Hymenomycetes:Gasteromycetes

Mycology (Bio 594, Special Topics)M. Marshall, 2013Shippensburg University(See last slide for additional credits)

From Hibbett (2006). Mycologia 98: 917--925

Agaricomycotina

Gasteromycetes

• Basidiospores mature inside basidiocarp• Basidiospores not forcibly discharged

(statismospores)• Do not comprise a monophyletic (natural)

group; these forms have evolved at least four different times

• Wide range of different types of basidiocarps, both epigeous and hypogeous

Orders

• Lycoperdales – puffballs• Tulostomatales – stalked puffballs• Sclerodermatales – earth balls• Phallales – stink horns• Nidulariales – bird’s nest fungi

Terminology

• Statismospores– Basidiospores

that are formed symmetrically on sterigmata and are not forcibly discharged

• Gleba– Fertile portion, contains

basidia and basidiospores– May contain capillitium

(coarse, thick-walled hyphae) intersperced

Image of Calvatia gigantea from Eugen Gramberg (1913) Pilze unserer Heimatwww.bioimages.org.uk/.../ 01-10-07/01J07K+3.jpg

More Terminology

• Peridioles– Small structures

containing basidiospores and basidia , may be actively ejected by rain splash, etc.

• Peridium– Outer covering of

basidiocarp; may be multilayered

Even more Terminology

Order Lycoperdales

• Includes common puffballs and earthstars• World-wide distribution• Most species are saprotrophs, some are

mycorrhizal

Lycoperdales Morphology

• Basidiocarps often have sterile subgleba that gives them a stalked appearance

• Peridium consists of 2-4 layers– Endo-, meso- and exoperidium

• Immature gleba is white and uniform• Mature gleba is dark and powdery– contains basidiospores and capillitium

• Basidiospores dark, globose, ornamented

Puffball Morphology

Puffball Morphology

Common taxa

• Lycoperdon– Common puffballs, exoperidium often warty and

wearing away to reveal smooth, papery endoperidium

• Geastrum– Earthstars– Exoperidium + mesoperidium are tough and split

in stellate manner; endoperidium thin and papery

G. Barron

Miller and Miller 1988

Lycoperdon

From Miller and Miller, 1988

Geastrum (from C. Stiles)

Order Tulastomatales

• Stalked puffballs; stalk is often below ground• Basidiospores dark, globose, warted at

maturity• Saprotrophs• Representatives:– Calostoma – glutinous stalk; temperate and

tropical regions– Tulastoma – dry stalk; arid regions

Tulastoma (from Miller and Miller, 1988)

http://plantpath.osu.edu/faculty/ellett/cinnabarina.html

Calostoma cinnabarina

Order Sclerodermatales

• Earth balls and false earth stars• One-layered peridium in most taxa; peridium wears

away to expose gleba• Immature gleba is dark• Gleba organized into peridioles or locules• Basidiospores reticulate to warted, thick-walled• Ectomycorrhizal – Pinaceae and Fagaceae in Northern Hemisphere– Also with Myrtaceae in Southern Hemisphere

Common Taxa

• Astraeus– False earth star; peridium two-layered and separates

• Pisolithus– Large, unattractive, club-shaped basidiocarps with

persistent peridioles

• Scleroderma– Earth balls; look like tough, above-ground truffle due to

thick peridium and irregular shape; basidia formed in locules

Astraeus (from Miller and Miller, 1988)

http://archivioforum.funghiitaliani.it/Files/Astraeus.jpg

Pisolithus tinctorius (B. Callan)

From Miller and Miller, 1988

Pisolithus tinctorius (from B. Callan)

http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Scleroderma_cepa.html

Scleroderma cepa

Scleroderma citrina (from G. Barron)

Order Nidulariales

• Bird’s nest fungi and cannon ball fungus• Basidiocarps oval, urn- or trumpet-shaped• Formed in clusters on dead wood

(saprotrophs)• One- to three-layered peridium• Basidia produced in persistent, thick-walled

peridioles– Forcibly discharged in Sphaerobolus– Rain splashed in bird’s nest fungi

Common taxa

• Cyathus– Urn-shaped, dark peridioles, funiculus

• Crucibulum– Cup-shaped, dull white peridioles, funiculus

• Nidula– Cup-shaped, pale brown peridioles, no funiculus

• Sphaerobolus– Cannon-ball fungus; one peridiole, forcibly discharged by

evagination of endoperidium

From Miller and Miller, 1988

Rain-splash peridiole dispersal in Cyathus spp.

Cyathus striatus

Epiphragm

Funicular cord

Peridioles

Crucibulum

Photo by Guillermo Pimentel

Sphaerobolus

Sphaerobolus (MykoWeb)

Order Phallales

• Stinkhorns• Most species are saprotrophs• Gleba dissolves into putrid mass

(methylmercaptan, hydrogen sulfide = stench!) that attracts insects that disperse spores

• Immature basidiocarps form egg-stage• Gleba formed on receptacle• Basidiocarps expand rapidly at maturity

From Miller and Miller, 1988

Mutinus

From Miller and Miller, 1988

Clathrus

DictyophoraPhotos by Tom Volk

Zhusun Mushroom/ Bamboo Fungus

“A special fungus found in bamboo groves. White in color and lamp shade-like in shape, the mushroom is both delicious and nutritious.”

http://www.ilmyco.gen.chicago.il.us/Terms/Images/PhallGramb373.jpg

Gastroid and Secotioid Taxa

• Closely related to agarics and boletes• Gastroid/secotioid taxa have evolved from

ballistosporic forms:– Gastroid - Hypogeous basidiocarps– Secotioid - Epigeous basidiocarps, but pileus may

fail to expand, gills may be deformed

Examples

• Russula– Secotioid taxa: Elasmomyces, Macowanites– Gastroid taxa: Martellia, Gymnomyces

• Suillus– Gastroid taxon: Rhizopogon

Rhizopogon (MykoWeb)

Credits

This presentation has been modified from one posted on the web by Dr. Lori Carris, Washigton State University Plant Pathology Dept. from her course: Plant Path 521, Mycology.