| BioImages (UK) |
|
BIOTA (living things) |
|
Eukaryota (eukaryotes) |
|
MYCETEAE (fungi, moulds and lichens) |
| <- back - fore -> |
BioImages: The Virtual Field-Guide (UK)
MYCETEAE (fungi, moulds and lichens)
| Notes (MWS) | The Fungi are a large group of organisms which are ubiquitous in terrestrial habitats. They are less abundant in freshwater habitats and comparatively rare in in the sea. Fungi are characterised by a filamentous growth form (mycelium), reproduction by haploid spores, and a sexual cycle which involves delayed nuclear fusion (dikaryon). A few groups form large sporulating colonies (mushrooms, toadstools, brackets etc). Although usually thought of as decomposers, many have other lifestyles. Some are parasitic; a small number of these are of medical importance, but most are plant parasites and a few are economically very significant. Other fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots (mycorrhiza). The fungus mycelium is able to permeate the soil further afield than the plant's root hairs and so can harvest minerals from a larger soil volume. These are made available to the plant while sugars from photosynthesis leak from the roots to the fungus. Many of the most striking autumn toadstools (Amanita, Cortinarius, Tricholoma, Boletus sl.) are mycorrhizal with forest trees (esp Oak, Beech, Hazel, Willow, Birch and Pine). Most other plants and trees are mycorrhizal with lower fungi like the Pea Truffles (Endogone). The exception is the Cabbage family, Brassicaceae, which is not known to form mycorrhizal associations and is rarely affected by Rust Fungi (the exception to the exception is Scurvy Grass - Cochlearia spp.) - this is probably due to the mustard oils which give them their distinctive flavour and smell. Mycorrhizal fungi can be parasitised by higher plants, maybe with another fungus as intermediary. The plants formerly called "Saprophytes" fall into this category: there is insufficient nitrogen or useable carbohydrate in leaf litter to support a flowering plant. Lichens are another example of fungi forming symbioses with photosynthetic organisms, in this case: algae or cyanobacteria. The combined organism is able to live in much harsher environments than either could alone. Some lichens grow just inside rocks (endolithic) where they wait for erosion processes to release their spores. Prof D.L. Hawksworth has estimated that there are 6 species of fungus for every species of flowering plant, suggesting there are 1.5 million species of fungi on Earth. Less than 20% of these are known to science, although in Europe, which has been well-studied, the percentage is far greater. |
| Lab. techniques | Except for some of the more distinctive larger species, microscopic examination is always required to identify fungi. Staining is often necessary to make hyaline tissues and spores visible - the question is what stain to use: as a rule of thumb: if it has basidia, use Phloxine; if it has asci, use Melzer's Iodine; other hyaline ascomycete structures can be stained with Congo Red. Anamorphic fungi generally stain well in Cotton Blue, although dematiacous hyphomycetes often need no staining. |
Records (and photo sets)
| Taxon | Summary | Date | Vice-county | Country |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myceteae? | Infection | 22 April 2007 | Surrey | England | 4 | ||
| Myceteae? | Imperfect stage | 22 April 2007 | Surrey | England | 2 | 1 | |
| Myceteae? | Imperfect stage | 22 April 2007 | Surrey | England | 12 | 4 | |
| Myceteae | Fruitbody | 20 October 2002 | Oxon | England | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Subtaxa
| Rank | Taxon |  |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phylum | ASCOMYCOTA Whittaker, 1959 (spore-shooters) | 3260 | 1718 | 1806 | 2270 | 263 | 11446 | |
| Phylum | BASIDIOMYCOTA Whittaker, 1959 (spore droppers) | 2232 | 9332 | 4518 | 4381 | 209 | 1251 | 4902 |
| Phylum | CHYTRIDIOMYCOTA Arx, 1967 (a fungus) | 12 | ||||||
| Class | CHYTRIDIOMYCETES Cejp, 1957 (a fungus) | 12 | 33 | 11 | 36 | 4 | 22 | |
| Phylum | GLOMEROMYCOTA C. Walker & A. Schüssler, 2001 (AM fungi) | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Species | Sphaerococcus globosus (a lichen parasymbiont) | 1 | ||||||
| Phylum | ZYGOMYCOTA Moreau, 1954 (pin moulds) | 56 | 68 | 53 | 100 | 10 | 69 | |
| Informal | (Gasteromycetes) (Puffballs, Earthstars, Earthballs, Stinkhorns, Truffles Etc) | 71 | 317 | 143 | 141 | 87 | 49439 | |
| Informal | (Macrofungi) (Larger Fungi) | 1641 | 9063 | 3858 | 3780 | 208 | 1070 | 621815 |
Suggested Literature
Identification Works
General Works
MYCETEAE may also be covered by literature listed under:
|
BIOTA (living things) |
Eukaryota (eukaryotes) |
Feeding and other inter-species relationships
Associated with MYCETEAE:
| is parasitised by clustered apothecium | Unguiculariopsis ilicincola - a discomycete (Helotiales: Helotiaceae) | Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1998 | ||
| is parasitised by scattered, mostly superficial perithecium | Syspastospora parasitica - a pyrenomycete (Hypocreales: Ceratostomataceae) | 
|
Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1998 | |
| fruitbody (small) | small fruitbody is food source of larva | Aphodius plagiatus - a dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) | Jessop, L., 1986 [in hollows on sandhills] | |
| fruitbody (subterranean) | subterranean fruitbody may contain larva | Odonteus armiger - a dumbledor (Coleoptera: Bolboceratidae) | 
|
Jessop, L., 1986 |
| fruitbody | fruitbody is parasitised by colony of Calcarisporium anamorph | Calcarisporium arbuscula - an anamorphic fungus | Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997 | |
| mycorrhiza | mycorrhiza is parasitised by plant | Epipogium aphyllum - Ghost Orchid (Orchidaceae) | 
|
Spooner, B. & Roberts, P., 2005 |
References
| Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1997 | Microfungi on Land Plants: An Identification Handbook |
| Ellis, M.B. & J.P., 1998 | Microfungi on Miscellaneous Substrates: An Identification Handbook |
| Jessop, L., 1986 | Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) |
| Spooner, B. & Roberts, P., 2005 | Fungi |