Morchella sextelata

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Morchella sextelata
Morchella sextelata 419398.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Pezizomycetes
Order: Pezizales
Family: Morchellaceae
Genus: Morchella
Species:
M. sextelata
Binomial name
Morchella sextelata
M.Kuo (2012)

Morchella sextelata is a species of ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Described as new to science in 2012, it is found in North America (in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Yukon Territory). It has also been found in China, although it is not known if this is a result of an accidental introduction or natural dispersion. The fruit bodies have a roughly conical cap up to 7.5 cm (3 in) tall and 5 cm (2 in) wide, with a surface of mostly vertically arranged pits. The cap is initially yellowish to brownish, but it darkens to become almost black in maturity. The stipe is white and hollow, measuring 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) high by 1–2.2 cm (0.4–0.9 in) wide.

Contents

Morchella sextelata is one of four species of wildfire-adapted morels in western North America, the others being M. capitata , M. septimelata , and M. tomentosa . M. sextelata cannot be reliably distinguished from M. septimelata without the use of DNA analysis.

Taxonomy

Morchella sextelata was originally identified as phylogenetic species "Mel-6" in the species-rich Elata clade (brown morels) elucidated by microbiologist Kerry O'Donnell and colleagues in a 2011 publication. The specific epithet sextelata alludes to this preliminary name. Although M. sextelata is not distinguishable from Morchella septimelata on physical or ecological characteristics, they are clearly genetically distinct species, and can be differentiated by comparing DNA sequences or with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. [1] Allopatric speciation is thought to have been the driving evolutionary force that caused M. sextelata to diverge from its ancestors roughly 25 million years ago. [2] The original specimens collected were obtained as part of the Morel Data Collection Project, [2] a research effort designed to improve the understanding of North American morels. [3]

Description

An immature fruit body Morchella sextelata 419390.jpg
An immature fruit body

The fruit bodies of Morchella sextelata are 4–10.5 cm (1.6–4.1 in) high with a conical cap that is 2.5–7.5 cm (1.0–3.0 in) high and 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) wide at the widest point. The cap surface features pits and ridges, formed by the intersection of 12–20 primary vertical ridges and frequent shorter, secondary vertical ridges, with occasional sunken, horizontal ridges. The cap is attached to the stipe with a sinus about 2–4 mm deep and 2–4 mm wide. The ridges are smooth or very finely tomentose (covered with densely matted filaments). They are initially colorless, becoming pale tan, then dark grayish brown in maturity, eventually darkening to nearly black. They are flattened when young but sometimes become sharpened or eroded in maturity. The pits are somewhat elongated vertically. They are smooth, brownish to yellowish tan to pinkish to buff. [1]

The whitish to pale brownish stipe is 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) long by 1.0–2.2 cm (0.4–0.9 in) wide and is roughly equal in width throughout its length, or sometimes slightly club-shaped near the base. Its surface is either smooth or covered with whitish granules. The flesh is whitish, measuring 1–2 mm thick in the hollow cap; it may become layered and chambered in the base of the stipe. The sterile inner surface of the cap is whitish and pubescent (covered with short, soft "hair"). [1]

The ascospores of M. sextelata are elliptical and smooth, typically measuring 18–25 by 10–16  µm. Asci (spore-bearing cells) are eight-spored, hyaline (translucent), cylindrical, and measure 200–325 by 5–25 µm. Paraphyses are cylindrical, septate, and measure 175–300 by 2–15 µm. Their tips are variably shaped, from rounded, to club-shaped, to fuse-shaped. The contents of the paraphyses are hyaline (translucent) to faintly brownish in dilute potassium hydroxide (KOH). Hyphae on the sterile cap ridges are septate and measure 50–180 by 5–25 µm. The terminal cells are variably shaped (similar to the paraphyses), and have brownish contents in KOH. [1]

North American Morchella are generally considered choice edibles, [4] but the edibility of M. sextelata was not mentioned in its original description. [1]

Similar species

Morchella sextelata is morphologically indistinguishable from several other morel species in the M. elata clade, including M. septimelata , M. brunnea , M. angusticeps , and M. septentrionalis . M. septimelata can be distinguished from these latter three lookalikes by habitat or distribution: M. brunnea is found in non-burned forests of western North America; M. angusticeps is found east of the Rocky Mountains; and M. septentrionalis is restricted to a northern distribution (about 44°N northward) in eastern North America. M. septimelata, however, also grows in burn sites and so is both morphologically and ecologically indistinguishable from M. sextelata. Although there are subtle differences in the structure of the sterile ridges between the species, the authors were not confident that enough specimens had been examined to establish that these differences were consistent. [1]

Habitat, distribution, and ecology

A group of fruit bodies in Yosemite National Park, California, in an area burned by the 2013 Rim Fire Morchella sextelata 419386.jpg
A group of fruit bodies in Yosemite National Park, California, in an area burned by the 2013 Rim Fire

Morchella sextelata may be either saprobic or mycorrhizal at different times in its life cycle. [5] Its fruit bodies grow in partially burned conifer forests, particularly those dominated by Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) and ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ). They tend to appear in great numbers the year immediately following fire and appear in decreasing frequency in successive years. Fruiting occurs from April through July, at elevations between 1,000 and 1,500 m (3,300 and 4,900 ft). The distribution includes Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Yukon Territory. [1] M. sextelata has also been found in China, but it remains unclear whether dispersal between these distant locations occurred naturally or through accidental introduction by humans. [6]

Morchella sextelata, identified as phylogenetic species "Mel-6", has been shown to colonize the non-native species Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) as an endophyte, increasing the overall growth of the grass, as well as the abundance of seeds and their tolerance to extreme heat (60–65 °C (140–149 °F)). This has been hypothesized to be a contributing factor in the success of cheatgrass as an invasive species in western North America. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Morchella esculenta</i> Species of fungus

Morchella esculenta is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae of the Ascomycota. It is one of the most readily recognized of all the edible mushrooms and highly sought after. Each fruit body begins as a tightly compressed, grayish sponge with lighter ridges, and expands to form a large yellowish sponge with large pits and ridges raised on a large white stem. The pitted yellow-brown caps measure 2–7 centimetres broad by 2–10 cm (1–4 in) tall, and are fused to the stem at its lower margin, forming a continuous hollow. The pits are rounded and irregularly arranged. The hollow stem is typically 2–9 cm long by 2–5 cm (1–2 in) thick, and white to yellow. The fungus fruits under hardwoods and conifers during a short period in the spring, depending on the weather, and is also associated with old orchards, woods and disturbed grounds.

<i>Morchella elata</i> Species of fungus

Morchella elata is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. It is one of many related species commonly known as black morels, and until 2012 the name M. elata was broadly applied to black morels throughout the globe. Like most members of the genus, M. elata is a popular edible fungus and is sought by many mushroom hunters.

<i>Verpa conica</i> Species of fungus

Verpa conica, commonly known as the bell morel or the early morel, is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Sometimes mistaken for a true morel, this species is characterized by a cap resembling a thimble that is freely attached to the stipe.

<i>Verpa bohemica</i> Species of fungus

Verpa bohemica is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. The synonym Ptychoverpa bohemica is often used by European mycologists and it is commonly known as the early morel or the wrinkled thimble-cap. The mushroom has a pale yellow or brown thimble-shaped cap—2 to 4 cm in diameter by 2 to 5 cm long—that has a surface wrinkled and ribbed with brain-like convolutions. A feature distinguishing the species from true morels, the cap hangs free from the top of the stem, which is lighter in color, brittle, and up to 12 cm long by 1 to 2.5 cm thick. Microscopically, the mushroom is distinguished by its large spores, typically 60–80 by 15–18 µm, and the presence of only two spores per ascus.

<i>Morchella rufobrunnea</i> Species of edible fungus in the family Morchellaceae

Morchella rufobrunnea, commonly known as the blushing morel, is a species of ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. A choice edible species, the fungus was described as new to science in 1998 by mycologists Gastón Guzmán and Fidel Tapia from collections made in Veracruz, Mexico. Its distribution was later revealed to be far more widespread after several DNA studies suggested that it is also present in the West Coast of the United States, Israel, Australia, Cyprus, Malta and Switzerland.

<i>Morchella semilibera</i> Species of fungus

Morchella semilibera, commonly called the half-free morel, is an edible species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae native to Europe and Asia.

<i>Morchella tridentina</i> Species of fungus

Morchella tridentina is a cosmopolitan species of ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Commonly referred to as the mountain blond or western blond morel in North America, it produces conical, grey to buff fruit bodies that are rufescent and grow up to 20 cm (7.9 in) tall and 5 cm (2.0 in) wide. This early-diverging species is distinct within the /Elata clade due to its pale colours and has been described by many names in the past, including M. frustrata, M. quercus-ilicis, M. elatoides, M. elatoides var. elegans and M. conica var. pseudoeximia, all of which were shown to be synonyms. A widely distributed relict of the last Ice Age, M. tridentina is so far known from Argentina, Armenia, Chile, Cyprus, France, India, Israel, North America, Spain and Turkey.

<i>Morchella americana</i> Species of fungus

Morchella americana is a North American species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae.

<i>Morchella snyderi</i> Species of fungus

Morchella snyderi is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Described as new to science in 2012, it occurs in the montane forests of western North America, including California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. It produces fruit bodies up to 14 cm (5.5 in) tall with ridged and pitted conical caps, and stipes that become pitted in maturity. The color of the morel is yellow to tan when young, but the cap ridges become brown to black in maturity or when dried.

<i>Morchella importuna</i> Species of fungus

Morchella importuna is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae described from North America in 2012. It occurs in gardens, woodchip beds, and other urban settings of northern California and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada. The fungus has also been reported from Turkey, Spain, France, Switzerland, Canada and China, although it is unknown whether this is a result of accidental introductions. It is considered a choice edible mushroom. The fruit bodies develop a distinctive ladder-like pattern of pits and ridges on the surface of their conical caps.

Morchella capitata is a later synonym of Morchella exuberans. Originally identified as phylogenetic species Mel-9, it was described as new to science in 2012 by Kuo and colleagues. In 2014 however, Richard and colleagues clarified the taxonomic status of this species, retaining the name Morchella exuberans of Clowez (2012) over M. capitata.

<i>Morchella populiphila</i> Species of fungus

Morchella populiphila is a species of morel fungus native to northwestern North America. Described as new to science in 2012, its specific epithet refers to its association with black cottonwood. The morel used to be referred to as Morchella semilibera in western North American field guides until molecular analysis established that to be a strictly European species. M. populiphila occurs in California, Nevada and Oregon. Its fruit bodies grow up to 15 cm (6 in) tall with a ridged and pitted conical cap that attaches about halfway down the stipe. The cap ridges are dark brown to black in maturity, while the pits are yellowish to brownish. The fungus is edible, although not as highly valued as other morels.

<i>Morchella punctipes</i> Species of fungus

Morchella punctipes is a species of morel fungus in the family Morchellaceae. It is native to North America, found widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. It is edible when cooked.

Morchella deqinensis is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae found in China. It grows in coniferous and mixed forests at an elevation of 2,800–3,200 m (9,200–10,500 ft).

Morchella meiliensis is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae native to China.

<i>Morchella anatolica</i> Species of fungus

Morchella anatolica is a rare species of ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. It was described as new to science in 2010 from southwest Anatolia, Turkey, where it grows on moss-covered stream beds in pine forests. An ancient climatic relict, M. anatolica is restricted to the Mediterranean basin and has also been documented in Spain, Cyprus and Greece, where it is sometimes encountered with trees of the Oleaceae family. Together with its sister-species Morchella rufobrunnea, they are the earliest diverging lineages in genus Morchella, forming a distinct clade that is basal in global morel phylogenies. Because of its phylogenetic position, M. anatolica has been crucial in inferring the historical biogeography of the genus, which is estimated to have emerged somewhere in the Mediterranean region in the late Jurassic.

<i>Morchella arbutiphila</i> Species of fungus

Morchella arbutiphila is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae (Ascomycota), described from the island of Cyprus in 2016. The species is notable for its elongated stipe, which is often longer than the cap's length, its ascospores which are larger than most other species of Morchella, and its highly specific ecological preferences. It is known only from igneous substrates of the Troodos mountains in Cyprus and from a single collection in the Aegean region of Turkey.

<i>Morchella disparilis</i> Species of fungus

Morchella disparilis is an Ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Described as new to science in 2016, M. disparilis appears to be confined to the Mediterranean basin and is so far known from Cyprus, Greece and Spain. Its most striking feature is the exceptionally deep sinus, intermediate in depth between half-free morels of the Morchella semilibera clade and typical Distantes species.

<i>Morchella dunalii</i> Species of fungus

Morchella dunalii is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae (Ascomycota). A widespread species in the Mediterranean basin, M. dunalii is so far known from the Balearic islands, the islands of Corsica and Cyprus, France, Spain and Turkey, where it appears to be abundant. It fruits very early in the season on calcareous soil, usually in association with the Aleppo pine, Calabrian pine and holm oak.

Morchella exuberans is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae (Ascomycota). It was described as new to science in a 2012 study by Clowez and corresponds to phylogenetic lineage Mel-9. Morchella capitata, described by Kuo and colleagues later in the same year, is a synonym of this taxon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kuo M, Dewsbury DR, O'Donnell K, Carter MC, Rehner SA, Moore JD, Moncalvo JM, Canfield SA, Stephenson SL, Methven AS, Volk TJ (2012). "Taxonomic revision of true morels (Morchella) in Canada and the United States". Mycologia. 104 (5): 1159–77. doi:10.3852/11-375. PMID   22495449. S2CID   45219627.
  2. 1 2 O'Donnell K, Rooney AP, Mills GL, Kuo M, Weber NS, Rehner SA (2011). "Phylogeny and historical biogeography of true morels (Morchella) reveals an early Cretaceous origin and high continental endemism and provincialism in the Holarctic". Fungal Genetics and Biology. 48 (3): 252–65. doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2010.09.006. PMID   20888422. Archived from the original on 2021-01-31. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
  3. ↑ Kuo M. (December 2012). "Morel Data Collection Project Records". MushroomExpert.com. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  4. ↑ Kuo M. (2005). Morels. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. ISBN   978-0-472-03036-1.
  5. ↑ Kuo M. (October 2010). "Morchella sextelata". MushroomExpert.com. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  6. ↑ Du X-H; Zhao Q; O’Donnell K; Rooney AP; Yang ZL. (2012). "Multigene molecular phylogenetics reveals true morels (Morchella) are especially species-rich in China". Fungal Genetics and Biology. 49 (6): 455–69. doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2012.03.006. PMID   22503770.
  7. ↑ Baynes MA; Newcombe G; Dixon L; Castlebury L; O’Donnell K. (2012). "A novel plant-fungal mutualism associated with fire" (PDF). Fungal Biology. 116 (1): 133–44. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2011.10.008. PMID   22208608.

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