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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
Suggested Literature
Identification Works
| Fungi non Delineati |
Journal |
| HYP3: Species - Crop diseases: http://www.inra.fr/internet/Produits/HYP3/species.htm |
Web Site/Page |
| Index of fungi pages or photographs on The Net: http://www.grzyby.pl/fglobal-directory.htm |
Web Site/Page |
| Norwegian fungus of the month: http://www.uio.no/conferences/imc7/ |
Web Site/Page |
| Svampe: http://www.svampe.net/ |
Web Site/Page |
| Field Mycology |
Journal |
| CMI Descriptions of Pathenogenic Fungi and Bacteria |
Journal |
| Darlington, A., 1968 |
A Pocket Encyclopedia of Plant Galls in colour |
| Hawksworth, D.L., 1983 |
A Key to the Lichen-forming, Parasitic, Parasymbiotic and Saprophytic Fungi occurring on Lichens in the British Isles |
| Ing, B., 1974 (Species growing on Myxomycetes) |
Mouldy Myxomyxcetes |
| Fungi Images on the Net: http://www.in2.dk/fungi/imageintroTxt.htm |
Web Site/Page |
| Leatherdale, D., 1958 |
Host Catalogue of Britsh Entomogenous Fungi |
| Montecchi A. & Sarasini, M., 2000 |
Funghi Ipogei D'Europa |
| Rutter, G., 2002 |
Fairy Rings |
| Ryman, S., Holmasen, I., 1984 |
Svampar - en falthandbok |
| Fungi of Poland (and Czech Republic pro parte): http://www.grzyby.pl |
Web Site/Page |
| Leif & Anita Stridvall's Botanical Site: http://www.stridvall.se/la/index.php |
Web Site/Page |
| Stubbs, F.B. (Editor), 1986 |
Provisional Keys to British Plant Galls |
| UK Biodiversity Action Plan: http://www.ukbap.org.uk |
Web Site/Page |
| Cercle de Mycologie de Mons (Belgique): (Page perso de JJ. Wuilbaut): http://users.skynet.be/jjw.myco.mons |
Web Site/Page |
General Works
| Cryptogamie, Mycologie (Cryptog., Mycol) |
Journal |
| Index Fungorum: http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NAMES.ASP |
Web Site/Page |
| Karstenia |
Journal |
| Mycologia |
Journal |
| Persoonia |
Journal |
| Projet Aulnaies - programme d’inventaire et de typologie mycologique des aulnaies françaises: http://projet.aulnaies.free.fr/ |
Web Site/Page |
| Rev. de Mycol. |
Journal |
| Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - RBG(K): http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ |
Web Site/Page |
| Société Mycologique de France: http://www.mycofrance.org |
Web Site/Page |
| Stud. Mycol. |
Journal |
| Sydowia, Annales Mycologici Ser. II |
Journal |
| UK Fungi discussion group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fungi-BritishIsles/join |
E-forum |
| 1973 |
The Fungi: An Advanced Treatise |
| 2007 |
Fungal Endophytes |
| Documents Mycologiques, Nouvelle série |
Journal |
| Blackwell, E., 2004 |
Some Hints on Identifying Wood in the Field |
| Bulletin of the British Mycological Society |
Journal |
| Fungal Biology Reviews |
Journal |
| Mycological Research (Mycol. Res.) |
Journal |
| Mycologist |
Journal |
| Transactions of the British Mycological Society (TBMS) |
Journal |
| Fungal Records Database of the British Isles (FRDBI): http://194.203.77.76/fieldmycology/FRDBI/FRDBI.asp |
Web Site/Page |
| Flora of Berkshire (web site): http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/lifesciences/research/floraberkshire |
Web Site/Page |
| Crawley, M., 2005 |
The Flora of Berkshire |
| Dickson, G. & Leonard, A., 1996 |
Fungi of the New Forest - A Mycota |
| Evans, S., Marren, P. and Harper, M. |
Book/Report |
| Evans, S., in prep. |
Red Data List for Fungi |
| Finlay, R.D., 2005 |
Mycorrhizal symbiosis: myths, misconceptions, new perspectives and future research priorities |
| Hawksworth, D.L., 2004 |
Fungi living on lichens: a source of unexplored diversity |
| Hodgetts, N.G., 1996 |
Conservation of Lower Plants in Woodland |
| Holden, L., 2006 |
Putting Fungi on the map: a new name and outlet for the BMS Fungal Records Database |
| Holliday, P., 1990 (Species causing plant diseases) |
A Dictionary of Plant Pathology |
| Association of British Fungus Groups (ABFG): http://www.abfg.org |
Web Site/Page |
| Landy, E.T. & Jones, G.M., 2006 (Checklist of European marine species) |
What is the Fungal Diversity of Marine Ecosystems in Europe? |
| Cybertruffle Biodiversity Website: http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk |
Web Site/Page |
| Orton, P.D., 1969 |
Notes on British Agarics III |
| Rätsch, A., 2005 (The main source of information on species containing psilocin etc) |
The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants. Ethnopharmacology and its Applications |
| Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh |
Journal |
| Kew Bulletin |
Journal |
| Botanical Dermatology Database (BoDD): http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/ (Allergens) |
Web Site/Page |
| Schwarze, F.W.M.R., Engels, J. & Matteck, C., 2000 |
Fungal Strategies of Wood Decay in Trees |
| Bulletin Mensuel de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon |
Journal |
| Bulletin de la Société Mycologique de France |
Journal |
| Spooner, B. & Roberts, P., 2005 |
Fungi |
| Taylor, A.S. & Alexander, I., 2005 |
The ectomycorrhizal symbiosis: life in the real world |
| Watkinson, S.C., Boddy. L. et al, 2006 |
New approaches to investigating the function of mycelial networks |
| Watling, R., 1969 |
Colour Identification Chart |
| Watling, R., 1988 |
Presidential Address |
| Webster, J., 1980 |
Introduction to Fungi |
MYCETEAE may also be covered by literature listed under:
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 |
|
sclerotium |
sclerotium is parasitised by fruitbody |
Tetragoniomyces uliginosus - a jelly fungus (Tremellales: Tetragoniomycetaceae) |
|
Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005 [in marshes] |
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) |
| Legon, N.W. & Henrici, A. with Roberts, P.J., Spooner, B.M. & Watling, R., 2005 |
Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota |
| Spooner, B. & Roberts, P., 2005 |
Fungi |
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