates rehydrated with 5%KOH, and stained with Congo red and Cotton blue. This species grows on fire-sites on chalk and silica. It has undergone many name changes in both genus and species, and 11 synonyms exist. This taxon is the only European member of the genus. It is comparatively easy to determine macroscopically, but its micro features are relatively complex. Two colour plates show fruitbodies in situ. Three colour photomicrographs show spores, cheilocystidia and clamps. (5 refs.) Flammer R. (p. 54-55) [also in French p. 55-56] Periscope 32 investigates more poisoning cases from the literature. 14 typical muscarin- type poisoning cases were notified at the Poison Information Centre, Haifa between 2006-2008, all due to three species of Inocybe. Some atypical symptoms made diagnosis more difficult. (1 ref.) An elderly couple ate a meal of Lycoperdon pyriformi, with only the wife displaying symptoms after a 7-hour latency. Precautionary treatment for Amanita phalloides syndrome was begun due to the long latency, and was discontinued once this possibility was wholly excluded. Individual susceptibility can account for intolerance to L. perlatum and L. pyriformi. A reader questioned the designation of Russula olivacea as toxic in a previous ‘Periscope’. His experience of a group meal which included this species, cooked as part of the official foray, had no ill effects on any of the participants. This was likely to be due both to low concentrations in a mixed mushroom preparation, and sufficiently long cooking time to destroy any toxin in the Russulas. However Russula olivacea should generally be regarded as toxic. Clémençon H. (p. 57) [German] According to B & K vol. 2. no. 405, Polyporus (dendro)umbellatus is parasitic or saprotrophic on deciduous trees, and forms fine black sclerotia, which enclose the fine absorption roots of the trees. Two Japanese researchers have addressed these ambiguities in a study of 2010, and have reached surprising conclusions. All the six sclerotia studied, three from Japan, three from China, were threaded-through by rhizomorphs of an unidentified Armillaria species. They suspect, but could not prove, that Polyporus umbellatus parasitises the Honey fungus. The Honey fungus has not been identified, even using molecular methods, but Armillaria tabescens, A. mellea and A, ostoyae have been excluded. Three Chinese researchers are attempting to determine whether the sclerotium or the fungus itself requires the Honey fungus for its development. These sclerotia play a significant role in Chinese medicine. J. Breitenbach gave the author a comprehensive collection of Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia in 1994. Some of these are threaded through with Honey fungus rhizomorphs, but also by fine roots. These fine roots are difficult to distinguish from the rhizomorphs without microscopic examination. The Japanese Paper does not mention roots, but a 1965 Japanese publication describes how the sclerotia of Japanese Polyporus umbellatus collections were entwined in roots. Several questions remain unanswered! A colour plate shows root penetration in one of the Breitenbach specimens. (3 refs.) Senn-Irlet B. (p. 58-61) Stalked Bovistas surprise not only from their unusual fruitbody construction, but also because they often occur in unlikely sites for macrofungi, including between railway lines, in plasterwork, or in flowerpots. Stalked bovistas can be divided into two groups according to their peristome morphology. The first group, Brumalia , have a drawn-out tube-shaped opening, and are designated also as Tulostomas. The second group has a flat, often fringed opening. Both types occur in Switzerland. Several literature sources are useful for determinations, and a key by Monthoux & Rollin for the Brumalia (1974) is presented, which contains some ambiguities. The most important microscopic character for T. brumale could be the considerably thickened brown septa in its capillitium. However the two other types are very close, and misidentifications occur. A critical checking has taken place in the last few years, using material collected over the whole of Switzerland and concentrating on spore mass measurements. T. brumale clearly showed smaller spore measurements than T.