Mycena acicula

Last updated
Mycena acicula
Mycena acicula Oakland.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Mycenaceae
Genus: Mycena
Species:
M. acicula
Binomial name
Mycena acicula
(Schaeff.) P.Kumm. (1871)
Synonyms [1]

Agaricus aciculaSchaeff. (1774)
Agaricus miniatus Batsch (1783)
Hemimycena acicula(Schaeff.) Singer (1938)
Marasmiellus acicula(Schaeff.) Singer (1951)

Contents

Mycena acicula
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Conical cap icon.svgCampanulate cap icon.svg Cap is conical or campanulate
Adnate gills icon2.svg Hymenium is adnate
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Transparent spore print icon.svg
Spore print is white
Saprotrophic fungus.svgEcology is saprotrophic
Mycomorphbox Inedible.pngEdibility is inedible

Mycena acicula, commonly known as the orange bonnet, or the coral spring Mycena, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. It is found in Asia, the Caribbean, North America and Europe. The fruit bodies, or mushrooms, of the fungus grow on dead twigs and other woody debris of forest floors, especially along streams and other wet places. They have small orange-red caps, up to 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter, held by slender yellowish stems up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. The gills are pale yellow with a whitish edge. Several other Mycena species look similar, but may be distinguished by differences in size and/or microscopic characteristics. M. acicula is considered inedible because of its small size.

Taxonomy

First named Agaricus acicula by the German scientist Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1774, [2] the species was also referred to as Agaricus miniatus by another German, naturalist August Batsch. [3] It was given its current name in 1871 by Paul Kummer. [4] Rolf Singer transferred the species to the genera Hemimycena [5] and Marasmiellus , [6] but the binomials resulting from these transfers are now considered synonyms. [1] The fungus is classified in the section Aciculae of the genus Mycena . [7]

The specific epithet acicula is derived from the Latin word meaning "small needle". [8] The mushroom is commonly known as the "orange bonnet", [9] or the "coral spring Mycena". [10]

Description

Close-up of pruinose (powdery) cap surface Mycena acicula 56572.jpg
Close-up of pruinose (powdery) cap surface

The cap is initially convex, but as it matures, it expands to a bell-shape, typically reaching 0.3 to 1 cm (0.1 to 0.4 in) in diameter. The cap sometimes has a small abrupt umbo (a central bump), and the cap margin is pressed closely against the stem when young, often flaring or curving slightly inward. As the cap expands, a narrow sterile (i.e., without any reproductive cells typical of the hymenium) band which frequently becomes lobed or irregularly-jagged often forms at the extreme margin. The cap surface is smooth, faintly translucent-striate when moist, at first pruinose but soon naked. The color is red when young, soon becoming yellowish toward the margin, and slowly fading to bright orange-yellow. The flesh is thin, brittle, yellow, and has no distinctive odor or taste. [11]

The gills are adnate (with gills broadly attached to the stem, slightly above the bottom of the gill, with most of the gill fused to the stem) or slightly rounded next to the stem. The individual gills are close to subdistant, with between 10–14 reaching the stem, and two or three tiers of lamellulae (short gills that do not reach the stem). The gills are moderately broad, pale orange to whitish, often yellowish at the base and whitish along the edges. The stem is 1 to 6 cm (0.4 to 2.4 in) long, and up to 1 mm thick; flexuous (winding from side to side), brittle, with the base covered with sharp, straight, and stiff white hairs. The surface is densely white-pruinose initially, but soon becomes naked with a subsequent color shift to orange-yellow or lemon yellow. [11] This species has been described as "a delight to behold", but "one usually has to get down on hands and knees to find it!" [12]

The fruit bodies of Mycena acicula are considered inedible, as they are too small and insubstantial to be considered for consumption. [12] [13]

Microscopic characteristics

The spores are roughly spindle-shaped (i.e., tapering at each end), with dimensions of 9–11 by 3.5–4.5  μm. They are nonamyloid, meaning they do not take up iodine when stained with Melzer's reagent. The spore-bearing cells, the basidia, are club-shaped, four-spored and measure 20–22 by 5–6 μm. The cheilocystidium and pleurocystidia (cystidia found on the edge and face, respectively, of a gill) are similar, club-shaped to spindle-shaped or egg-shaped, and have apices that are often covered with a resinous secretion. [11] The hyphae that comprise the cap cuticle are up to 3.5 μm wide, clamped, and covered with cylindrical excrescences that measure 2–9 by 1–3 μm. The hyphae of the cortical layer of the stem are up to 4.5 μm wide, clamped, and densely covered with simple to somewhat branched, cylindrical to inflated excrescences that are up to 20 by 5 μm. These latter excrescences are embedded in gelatinous matter. [7]

Similar species

Mycena adonis , M. floridula , and M. leptophylla are larger species of the section Adonidae in the genus Mycena. In that section, among other differences, the hyphae of the cortical layer (the outer layer of tissue) of the stem are smooth. M. oregonensis is similar in appearance to M. acicula, but the cap is yellower, the gills are broadly adnate or decurrent with a short tooth, the gill edge is orange to bright yellow, and the stem is dry, not sticky. The hyphae of the cortical layer of the stem are smooth and not embedded in gelatinous matter, and in European collections the basidia are two-spored and do not have clamps. M. strobilinoides , a North American and European species, looks similar with its orange cap, but may be distinguished microscopically by the cheilocystidia which are densely covered by excrescences; [7] it also has a larger cap, up to 2 cm (0.8 in). M. aurantiidisca can be distinguished by the reddish-orange cap which tends to become paler at the margin. [13] Mycena specialist Alexander H. Smith further noted of M. acicula that it could readily be mistaken for a Hygrophorus . [11]

Habitat and distribution

Typical growth habit Mycena acicula 48296.jpg
Typical growth habit

The fruit bodies of Mycena acicula grow singly, in groups, or somewhat clustered on debris in wet places, especially along streams or the borders of swamps. The appearance of the fruit bodies is not significantly influenced by the effect of rainfall, perhaps because "such minute fungi are largely determined by the microenvironment prevailing under dense vegetation, etc., which is no doubt less affected by recent rain than more exposed situations." [14] The fungus is widely distributed throughout the eastern United States and Canada and occurs in Washington, Oregon, and California along the Pacific Coast. [11] It has also been reported from Trinidad, [15] Britain, [16] Norway, [7] Spain, [17] Korea, [18] and the Ussuri River Valley in the northeast of China. [19]

Related Research Articles

<i>Atheniella adonis</i> Species of fungus

Atheniella adonis, which has the recommended name of scarlet bonnet in the UK, is a species of agaric in the family Cyphellaceae. Found in Asia, Europe, and North America, it produces small orangish to reddish mushrooms with caps up to 1.2 cm (0.5 in) in diameter and thin pinkish-white stems reaching 4 cm (1.6 in) long. The fungus typically grows in conifer woods and peat bogs, suggesting a preference for acidic environments. The appearance of several atypical fruitings on deciduous wood in the Netherlands in the late 1970s was attributed to increases in atmospheric pollution that raised the acidity of the wood substrate.

<i>Mycena adscendens</i> Species of fungus

Mycena adscendens, commonly known as the frosty bonnet, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. The fungus produces small white fruit bodies (mushrooms) with caps up to 7.5 mm (0.3 in) in diameter that appear to be dusted with sugar-like granules. Caps are supported by thin, hollow stems up to 20 mm (0.8 in) long, which are set on a disc-like base. Its distribution includes Europe, Turkey and the Pacific coast of the United States. The fruit bodies grow on fallen twigs and other woody debris on the forest floor, including fallen hazel nuts. The variety carpophila is known from Japan. There are several small white Mycena species that are similar in appearance to M. adscendens, some of which can be reliably distinguished only by examining microscopic characteristics.

<i>Atheniella flavoalba</i> Species of fungus

Atheniella flavoalba, which has the recommended name of ivory bonnet in the UK, is a species of agaric in the family Cyphellaceae. The cap is initially conical, before becoming convex and then flat; it may reach up to 1.5 cm (0.6 in) across. The cap is ivory-white to yellowish white, sometimes more yellowish at the center. The tubular stems are up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.10 in) thick, and have long, coarse white hairs at their bases. Atheniella flavoalba is found in Europe, the Middle East, and North America, where it grows scattered in pastures or in dense groups under conifers and on humus in oak woods.

<i>Mycena leptocephala</i> Species of fungus

Mycena leptocephala, commonly known as the nitrous bonnet, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. The mushrooms have conical grayish caps that reach up to 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, and thin fragile stems up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long. The gills are gray and distantly spaced. The spores are elliptical, typically measure 7–10 by 4–6 μm, and are white in deposit. When viewed under a light microscope, the gills have abundant spindle-shaped cystidia on the gill edges, but few on the gill faces. The mushroom is found in North America, Asia, and Europe where it grows singly or in groups on conifer needles, cones and sticks on the forest floor. It has a distinctive odor of bleach; the edibility is unknown. Similar species include Mycena alcalina, M. austera, and M. brevipes.

<i>Mycena nargan</i> Species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae

Mycena nargan, commonly known as the Nargan's bonnet, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae, and the sole member of the section Nargan in the genus Mycena. Reported as a new species in 1995, it is known predominantly from Southern Australia. The saprobic fungus produces mushrooms that grow on well-decayed wood, often on the underside of wood lying in litter. The dark chestnut-coloured caps are covered with white, easily removed scales, and reach diameters of up to 2 cm (0.8 in) wide. The pale, slender stems are up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long and have white scales at the base. On the underside of the cap, the cream-coloured gills are widely spaced and bluntly attached to the stem. The edibility of the mushroom is unknown.

<i>Mycena overholtsii</i> Species of fungus

Mycena overholtsii, commonly known as the snowbank fairy helmet or fuzzy foot, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. The mushrooms produced by the fungus are relatively large for the genus Mycena, with convex grayish caps up to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter and stems up to 15 cm (6 in) long. The gills on the underside of the cap are whitish to pale gray, and initially closely spaced before becoming well-spaced at maturity after the cap enlarges. The mushrooms are characterized by the dense covering of white "hairs" on the base of the stem. M. overholtsii is an example of a snowbank fungus, growing on well-decayed conifer logs near snowbanks, during or just after snowmelt. Formerly known only from high-elevation areas of western North America, particularly the Rocky Mountain and Cascade regions, it was reported for the first time in Japan in 2010. The edibility of the mushroom is unknown. M. overholtsii can be distinguished from other comparable species by differences in location, or spore size.

<i>Mycena californiensis</i> Species of fungus

Mycena californiensis is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. It is a common and abundant species in the coastal oak woodlands of California, where it grows saprobically, feeding on the fallen leaves and acorns of various oak species. First described in 1860 by Berkeley and Curtis, the species was collected four years earlier during an exploring and surveying expedition. It was subsequently considered a doubtful species by later Mycena researchers, until a 1999 publication validated the taxon. Mycena elegantula is considered a synonym.

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

Amanita ravenelii, commonly known as the pinecone lepidella, is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. The whitish fruit bodies are medium to large, with caps up to 17 centimetres wide, and stems up to 25 cm (10 in) long. The cap surface has large warts and the stem has a scaly, bulbous base. The mushrooms have a unique chlorine like odor.

<i>Mycena clariviolacea</i> Species of fungus

Mycena clariviolacea is a mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. First reported as a new species in 2007, it is known only from Kanagawa, Japan, where it fruits on dead fallen twigs in forests dominated by oak and chinquapin trees. Distinctive features of this species are found in its medium-sized, dark violet fruit bodies, with caps up to 25 mm (0.98 in) in diameter and slender stems that are about 30 to 40 mm long. Microscopic characteristics include the amyloid spores, the club-shaped cheilocystidia that are covered with one or more, knob-like, apical protuberances, the absence of pleurocystidia, and the cylindrical, diverticulate caulocystidia.

<i>Mycena fonticola</i> Species of fungus

Mycena fonticola is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. First reported in 2007, it is known only from central Honshu, in Japan, where it grows on dead leaves and twigs in low-elevation forests dominated by oak trees. The fruit body of the fungus has a smooth, violet-brown cap up to 2.5 cm (1.0 in) in diameter, and a slender stem up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Distinguishing microscopic characteristics of the mushroom include the relatively large, distinctly amyloid spores, the smooth, spindle-shaped cheilocystidia, the absence of pleurocystidia, the diverticulate hyphae of the cap cuticle, and the absence of clamp connections.

<i>Mycena fuscoaurantiaca</i> Species of fungus

Mycena fuscoaurantiaca is a species of mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. First reported as a new species in 2007, the diminutive mushroom is only found in Kanagawa, Japan, where it grows on dead fallen twigs in lowland forests dominated by hornbeam (Carpinus) and Chinese evergreen oak trees. The mushroom has a brownish-orange conical cap that has grooves extending to the center, and reaches up to 11 mm (0.43 in) in diameter. Its slender stem is colored similarly to the cap, and long—up to 60 mm (2.4 in) tall. Microscopic characteristics include the weakly amyloid spores, the smooth, swollen cheilocystidia and pleurocystidia with long rounded tips, the diverticulate hyphae of the cap cuticle, and the absence of clamp connections.

<i>Mycena intersecta</i> Species of fungus

Mycena intersecta is a species of mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. First reported as a new species in 2007, it is known only from central Honshu, in Japan, where it is found growing solitarily or scattered, on dead leaves in lowland forests dominated by oak. The mushrooms have olive-brown caps up to 12 mm (0.47 in) in diameter atop slender stems that are 50 to 80 mm long by 0.7 to 1.2 mm thick. On the underside of the cap are the distantly spaced, whitish gills that have cross-veins running between them. Microscopic characteristics of the mushroom include the smooth, irregularly cylindrical cheilocystidia, the absence of pleurocystidia, the diverticulate elements of the cap cuticle, the broadly club-shaped to irregularly shaped caulocystidia, the weakly dextrinoid flesh, and the absence of clamp connections. The edibility of the mushroom is unknown.

<i>Mycena lanuginosa</i> Species of fungus

Mycena lanuginosa is a species of mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. First collected in 2000 and reported as a new species in 2007, it is known only from lowland oak-dominated forests in central Honshu in Japan. The small mushroom is characterized by its grooved, grayish-brown to violet-brown cap up to 11 mm (0.43 in) in diameter, and the slender grayish-brown to reddish-brown stem covered with minute, fine, soft hairs. The mushroom produces amyloid spores. Microscopic distinguishing features include the smooth, spindle-shaped cheilocystidia and pleurocystidia and the diverticulate elements in the outer layer of the cap and the stem.

<i>Mycena multiplicata</i> Species of fungus

Mycena multiplicata is a species of mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. First described as a new species in 2007, the mushroom is known only from the prefecture of Kanagawa, Japan, where it grows on dead fallen twigs in lowland forests dominated by oak. The mushroom has a whitish cap that reaches up to 13 mm (0.51 in) in diameter atop a slender stem 15 to 20 mm long and 1 to 1.3 mm thick. On the underside of the cap are whitish, distantly spaced gills that are narrowly attached to the stem. Microscopic characteristics of the mushroom include the amyloid spores, the pear-shaped to broadly club-shaped cheilocystidia which are covered with a few to numerous, unevenly spaced, cylindrical protuberances, the lack of pleurocystidia, and the diverticulate hyphae in the outer layer of the cap and stem. The edibility of the mushroom is unknown.

<i>Mycena mustea</i> Species of mushroom in the family Mycenaceae

Mycena mustea is a species of mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. First described as a new species in 2007, the fungus is known only from Kanagawa, Japan, where it grows on dead fallen twigs in lowland forests. The mushroom's dull violet to grayish-violet cap, initially covered with a fine whitish powder, becomes smooth as it matures, and eventually reaches a diameter of up to 10 mm (0.39 in). The stem is slender, up to 90 mm (3.5 in) long, and is covered with stiff white hairs at the base. Underneath the cap are distantly spaced pale brownish gills that are narrowly attached to the stem. Microscopic characteristics of the mushroom include the weakly amyloid spores, the club-shaped cheilocystidia featuring one or more short knob-like protuberances, the absence of pleurocystidia, the diverticulate cap cuticle hyphae, and the absence of clamp connections.

<i>Mycena maculata</i> Species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae

Mycena maculata, commonly known as the reddish-spotted Mycena, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. The fruit bodies, or mushrooms, have conic to bell-shaped to convex caps that are initially dark brown but fade to brownish-gray when young, reaching diameters of up to 4 cm. They are typically wrinkled or somewhat grooved, and have reddish-brown spots in age, or after being cut or bruised. The whitish to pale gray gills also become spotted reddish-brown as they mature. The stem, up to 8 cm (3 in) long and covered with whitish hairs at its base, can also develop reddish stains. The mycelium of M. maculata has bioluminescent properties. The saprobic fungus is found in Europe and North America, where it grows in groups or clusters on the rotting wood of both hardwoods and conifers. The edibility of the fungus is unknown. Although the species is known for, and named after its propensity to stain reddish, occasionally these stains do not appear, making it virtually indistinguishable from M. galericulata.

<i>Mycena aurantiomarginata</i> Species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae common in Europe and North America

Mycena aurantiomarginata, commonly known as the golden-edge bonnet, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Mycenaceae. First formally described in 1803, it was given its current name in 1872. Widely distributed, it is common in Europe and North America, and has also been collected in North Africa, Central America, and Japan. The fungus is saprobic, and produces fruit bodies (mushrooms) that grow on the floor of coniferous forests. The mushrooms have a bell-shaped to conical cap up to 2 cm in diameter, set atop a slender stipe up to 6 cm long with yellow to orange hairs at the base. The fungus is named after its characteristic bright orange gill edges. A microscopic characteristic is the club-shaped cystidia that are covered with numerous spiky projections, resembling a mace. The edibility of the mushroom has not been determined. M. aurantiomarginata can be distinguished from similar Mycena species by differences in size, color, and substrate. A 2010 publication reported the discovery and characterization of a novel pigment named mycenaaurin A, isolated from the mushroom. The pigment is responsible for its color, and it has antibiotic activity that may function to prevent certain bacteria from growing on the mushroom.

<i>Mycena arcangeliana</i> Species of fungus

Mycena arcangeliana is a species of Mycenaceae fungus. It has been known by a number of scientific names, and its taxonomy is still somewhat disputed. It produces small mushrooms with caps varying in colour from whitish to a darker grey-brown, and stems of an olive-greyish that fade with age. The mushrooms can be mistaken for the similar Mycena flavescens. They have a mild taste, but a strong smell of iodoform; they are not edible. The species grows on dead wood in autumn months, and can be found throughout Europe.

<i>Mycena atkinsoniana</i> Species of fungus

Mycena atkinsoniana is a species of agaric fungus in the family Mycenaceae. It is one of the so-called "bleeding mycenas" that will ooze yellow to orange juice when injured. Other distinguishing features include the upper stem surface that is decorated with tiny purplish-brown fibers, and the gills, which are pale yellow with maroon edges. The reddish-brown caps are smooth with a grooved margin, and up to 3 cm (1.2 in) wide. Mycena atkinsoniana is known from the United States and Canada, where it grows scattered or in groups on leaf litter in forests during the summer and autumn. It was originally described from collections associated with beech, but it is also frequently found under eastern North American oaks.

<i>Mycena chlorophos</i> Species of agaric fungus in the family Mycenaceae

Mycena chlorophos is a species of agaric fungus in the family Mycenaceae. First described in 1860, the fungus is found in subtropical Asia, including India, Japan, Taiwan, Polynesia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, in Australia, and Brazil. Fruit bodies (mushrooms) have pale brownish-grey sticky caps up to 30 mm (1.2 in) in diameter atop stems 6–30 mm (0.2–1.2 in) long and up to a millimeter thick. The mushrooms are bioluminescent and emit a pale green light. Fruiting occurs in forests on fallen woody debris such as dead twigs, branches, and logs. The fungus can be made to grow and fruit in laboratory conditions, and the growth conditions affecting bioluminescence have been investigated.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mycena acicula (Schaeff.) P. Kumm". Index Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  2. Schaeffer JC. (1774). Fungorum qui in Bavaria et Palatinatu Nascuntur Icones (in Latin). Vol. 4. Erlangen, Germany: Apud J.J. Palmium. p. 52.
  3. Batsch AJGK. (1783). Elenchus fungorum (in Latin and German). Halae Magdeburgicae : Apud Joannem J. Gebauer. p. 73. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  4. Kummer P. (1871). Der Führer in die Pilzkunde (in German). Zerbst. p. 109.
  5. "Hemimycena acicula (Schaeff.) Singer". MycoBank. International Mycological Association. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  6. Singer R. (1951). "The Agaricales in Modern Taxonomy". Liloa. 22 (2 ed.): 301.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Aronsen A. (2005). "Mycena acicula". A key to the Mycenas of Norway. Archived from the original on 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  8. Headrick D, Gordh G (2001). A Dictionary of Entomology. Wallingford, Oxon, UK: CABI Publishing. p. 10. ISBN   978-0-85199-655-4.
  9. "Recommended English Names for Fungi in the UK" (PDF). British Mycological Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16.
  10. Roody WC. (2003). Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 185. ISBN   978-0-8131-9039-6.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, p.119–21.
  12. 1 2 Arora D. (1986). Mushrooms Demystified: a Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. p. 228. ISBN   978-0-89815-169-5.
  13. 1 2 Wood M, Stevens F. "Mycena acicula". California Fungi. MycoWeb. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
  14. Parker-Rhodes AF. (1957). "Some phenological observations on Basidiomycetes". New Phytologist. 56 (2): 193–206. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1957.tb06966.x .
  15. Dennis RWG. (1952). "Lepiota and allied genera in Trinidad, British West Indies". Kew Bulletin. 1952 (4): 459–99. doi:10.2307/4117800. JSTOR   4117800.
  16. Rea C. (1922). British Basidiomycetaceae: a handbook to the larger British Fungi. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 393–94.
  17. Garcia Perez JC, Hidalgo Ordas MC (1982). "Catalog of macromycetes of the province of Leon Spain note 1". Collectanea Botanica (Barcelona). 4th Symposium on Cryptogamic Botany, Barcelona, 1982 (in Spanish). 13 (2): 461–66.
  18. Kim YS, Seok SJ, Sung JM (1998). "Notes on the higher fungi in Kangwon-do (I) – On some unrecorded species". Korean Journal of Mycology (in Korean). 26 (2): 153–62. ISSN   0253-651X.
  19. Bau T, Bulakh YM, JianYun Z, Yu L (2007). "Agarics and other macrobasidiomycetes from Ussuri River Valley". Mycosystema. 26 (3): 349–68. ISSN   1672-6472.

Cited text