Aquamarina

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Aquamarina
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Aquamarina

Kohlm., Volkm.-Kohlm. & O.E.Erikss. (1996)
Type species
Aquamarina speciosa
Kohlm., Volkm.-Kohlm. & O.E.Erikss. (1996)

Aquamarina is a fungal genus in the class Dothideomycetes. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single marine species Aquamarina speciosa, originally found in North Carolina, and distributed in the Atlantic Coast of the United States. The bluish-green species fruits exclusively in the lower parts of dying culms of the saltmarsh plant Juncus roemerianus .

Contents

Taxonomy, classification, and naming

The species was first described by mycologists Jan Kohlmeyer, Brigitte Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, and Ove Eriksson in a 1996 Mycological Research publication. The generic name is derived from the Latin aquamarinus, meaning "a clear sea-green verging towards blue". The specific epithet speciosa is Latin for 'beautiful' or 'splendid', and refers to the "beautifully colored ascomata". [1]

The relationship of this taxon to other taxa within the Dothideomycetes is unknown ( incertae sedis ) with respect to ordinal and familial placement. [2]

Description

The leathery aquamarine fruit bodies, or ascomata, of A. speciosa are roughly spherical, measuring 225–345  μm high and 240–360 μm in diameter. The ascomata have a long neck 165–345 μm long by 60–110 μm wide; the neck and lower part of the spherical head are immersed under a hard cortex. The heads have an ostiole (opening) that appears as a small dot on the culm surface. The ascomata contain paraphyses, which are unbranched hyphae that line the inner cavity. The two-layered peridium has an inner hyaline (translucent) layer that forms a textura angularis (a parenchyma-like tissue of very densely packed cells that appear angular in cross section); the outside layer forms a bluish-green textura intricata (a tissue formed by intricately interwoven hyphae). The hamathecium (tissues surrounding the asci within the central part of the ascoma) is made of paraphyses covered with gelatinous material. The asci (spore-bearing cells) are 130–180 by 6.5–9.5 μm, eight-spored, cylindrical, short-stalked, thin-walled, unitunicate (made of a single functional layer), and have an apical non-amyloid ring near the top. The asci develop successively on tissue at the base of the locule. The ascospores are uniseriate (lined up in a single row in the ascus), spindle-shaped, three-septate, and hyaline, measuring 18–24 by 5–7 μm. [1]

Habitat and distribution

Aquamarina speciosa grows on the culms (stems) of the saltmarsh Juncus roemerianus , typically in an area between 2 and 13 cm (0.8 and 5.1 in) above the rhizome. The culms are about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long, and in age will start dying back from the tip of the plant. The lower part of the culm is covered with sediment, algae, and fungi which are exposed to salt-water twice in a 24-hour period owing to the action of tides; any species growing on this area are considered obligate marine. A. speciosa is found on the Atlantic Coast of North America, [1] and is one of over 100 species of fungi that grow on J. roemerianus. [3]

Related Research Articles

The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia (basidiomycetes) or paraphyses (ascomycetes). Cystidia are often important for microscopic identification. The subhymenium consists of the supportive hyphae from which the cells of the hymenium grow, beneath which is the hymenophoral trama, the hyphae that make up the mass of the hymenophore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dothideomycetes</span> Class of fungi

Dothideomycetes is the largest and most diverse class of ascomycete fungi. It comprises 11 orders 90 families, 1,300 genera and over 19,000 known species. Traditionally, most of its members were included in the loculoascomycetes, which is not part of the currently accepted classification. This indicates that several traditional morphological features in the class are not unique and DNA sequence comparisons are important to define the class.

<i>Spathularia flavida</i> Species of fungus

Spathularia flavida, commonly known as the yellow earth tongue, the yellow fan, or the fairy fan, is an ascomycete fungus found in coniferous forests of Asia, Europe and North America. It produces a small, fan- or spoon-shaped fruit body with a flat, wavy or lobed cream to yellow colored "head" raised on a white to cream stalk. The height is usually approximately 2–5 cm, and up to 8 cm. The fungus fruits on the ground in mosses, forest duff or humus, and fruit bodies may occur singly, in large groups, or in fairy rings. The spores produced by the fungus are needle-like, and up to 95 micrometres long. Several varieties have been described that differ largely in their microscopic characteristics. S. flavida has been described by authorities variously as inedible, of unknown edibility, or edible but tough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dothideomycetidae</span> Subclass of fungi

Dothideomycetidae is a subclass of Dothideomycetes consisting of three orders: Dothideales, Myriangiales and Capnodiales. The cavities of the sexual structures do not have vertical cells growing between the sac-like cells bearing the sexual spores (asci).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orbiliaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Orbiliaceae are a family of saprobic sac fungi in the order Orbiliales. The family, first described by John Axel Nannfeldt in 1932, contains 288 species in 12 genera. Members of this family have a widespread distribution, but are more prevalent in temperate regions. Some species in the Orbiliaceae are carnivorous fungi, and have evolved a number of specialized mechanisms to trap nematodes.

<i>Cookeina</i> Genus of fungi

Cookeina is a genus of cup fungi in the family Sarcoscyphaceae, members of which may be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Species may be found on fallen branches of angiosperms, trunks, and sometimes on fruits. The Temuans of Peninsular Malaysia are reported to use certain species from this genus as food, and also as a bait for fishing, where it is rubbed against the hook.

<i>Banksiamyces</i> Genus of fungi

Banksiamyces is a genus of fungi in the order Helotiales, with a tentative placement in the family Helotiaceae. The genus contains four species, which grow on the seed follicles of the dead infructescences or "cones" of various species of Banksia, a genus in the plant family Proteaceae endemic to Australia. Fruit bodies of the fungus appear as small, shallow dark cups on the follicles of the Banksia fruit. The edges of dry fruit bodies fold inwards, appearing like narrow slits. The first specimens of Banksiamyces, known then as Tympanis toomansis, were described in 1887. Specimens continued to be collected occasionally for almost 100 years before becoming examined more critically in the early 1980s, leading to the creation of a new genus to contain what was determined to be three distinct species, B. katerinae, B. macrocarpus, and B. toomansis. A fourth species, B. maccannii, was added in 1984.

The Aliquandostipitaceae are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota, class Dothideomycetes. The family was described by Patrik Inderbitzin in 2001, and the order Jahnulales was created in 2002 to accommodate the family. The distinguishing characteristic for members of the family are the unusually wide hyphae that support the spore-bearing structures, and the presence of ascomata both with and without stalks. The genus Aliquandostipe has a pantropical distribution, having been found in Central America and southeast Asia; Jahnula has a wider distribution. Species in the family are saprobic, and are typically found growing on rotting wood.

<i>Sarcoscypha occidentalis</i> Species of fungus

Sarcoscypha occidentalis, commonly known as the stalked scarlet cup or the western scarlet cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae of the Pezizales order. Fruit bodies have small, bright red cups up to 2 cm (0.8 in) wide atop a slender whitish stem that is between 1 and 3 cm long. A saprobic species, it is found growing on hardwood twigs, particularly those that are partially buried in moist and shaded humus-rich soil. The fungus is distributed in the continental United States east of the Rocky Mountains, Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia. It is distinguished from the related species S. coccinea and S. austriaca by differences in geographical distribution, fruiting season, and fruit body structure. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that it is most closely related to other Sarcoscypha species that contain large oil droplets in their spores. The species Molliardiomyces occidentalis is an imperfect form of the fungus that lacks a sexually reproductive stage in its life cycle.

<i>Juncus roemerianus</i> Species of flowering plant

Juncus roemerianus is a species of flowering plant in the rush family known by the common names black rush, needlerush, and black needlerush. It is native to North America, where its main distribution lies along the coastline of the southeastern United States, including the Gulf Coast. It occurs from New Jersey to Texas, with outlying populations in Connecticut, New York, Mexico, and certain Caribbean islands.

Keissleriella rara is a rare species of fungus in the family Lophiostomataceae. The species fruits exclusively on dead or dying standing culms of the saltmarsh plant Juncus roemerianus. It is known only from the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina.

Massarina carolinensis is a species of fungus in the Lophiostomataceae family. The species is found exclusively on the lower parts of the culms of the saltmarsh Juncus roemerianus on the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina.

<i>Paraphaeosphaeria pilleata</i> Species of fungus

Paraphaeosphaeria pilleata is a species of fungus in the Lophiostomataceae family. The species fruits exclusively in the lower parts of the culms of the black needlerush. It is found on the Atlantic Coast of North Carolina.

<i>Tuber sinoalbidum</i> Species of fungus

Tuber sinoalbidum is a species of truffle in the family Tuberaceae. Known only from China, it was described as a new species in 2011. Fresh truffles are whitish with a similarly colored interior, and measure up to 4.5 cm (1.8 in) in diameter.

Collariella bostrychodes is a fungal decomposer of lignin and carbohydrate in the family Chaetomiaceae commonly found in soil and dung. The fungus is distinguished by a darkened collar-like ostiole around the ostiolar pore, giving the fungus its name. The fungus is highly variable in shape and form, giving raise to the belief that there are two subclades in the species. The ascospores range from lemon-shaped to nearly spherical with slightly pointed ends. It can grow to be pale green and later turn pale bluish grey or olivaceous with age. The fungus produces the toxic secondary metabolite, chaetochromin.

The Trematosphaeriaceae are a family of fungi in the order of Pleosporales. They are found world-wide with the greatest contributions found in Europe and Australia. It includes taxa that are found in the marine environment, such as Falciformispora lignatis which can be found in freshwater and marine habitats. Most are saprobic species.

Lichenoverruculina is a fungal genus in the family Hyponectriaceae and order Amphisphaeriales. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Lichenoverruculina sigmatospora. which was published in Herzogia vol.24 (2) on page 274 in 2011.

Ostropomyces is a genus of fungi in the family Stictidaceae. It has two species, both of which are found in tropical forests in northern Thailand, where they grow as saprotrophs on bark.

Aspiciliopsis is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Trapeliaceae. It has two species, both of which occur in the Southern Hemisphere.

Etheirophoraceae is a family of ascomycetous marine based fungi within the order of Torpedosporales in the subclass Hypocreomycetidae and within the class Sordariomycetes. They are saprobic on intertidal wood and bark within marine habitats.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kohlmeyer J, Volkmann-Kohlmeyer B, Eriksson OE (1995). "Fungi on Juncus roemerianus. New marine and terrestrial ascomycetes". Mycological Research. 100 (4): 393–404. doi:10.1016/S0953-7562(96)80134-1.
  2. Lumbsch TH, Huhndorf SM (December 2007). "Outline of Ascomycota – 2007". Myconet. Chicago, USA: The Field Museum, Department of Botany. 13: 1–58. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
  3. Kohlmeyer J, Volkmann-Kohlmeyer B (2002). "Fungi on Juncus and Spartina: new marine species of Anthostomella, with a list of marine fungi known on Spartina". Mycological Research. 106 (3): 365–74. doi:10.1017/S0953756201005469.