Sulzbacheromyces caatingae

Last updated

Sulzbacheromyces caatingae
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Lepidostromatales
Family: Lepidostromataceae
Genus: Sulzbacheromyces
Species:
S. caatingae
Binomial name
Sulzbacheromyces caatingae
(Sulzbacher & Lücking) B.P.Hodk. & Lücking (2013)
Synonyms [1]
  • Lepidostroma caatingaeSulzbacher & Lücking (2012)

Sulzbacheromyces caatingae is a species of basidiolichen in the family Lepidostromataceae. [2] Discovered in 2012 in northeastern Brazil, it is characterised by its thin green crustose thallus and distinctive orange-pink, club-shaped reproductive structures. The species has a broad ecological amplitude, occurring across different vegetation types from the semi-arid Caatinga to humid Atlantic Forest fragments, where it grows on soil banks and termite nests near forest edges. As the type species of the genus Sulzbacheromyces , it represents a unique evolutionary lineage within the order Lepidostromatales and can be distinguished from similar-looking species by its undifferentiated thallus structure and association with green algae.

Contents

Taxonomy

Sulzbacheromyces caatingae was originally described in 2012 as Lepidostroma caatingae, based on specimens collected by Marcelo Sulzbacher in March 2011 from Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões, Caracol, in the state of Piauí, Brazil. [3] The holotype is preserved at the UFRN herbarium (UFRN-Fungos 1478) with an isotype deposited at the Field Museum (F). [3]

The specific epithet caatingae refers to the Caatinga biome of northeastern Brazil where the species was first discovered. [3] In 2014, the species was transferred to the newly established genus Sulzbacheromyces , becoming its type species. [4] The generic name honours Marcelo Sulzbacher, the Brazilian mycologist who discovered the type species. [4]

The species represents a unique lineage within the order Lepidostromatales, a group of lichenised fungi in the Basidiomycota. [4] It differs from the related genus Lepidostroma in having an entirely crustose, undifferentiated thallus that lacks both cortex and medullary structures. [4] While superficially similar to species of Multiclavula in the order Cantharellales, molecular phylogenetics analyses confirm its placement within Lepidostromatales. [3]

Molecular studies using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences have shown that specimens from various localities across northeastern Brazil represent a single, genetically uniform species, despite occurring in different vegetation types. [5] The species forms a weakly supported sister relationship to Lepidostroma akagerae in phylogenetic analyses. [5] Along with its distinctive morphology, this phylogenetic position supports its recognition as a separate genus within Lepidostromatales. [4]

Description

The species forms two distinct structures: a vegetative body (the thallus) that exists year-round, and reproductive structures (the basidiomata) that appear seasonally. The thallus appears as a thin green crust growing on the substrate , lacking any internal differentiation into distinct layers. [3] This simple structure distinguishes it from related species which have more complex, scale-like thalli. [4] The thallus contains single-celled green algae (the photobiont ) that form a symbiotic relationship with the fungus. [5] The reproductive structures (basidiomata) are club-shaped and unbranched, reaching 20–30 mm in height and 1.0–1.5 mm in diameter. [5] They are either cylindrical or slightly flattened, and their surface shows a distinctive pattern of circumferential cracks reminiscent of an old carrot. [5] The basidiomata are dull orange-pink in colour with a dull yellow interior. [5]

Under the microscope, several distinctive features can be observed. The spore-producing cells (basidia) are club-shaped ( clavate ), measuring 23–45 by 4–7 micrometres (μm), and bear two to four projections (sterigmata) on which spores develop. [5] The spores themselves (basidiospores) typically measure 5.0–8.0 by 3.5-4.5 μm and are ellipsoid to elongated in shape, sometimes appearing cylindrical. [5] The internal tissue is composed of parallel, densely packed fungal threads (hyphae) that appear yellowish when viewed in mass but individually are colourless. [5] Unlike many related fungi, the hyphae lack specialised connecting structures called clamp connections. [5]

The species can be distinguished from the superficially similar genus Multiclavula by its undifferentiated thallus structure and its association with green algae, rather than the blue-green algae found in Multiclavula. [3] Additionally, while both genera produce similar club-shaped reproductive structures, those of S. caatingae tend to be more orange in colour. [3]

Habitat and distribution

Sulzbacheromyces caatingae is known from northeastern Brazil, where it occurs across several distinct vegetation types. [5] The species was first discovered in the Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões in Piauí state, within the semi-arid Caatinga biome. [3] It has subsequently been found in several other locations, including the Araripe National Forest in Ceará state, the Mata do Pau-Ferro ecological reserve in Paraíba state, and the Campus I forest fragments of the Federal University of Paraíba. [5] It was recorded from Mato Grosso do Sul in 2023. [6]

The species shows considerable ecological amplitude , occurring in three main habitat types: the semi-arid Caatinga proper, upland wet forest enclaves within the Caatinga (known locally as brejos de 'altitude'), and remnants of Atlantic Forest. [5] This distribution spans areas with significantly different rainfall patterns, from the predominantly dry Caatinga with its 7–9 month dry season to the more humid Atlantic forest fragments. [3]

Within these habitats, S. caatingae typically grows on roadside soil banks and on termite nests, usually near the edges of well-preserved forest. [5] It grows gregariously, meaning multiple individuals occur together, and the development of its reproductive structures appears to be triggered by rainfall. [5] Despite the marked differences in climate and vegetation between its known localities, molecular studies suggest that populations across these different habitats represent a single, genetically uniform species. [5]

The species' ability to grow in both semi-arid and humid environments makes it unusual among lichenised fungi, as most basidiolichen species typically occur in consistently humid habitats. [3] Its presence in the Caatinga biome is particularly noteworthy, as this ecosystem is considered one of the most threatened in the Americas, with over 50% of its original area converted for human use and only 1% protected. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basidiolichen</span> Lichen with a Basidiomycota mycobiont

Basidiolichens are lichenized members of the Basidiomycota. They form a diverse yet much smaller group of lichens than the far more common ascolichens of the Ascomycota. Basidiolichen species may be distributed in a cosmopolitan manner or more regionally, ranging from arctic and montane habitats to more temperate and tropical environments. Within and between basidiolichen genera, basidiocarp and thallus structures may vary widely. Owing to how few species there are, basidiolichens are generally considered to be poorly researched, and few studies that characterize their natural products exist.

<i>Multiclavula</i> Genus of fungi

Multiclavula is a genus of basidiolichens in the family Hydnaceae. The widespread genus contains 14 species. The genus was circumscribed by the American mycologist Ron Petersen in 1967, with Multiclavula corynoides assigned as the type species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepidostromatales</span> Order of fungi

Lepidostromatales is an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. It is the only known order of basidiomycete fungi composed entirely of lichenized members. Morphologically, the fruiting bodies of all species are clavarioid. Six species are known, five of which were described within the span of 2007–2013. Due to its morphological similarity to the genus Multiclavula, its isolated phylogenetic position was not understood until quite recently. The photobionts that have been found in association with members of this group are not known to associate with any other types of lichenized fungi.

Ertzia is a monospecific genus in the family Lepidostromataceae. The sole species is Ertzia akagerae, a basidiolichen. The genus was circumscribed in 2014 by Brendan Hodkinson and Robert Lücking. Ertzia is distinguished from all other lichenized clavarioid fungi by having a microsquamulose thallus that forms contiguous glomerules with a cortex of jigsaw puzzle-shaped cells. Ertzia akagerae grows on soil in the African tropics.

Sulzbacheromyces is a genus of basidiolichens in the family Lepidostromataceae. The genus is distinguished from the other genera of Lepidostromataceae by having an entirely crustose thallus and from Multiclavula (Cantharellales) by having a chlorococcoid photobiont. The type species grows on soil in the neotropics.

<i>Lepidostroma</i> Genus of fungi

Lepidostroma is a genus in the family Lepidostromataceae. The genus is distinguished from all other lichenized clavarioid fungi by having a distinctly squamulose thallus with scattered to dense rounded to reniform squamules. Four species are known from the tropics of Africa and the Americas.

Cora hirsuta is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. Found in the páramo region near Bogotá at over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) elevation, it was described as new to science in 2011. The lichen, characterised by its distinctively hairy upper surface and smaller lobes, thrives in a variety of habitats, including soil, bryophytes, and as epiphytes on trees.

Cora applanata is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. It was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Bibiana Moncada, Edier Soto-Medina, and Robert Lücking. The specific epithet refers to its applanate (flattened) thallus. The lichen is widely distributed in tropical montane areas of the northern Andes, where it grows on soil along open road banks and on land slides.

Cora leslactuca is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. It was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Robert Lücking, Bibiana Moncada, and Rouchi Nadine Peláez-Pulido. The specific epithet leslactuca combines the second syllable of David Leslie Hawksworth's middle name with the genus name Lactuca, thereby both alluding to the resemblance of the thallus to lettuce leaves and honouring the British mycologist. The lichen is known only from its type locality in the Bosques Peña de Santa Bárbara Natural Reserve. In this location, a wet cloud forest zone at elevations between 2,500 and 3,000 m, the lichen grows on rocks in the páramo.

Cora arachnoidea is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. Found in Venezuela, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by Jesús Hernández and Robert Lücking. The type specimen was collected in the surroundings of Laguna de Mucubají, at an altitude of 3,626 m (11,896 ft). The specific epithet makes reference to the arachnoid (cobwebby) texture of the thallus surface. Another member of the genus with a similar surface is Cora hirsuta.

Cora aspera is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. Found in Central and South America, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by Karina Wilk, Robert Lücking, and Eduardo Morales. The type specimen was collected in the Siberia region near La Palma at an altitude of 2,582 m (8,471 ft). Here, in a Yungas cloud forest, it grows as an epiphyte on bark. The specific epithet alludes to the roughened texture of the thallus surface, especially under dry conditions. The lichen has been recorded from Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru, and it grows on twigs and branches in montane rainforest and páramo vegetation.

Cora byssoidea is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. Found in Colombia, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by lichenologists Robert Lücking and Bibiana Moncada. The type specimen was collected in Páramo El Verjón at an altitude of 3,200 m (10,500 ft). Here it was found growing as an epiphyte on twigs and small branches of páramo vegetation. The lichen is only known from the type locality. The specific epithet byssoidea refers to the byssoid surface of the upper thallus. This surface comprises an irregularly dissolved layer of single hyphae in the cortex. A lookalike species, Cora hirsuta, also found at the same location, has a similar surface texture. In this lichen the surface is made of erect trichomes of agglutinated hyphae; despite their similarities, the two species are not closely related.

Cora cyphellifera is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. Found in northern Ecuador, it was formally described as a new species in 2013 by Manuela Dal-Forno, Frank Bungartz, and Robert Lücking. The type specimen was collected near the entrance to the Alto Choco Reserve at an elevation of 2,053 m (6,736 ft). Here, in open, disturbed forest patches, the lichen grows as an epiphyte on tree branches and twigs, forming foliose, light bluish-green thalli up to 15 cm (6 in) across, and comprising 20 to 30 semicircular lobes in each thallus. Cora cyphellifera is only known to occur at the type locality, which is a montane rainforest. The specific epithet refers to the unusual cyphelloid structure of the thallus; this characteristic is otherwise unknown in the genus Cora. According to the authors, "it almost looks like the lichenized thallus is parasitized by a non-lichenized, cyphelloid mushroom".

Acantholichen pannarioides is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae, and the type species of genus Acantholichen. The lichen has a bluish-tinged, gelatinous thallus with a surface texture that has a powdery to hairy texture. It is found in montane regions of Central America and northern South America, where it grows on forest litter, bark, on bryophytes, and on other lichens.

Dictyonema aeruginosulum is a species of basidiolichen in the family Hygrophoraceae. Characteristics of the lichen include its distinctive finger-like projections and blue-green hue. It is distinguishable from its closest relatives by its unique morphology and the absence of clamp connections in its structure. Dictyonema aeruginosulum is an epiphyte, forming thick mats on tree trunks within rainforest regions. The species was first identified in Costa Rica's Tenorio Volcano National Park, and it has only been recorded from this location.

Neosergipea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Roccellaceae. It has four species, all of which are corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichens that are found in the tropical forests of Brazil. This genus is related to the genera Dichosporidium, Enterographa, and Erythrodecton. It distinguishes itself through unique morphological characteristics and certain chemical constituents, in particular, its non-carbonised ascomata and the presence of a vivid orange anthraquinone compound.

Sulzbacheromyces bicolor is a species of basidiolichen in the family Lepidostromataceae. It occurs in Yunnan, China.

Sulzbacheromyces sinensis is a species of basidiolichen in the family Lepidostromataceae. It is found in Asia.

Sulzbacheromyces tutunendo is a species of basidiolichen in the family Lepidostromataceae. It is found in Colombia.

Sulzbacheromyces chocoensis is a species of soil-dwelling basidiolichen in the family Lepidostromataceae. It forms a thin, olive-green crust on clay soil and produces distinctive unbranched, reddish-orange to yellowish reproductive structures. The species was described in 2018 from specimens collected in Colombia's Chocó Biogeographic Region, where it grows in tropical rainforest environments.

References

  1. ↑ "GSD Species Synonymy. Current Name: Sulzbacheromyces caatingae (Sulzbacher & Lücking) B.P. Hodk. & Lücking, Fungal Diversity 64(1): 176 (2013)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  2. ↑ "Sulzbacheromyces caatingae (Sulzbacher & Lücking) B.P. Hodk. & Lücking". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sulzbacher, Marcelo A.; Baseia, Iuri G.; Lücking, Robert; Parnmen, Sittiporn; Moncada, Bibiana (2012). "Unexpected discovery of a novel basidiolichen in the threatened Caatinga biome of northeastern Brazil". The Bryologist. 115 (4): 601–609. doi:10.1639/0007-2745-115.4.601.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hodkinson, Brendan P.; Moncada, Bibiana; Lücking, Robert (2013). "Lepidostromatales, a new order of lichenized fungi (Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes), with two new genera, Ertzia and Sulzbacheromyces, and one new species, Lepidostroma winklerianum". Fungal Diversity. 64 (1): 165–179. doi:10.1007/s13225-013-0267-0.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sulzbacher, Marcelo A.; Wartchow, Felipe; Ovrebo, Clark L.; Sousa, Julieth O.; Baseia, Iuri G.; Moncada, Bibiana; Lücking, Robert (2016). "Sulzbacheromyces caatingae: notes on its systematics, morphology and distribution based on ITS barcoding sequences". The Lichenologist. 48 (1): 61–70. doi:10.1017/S0024282915000420.
  6. ↑ Kitaura, Marcos J.; Scur, Mayara C.; Torres, Jean-Marc; Lorenz, Aline P.; Leite, Merson F. (2023). "A new record of Sulzbacheromyces caatingae (Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes) from Mato Grosso do Sul and a worldwide infrageneric identification key". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 95 (3): e20220779. doi:10.1590/0001-3765202320220779. PMID   37937616.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.