Amylocystis lapponica

Amylocystis lapponica (alternatively spelled Amylocystis lapponicus) is a species of bracket fungus in the family Fomitopsidaceae, and the type species of genus Amylocystis. It produces medium-sized, annual fruit bodies that are soft, and have a strong, distinct smell. The fungus is a saprophyte that feeds on coniferous wood of logs lying on the ground, and causes brown rot. It is a rather rare species that only occurs in old-growth forest.

Amylocystis lapponica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Polyporales
Family:
Fomitopsidaceae
Genus:
Amylocystis
Species:
A. lapponica
Binomial name
Amylocystis lapponica
(Romell) Bondartsev & Singer (1944)
Synonyms[1]
  • Polyporus lapponicus Romell (1911)
  • Polyporus ursinus Lloyd (1915)
  • Ungulina lapponica (Romell) Pilát (1934)
  • Leptoporus lapponicus (Romell) Pilát (1938)
  • Tyromyces lapponicus (Romell) J.Lowe (1975)

Taxonomy

The fungus was originally described by Swedish mycologist Lars Romell in 1911, who called it Polyporus lapponicus. The type collection was made in Nattavaara (Sweden), where it was found growing on fir. Romell initially thought the fungus might be Climacocystis borealis, but ultimately rejected that opinion, as that species has an easily breakable fruit body, and its spores are of different size and shape.[2]

Amylocystis lapponica has been shuffled to several different polypore genera in its taxonomic history, including Ungulina (Pilát, 1934),[3] Leptoporus (Pilát, 1938),[4] and Tyromyces (J.Lowe, 1975).[5] The fungus has microscopic characteristics that are typical of the genus Tyromyces, but differs by the presence of thick-walled amyloid cystidia in the hymenium. For this reason, A. Bondartsev and Rolf Singer created the genus Amylocystis in 1944 to contain the fungus.[6] Polyporus ursinus, proposed by Curtis Gates Lloyd in 1915,[7] is now considered a synonym of Amylocystis lapponica.[1]

Description

The fungus has fruit bodies that range in form from crust-like to effused-reflexed (mostly crust-like, with edges curling out to form rudimentary caps). Individual fruit bodies measure up to 15 cm (6 in) wide, and have a dirty whitish to light buff surface colour that becomes reddish brown when dry or if bruised.[8]

Amylocystis lapponica has a monomitic hyphal system, containing only generative hyphae. These hyphae are mostly thick-walled and measure 4–10.5 µm thick.[9] The spores are cylindrical, hyaline, and smooth, measuring 8–11 by 2.5–3.5 µm. They are unreactive in Melzer's reagent.[8]

Oligoporus fragilis is similar in appearance, but can be distinguished microscopically from Amylocystis lapponica by the lack of amyloid cystidia.[8]

Habitat and distribution

Amylocystis lapponica decomposes fallen conifer wood, in which it causes brown rot. Its preferential hosts are spruce and larch, although it is occasionally found on fir. It has a circumboreal distribution in coniferous forests.[8] In Europe, the fungus is restricted almost exclusively to old-growth forests. Several conditions are required to support local populations, including: "vegetative continuity (never cut), natural tree species composition, multi-aged structure, rich presence of dead wood in various stages of decay, relatively large area of virgin forest surrounded by near-natural forest, and a stable, cold and humid meso- and microclimate." Because of this requirement the species is rare. For example, in the Czech Republic, despite the long and intensive history of polypore study in that area, A. lapponica has only been recorded from the Boubínský prales virgin forest, even though there are other old-growth forests in the country. Similarly, in Poland it is known only from Białowieża Forest (Białowieża National Park). Both the Czech and Polish locations have a similar management history–"minimal influence by man".[10]

In contrast to its rarity in Central and Southern Europe, A. lapponica is known from hundreds of localities in Finland and Sweden, and dozens in Norway.[11] Here the fungus is used as an indicator species to help evaluate areas in need of conservation.[12][13] The fungus is widely distributed in western North America.[14] It is also found in China.[15]

In Europe, the fungus has been recorded from 12 countries, and is red-listed in 7 countries. In 2004, Amylocystis lapponica was one of 33 species proposed for protection under the Bern Convention by the European Council for Conservation of Fungi.[11] In both the Czech Republic and Poland, where it is considered critically endangered, the fungus is found on their Regional Red Lists and as such is protected by law.[10]

The discomycete Hyaloscypha epiporia grows only on the surface of old polypores fruiting on softwood, and is often found on old, partly decayed fruit bodies of Amylocystis lapponica.[16]

References
  1. "GSD Species Synonymy: Amylocystis lapponica (Romell) Bondartsev & Singer". Species Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 2018-01-07.
  2. Romell, L. (1911). "Hymenomycetes of Lappland". Arkiv før Botanik. 11 (3): 1–35.
  3. Pilát, A. (1933). "Additamenta ad floram Sibiriae Asiaeque orientalis mycologicam". Bulletin de la Société Mycologique de France. 49: 256–339.
  4. Kavina, Karel; Pilát, Albert (1938). Atlas des champignons de l'Europe. Polyporaceae II. 3. Prague. p. 179.
  5. Lowe, J.L. (1975). "Polyporaceae of North America. The genus Tyromyces". Mycotaxon. 2 (1): 1–82 (see p. 26).
  6. Singer, R. (1944). "Notes on taxonomy and nomenclature of the polypores". Mycologia. 36 (1): 65–69. doi:10.2307/3754880. JSTOR 3754880.
  7. Lloyd, C.G. (1915). "Synopsis of the section Apus of the genus Polyporus". 7: 319. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Ryvarden, L.; Melo, I. (2014). Poroid Fungi of Europe. Synopsis Fungorum. 31. Oslo, Norway: Fungiflora. p. 53. ISBN 978-8290724462.
  9. Domański, Stanisław (1972). "Wood-inhabiting fungi of the Białowieża virgin forest in Poland. XVIII. Amylocystis lapponica (Romell) Bond. & Sing". Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae. 41 (3): 425–431. doi:10.5586/asbp.1972.034.
  10. Holec, Jan; Kučera, Tomáš (2007). "Remarks to the ecology of the boreo-montane polypore Amylocystis lapponica based on data from the Czech Republic and Poland". Acta Mycologica. 42 (2): 161–168. doi:10.5586/am.2007.017.
  11. Dahlberg, A.; Croneborg, B. (2006). The 33 Threatened Fungi in Europe. Council of Europe. pp. 28–30. ISBN 978-92-871-5928-1.
  12. Bredesen, B.; Haugan, R.; Aanderaa, R.; Lindblad, I.; Økland, B.; Røsok, Ø. (1997). "Wood-inhabiting fungi as indicators on ecological continuity within spruce forests of southeastern Norway". Blyttia. 54: 131–140.
  13. Røsok, Ø. (1998). "Amylocystis lapponica in Norway, an indicator species for species-rich continuity forests". Blyttia. 56: 154–165.
  14. Ginns, James (2017). Polypores of British Columbia (Fungi: Basidiomycota). Technical Report 104 (Report). Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Contacts. ISBN 978-0-7726-7054-0.
  15. Dai, Yu-Cheng; Penttilä, Reijo (2005). "Polypore diversity of Fenglin Nature Reserve, northeastern China". Annales Botanici Fennici. 43 (2): 81–96. JSTOR 23727192.
  16. Huhtinen, Seppo (1989). "A monograph of Hyaloscypha and allied genera" (PDF). Karstenia. 29 (2): 45–252. doi:10.29203/ka.1989.274.
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