Mycology is Better Than Yours

Mycology is Better Than Yours
The Kingdom Fungi
Mycology, Schmycology!
What’s It All About Anyway?
The word mycology comes
from two Greek words,
“mykes” which means
mushroom and “logos” which
means discourse
So, mycology actually means
“the study of mushrooms”
History
• Have been around
for millions of years
• Fewer groups
• Performing the
same function
UH-OH!
• Fungal spike at the
K/T boundary
• Some groups
disappeared
• Others evolved into
modern groups
So, What Good Are They?
Decomposers
Economically Important
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Historically Important
Phytophthora infestans caused the Irish
potato famine
Uncinula necator causes
powdery mildew of
grapes
Salem witch trials: Claviceps purpurea causes rye
ergot
Human Pathogens
Tinea corporis
Candida albicans
Tinea pedis
• More than 100,000
species of known fungi
• Estimated that there
are ~1.5 million
species worldwide
Fungal Groups
Fungi are divided into
four groups
Chytridiomycota
• Oldest known group of
fungi
– May be ancestors to
modern fungal groups
• Predominately aquatic
– Flagellated gametes
• Cell walls of chitin
– Same as modern day fungi
• About 1,000 known
species
Zygomycota
• Mostly terrestrial
• No flagellated cells
• Reproduce via
zygospores
• About 1,000 known
species
Rhizopus sp. (Black bread mold)
Ascomycota
• Mostly terrestrial
• Morels
– Some aquatic and marine
species
• Filamentous or unicellular
– Yeast
• Multicellular fruiting bodies
– Ascocarps w/ascospores
• About 45,000 known species
Basidiomycota
• Mostly terrestrial
• Filamentous or
unicellular
• Multicellular fruiting
bodies
– Spores produced on
basidia
• About 22,000 known
species
Mushrooms are the largest and
most familiar of the fungi
Mushroom Morphology
cap
gills
scale; also called warts;
remains of the
universal veil
tubes (tooth fungi)
pores (boletes)
ring (annulus)
stipe, stalk
scales
volva
Order: Agaricales
The Amanitas
• Some of the deadliest
mushrooms
• Tall thin stalks
• Cream to white in
color
• Brown, yellow, red
• Smell bad
• No smell
Amanita cokeri
Order: Agaricales
The Amanitas
•
•
•
•
Gills are free
Partial veil
Partial veil
Universal veil
Spore print white to
cream colored
Amanita virosa
Order: Agaricales
The Amanitas
• Mycorrhizal
– Oak
– Hickory
– Pine
• Grow on the ground
– Single to several
– Occasionally form
“fairy rings”
Amanita thiersii
Amanita virosa
• Virosa means
poisonous
• Late spring to fall
• Single or small groups
• Found in association
with oaks
• Pleasant odor
• White spore print
Amanita polypyramis
• Polypyramis means
many pyramids
– Describes the pyramidshaped warts on the
caps
• Strong chlorine smell
• Late fall and winter
• Solitary on ground
– Associated with pines
Amanita rubescens
• Rubescens means turning
red
– Bruises reddish especially
on the lower stalk
– Called the “blusher” in
Europe
• Spring, summer, and fall
– Most common during the
summer
Amanita muscaria
• Iconic image of the
amanitas
• Muscaria means “of
the fly”
– Believed to kill flies
• Late fall and early
winter
– Under pines during wet
seasons
Order: Agaricales
The Russulas
• Russula comes from
the Latin word
meaning “red.”
• Many species have red
or pink caps
Russula rosacea (Rosy russula)
Order: Agaricales
The Russulas
• Short and stout
• Brittle
• Caps brightly colored
– Red, pink, purple, green
– White, yellow, brown
• Gills evenly spaced
• Spore print white,
yellowish, buff-colored,
orange
Russula variata
Order: Agaricales
The Russulas
• Russula species occur
on the ground
• Associated with a
wide range of conifer
and hardwood hosts
–
–
–
–
Woods
Lawns with trees
In brush
Pastures with trees
Russula emetica
Russula aeruginea
• Distinctive green cap
– aeruginea is Latin for
“green”
• Summer and fall
– Single to numerous
under oaks
• Often found with
Lactarius volemus and
Lactarius corrugis
Lactarius volemus
Lactarius corrugis
Lactarius indigo
• Common throughout
the Gulf Coast
– Found in areas that
have recently been
under water
– Fresh specimens exude
a blue milk
• Summer and fall
Lactarius salmoneus
• Distinctive bright
salmon pink to orange
gills
• Summer and fall
• In wet, swampy areas
in floodplains that
have recently been
underwater
Order: Agaricales
The Tricholomas
• Large, fleshy caps
• Stalks are off-center,
grow out of the side of
the cap, or missing
• Gills distinct and thinedged
• Spore prints white,
light pink, lilac, pale
yellow, light tan
Pleurotus dryinus
Order: Agaricales
The Tricholomas
• Found on living or dead
wood
• Important role in
primary decomposition
– Economically important
because they decay trees
humans don’t want to
see damaged
Panus rudis
Pleurotus ostreatus
• Large meaty caps are
edible
• Found anytime of the
year
– Most common during the
cooler months
• Dead and decaying trees
– Willow and cottonwood
Phyllotopsis nidulans
• Nidulans means
“nesting”
– Looks like small nests
•
•
•
•
Distinct orange color
Foul odor
Fall and winter
Fallen trees
– Conifers
Clitocybe gibba
• Clitocybe means
“sloping head”
– Refers to the funnel
shape
• Summer and fall
• Decomposer of pine
litter
Collybia iocephala
• Slight gunpowder odor
• Summer
• Common on decaying
leaves
• Low spots that are
occasionally
underwater
Marasmiellus albuscorticis
• albuscorticis is from
the Latin for “white”
and “leather”
• Summer and fall
• Decaying litter and
berry bushes
• Spore print is white
Order: Agaricales
The Crotinarii
• Latin cortina meaning
“curtain” or “veil
• Large family
• Rusty-brown to
brown-spored
mushrooms
• Mycorrhizal to
decomposers of
mosses and wood
Cortinarius cinnamomeus
Order: Agaricales
The Crotinarii
• Diverse family
• Large, medium, and
small
• Colors from orange to
brown to purple and
red
• Gills attached to the
stalk
• Spore prints usually
some shade of brown
Cortinarius cinnamomeus
Gymnopilus spectabilis
• Large, orange-yellow
mushroom
• Spore print is a bright
rusty orange
• Called the “big
laughing mushroom”
in Japan
– Hallucinogenic
Cortinarius marylandensis
• First collected in
Maryland
• Deep rust-red color
• Summer, fall, and
winter
• Spore print deep rusty
brown
Cortinarius iodes
• Bell-shaped, purple
cap
• Fall and winter
• Under oaks and
beeches during wet
winter months
• Spore print rusty
brown
Order: Agaricales
The Agarics
• Short, thick stalks
• Thick, fleshy caps
• Tiny, hair-like fibers
or scales on the caps
– Usually in the center
• White, tan, reddish, or
brown
• Gills free
Agaricus bispora
Order: Agaricales
The Agarics
• Spore print chocolate
brown
– Few species with
purple-brown spores
• Some species bruise a
very light yellow on
the cap and stalk
• Saprophytic on dead
plant material
Agaricus sp. spore print
Agaricus campestris
• Closely related to
commercial
mushrooms
• Spring and fall
• Often form fairy rings
in grassy areas
• Spore print chocolate
brown
Order: Agaricales
The Coprini
• Small
• Gills directly attached or
notched so the upper part is
attached to the stalk and the
lower half is free
• Spore print some shade of
brown or black
• Decompose decaying
material, dung, or humus
Panaeolus phalaenarum
Panaeolus campanulatus
•
•
•
•
Toxic
Fall, winter, spring
Found on cow dung
Spore print black
Coprinus comatus
• Bullet-shaped cap
• Scales on the cap
• Cool, wet weather,
usually winter
• Spore print black
Order: Agaricales
The Boletes
• Fleshy cap and central
stalk
– Tubes instead of gills
• Mycorrhizal
• Most are summer
species
– Few fall species
Boletus sp.
Boletus pinophilus
• Pinophilus means
“pine loving”
– Long-leaf pine
• Summer and fall
• Single mushroom can
weigh ½ pound
Boletus frostii
• Named for C.C. Frost
(1805-1880)
– New England naturalist
• Bruises blue
• Summer and fall
• Mycorrhizal with
hardwoods
Order: Aphyllophorales
The Chanterelles
• Brightly colored
• Mycorrhizal with
various trees
– Oak species
• Slow growing
Cantharellus lateritius
Cantharellus cibarius
• Known as the “Golden
chanterelle”
• Best known edibles
• Early summer through
late fall
• Mycorrhizal
– Oaks
Craterellus fallax
• Called “trumpet of
death” in France
– Refers to appearance
• Fall and winter
• Oaks and conifers
• Throughout the
Coastal Plains
Order: Aphyllophorales
The Coral and Club Fungi
• Resemble sea corals or
small clubs
• Parasitic
• Decomposers
• Mycorrhizal
Ramaria botrytis
Clavulina cristata
• Late summer to fall
• In mixed woods
– Pines
Ramaria stricta
• Found in forested
areas of East Texas
– Common
• Late summer and fall
Clavaria zollingeri
• Species name honors
Heinrich Zollinger
(1818-1859), an early
mycologist
• Late summer to fall
Order: Aphyllophorales
The Tooth Fungi
• Have tiny teeth on
which spores are
produced
• Mycorrhizal
– White pocket rot on
living trees
Sarcodon imbricatum
Hericium erinaceus
• Hedgehog mushroom
• Winter
• Pine and oak
Cousin It?
Sarcodon imbricatum
• imbricatum refers to
the brick-like scales on
top of the cap
• Summer and fall
• Oaks and conifers
Order: Aphyllophorales
The Polypores
• Polypore refers to the
may pores where the
spores are produced
– Small, short pores
• Saprophytic
• Parasitic
Laetiporus sulphureus
Trametes versicolor
• Most common fungus
in the world
• Many-colored
polypore
– Turkey tail
• All year
Ganoderma lucidum
• Also called cobra head
– Artists conks
– Long-lasting and
unusual drawing
surface
• Medicinal properties
– Raised commercially
in San Antonio
• All year
Coltricia perennis
• One of the first
mushrooms to appear
after a rain
• Year round
• Used in dried floral
arrangements
Schizophyllum commune
Just Cause They’re Cool!
Tremella mesenterica
Order: Tremellales
The Jelly Fungi
Auricularia auricula
Tremella fuciformis
Calocera cornea
Exidia glandulosa
Order: Lycoperdales
The Puffballs & Earthstars
Lycoperdon pyriforme
Geastrum saccatum
Order: Nidulariales
The Bird’s Nest Fungi
Cyathus stercoreus
Sphaerobolus stellatus
Order: Sclerodermatales
The Earthballs
Astraeus hygrometricus
Scleroderma polyrhizon
Order: Phalleles
The Stinkhorns
Linderia columnaris
Mutinus elegans
Chorioactis geaster is known only from Austin, TX