Armillaria aotearoa

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Armillaria aotearoa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Physalacriaceae
Genus: Armillaria
Species:
A. aotearoa
Binomial name
Armillaria aotearoa
Hood & Ramsfield (2016)

Armillaria aotearoa is a species of mushroom-forming fungus in the family Physalacriaceae. [1] This plant pathogen species is one of four Armillaria species that have been identified in New Zealand, the others being A. novae-zelandiae , A. limonea , and A. hinnulea . [2]

Contents

Description

Armillaria aotearoa produces fruiting bodies (basidiomata) that grow in clusters (caespitose), with centrally positioned stalks supporting the caps. The cap, or pileus, measures between 35 and 60 mm across and is pinkish-brown to brown. The surface is dry and moderately smooth, scattered with small, dark granular scales that are more concentrated toward the centre. Initially convex, the cap flattens over time but retains a distinctive broad zone at the edges that darkens when it absorbs moisture (hygrophanous) but does not become sticky. The flesh of the cap is off-white to pale pink. [2]

The gills are attached near the top of the stalk (adnexed), moderately packed, and pale pink in colour. The stalk, or stipe, ranges from 35 to 90 mm in length, with a bulbous base and pale pinkish-brown colour that may show faint green or yellowish tones. It is dry, with tiny, scattered fibrils, and eventually hollows out as it matures. The flesh of the stipe is also off-white to pale pink. A partial veil forms a ring (annulus) around the stalk, with the underside matching the colour of the stipe and featuring concentrically arranged darker flecks. [2]

Armillaria aotearoa has rhizomorphs—root-like structures typical of the genus—that are black and show uneven branching. Microscopic examination reveals that the tissue within the gills (gill trama) is composed of thick-walled, inflated hyphae arranged in layers, with no clamp connections observed. The basidia (spore-producing cells) are club-shaped, bearing four spores each, and measure 31–49 by 5–9.5  μm. The spores are smooth, thin- to moderately thick-walled, ellipsoid to ovoid, and range from 7.5 to 10.5 μm in length and 5 to 7.5 μm in width; they are non-amyloid, meaning they do not stain with iodine, and appear transparent (hyaline) under a microscope. The spore print is white. The cap surface, or pileipellis, is made of a firm, compact layer of hyphae arranged in two sub-layers: an upper brownish layer and a lower colourless layer that gradually blends with the flesh of the cap. [2]

Range

The species is known from the Taupo region of the North Island and Mid-Canterbury region of the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. [2]

Habitat

Armillaria aotearoa is found in southern beech (Nothofagaceae) forests, on woody debris of Fuscospora fusca (Nothofagus fusca ), Lophozonia menziesii ( Nothofagus menziesii ) and Fuscospora cliffortioides (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides). [2]

Ecology

Fruiting occurs between late April and mid-June. [2] Its pathogenicity to introduced and native plants is unknown. [2] Most Armillaria species live have a saprophytically contributing to decomposition of organic material, generally as wood-decay fungi, in forest ecosystems. They become pathogenic when environmental conditions are favourable for infection causing "white rot" root disease. [2] [3]

Etymology

Aotearoa from Te Reo Māori for New Zealand. [2]

Taxonomy

Armillaria aotearoa belongs to the Armillaria hinnulea lineage and also includes A. umbrinobrunnea and A. sparrei . [3]

Related Research Articles

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Armillaria luteobubalina, commonly known as the Australian honey fungus, is a species of mushroom in the family Physalacriaceae. Widely distributed in southern Australia, the fungus is responsible for a disease known as Armillaria root rot, a primary cause of Eucalyptus tree death and forest dieback. It is the most pathogenic and widespread of the six Armillaria species found in Australia. The fungus has also been collected in Argentina and Chile. Fruit bodies have cream- to tan-coloured caps that grow up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter and stems that measure up to 20 cm (8 in) long by 1.5 cm (1 in) thick. The fruit bodies, which appear at the base of infected trees and other woody plants in autumn (March–April), are edible, but require cooking to remove the bitter taste. The fungus is dispersed through spores produced on gills on the underside of the caps, and also by growing vegetatively through the root systems of host trees. The ability of the fungus to spread vegetatively is facilitated by an aerating system that allows it to efficiently diffuse oxygen through rhizomorphs—rootlike structures made of dense masses of hyphae.

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<i>Amanita nothofagi</i> Species of fungus

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<i>Boletopsis nothofagi</i> Species of fungus

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References

  1. "Armillaria aotearoa Hood & Ramsfield". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hood, I. A.; Ramsfield, T. D. (2016). "Armillaria aotearoa species nova". New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science. 46 (1): 2. Bibcode:2016NZJFS..46....2H. doi: 10.1186/s40490-016-0058-y . ISSN   1179-5395.
  3. 1 2 Coetzee, Martin P. A.; Wingfield, Brenda D.; Wingfield, Michael J. (2018). "Armillaria Root-Rot Pathogens: Species Boundaries and Global Distribution". Pathogens. 7 (4): 83. doi: 10.3390/pathogens7040083 . ISSN   2076-0817. PMC   6313743 . PMID   30356027.