Unknown Myxomycetes

[Nettle Runner]

Sherwood Forest (26 May 2008)
Found these two specimen growing close together on a pile of shredding from Silver Birch clearance in the forest.





My first thought was "Dog Vomit Fungus" would seem to fit, but that is usually yellow. Or is this another form of Fuligo?

The first was slimy, the second had developed a crust.

Your comments and observations welcomed.
Les

[CapAndBracket]

curiously, believe i found my first Fuligo septica earlier today on a stump, so that may be what you have, i gess the microscope is the only way of being sure. If mine hasn't moved in the night i will try microscopy later in the week once it has matured.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Another possible Fuligo septica today.

Cheers J.P.

[CloudedYellow]

Originally Posted by Nettle Runner

The first was slimy, the second had developed a crust.

Les

I am confident that the second image is indeed Fuligo septica, would not like to say either way for the first

Richard

[CapAndBracket]

This is the one from my previous post now it has aged.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Lycogala.sp photographed yesterday,



Same example today.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

This is the one from my previous post now it has aged.

Cheers J.P.

Well there's always room for a suprise, the size of the spores from this fruit body make it Fuligo intermedia (stephenson and Stempen).

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Lycogala.sp photographed yesterday,



Same example today.

The spores from this were still not ripe, but the salmon colour of the developing (internal) spore mass indicate it is Lycogala terrestre.

Cheers J.P.

[CloudedYellow]

Would you have any further info please JP?

Is the only difference between L. terrestre this and L. epidendrum the colour or the ripe spore mass?

Are there any microscopic differences?

I ask as I seem to remember reading somewhere that L terrestre and L. epidendrum are the same species but at different stages of development.

Thanks

Richard

[CapAndBracket]

I wondered if someone might notice that the photo's show i day pink, next day grey, Jordan states L.terrestre pink with pink spore mass, L.epidendrum grey with grey spore mass, the one i squashed this evening (one from photo) was grey but had pink (salmon) coloured spore mass which as i mentioned wasn't ripe.

Stephenson + Stempen only mention epidendrum, for this size range but two other species of Lycogala (one larger and one smaller fruit body).

Jim deacon's book, fungal biology has Lycogala epidendron (probably a spelling mistake (for once not mine)), in the index, and states it is pink (immature) and grey 5 days later when it is mature.

I know in the past when i've said oh there's epidendrum people have said are you sure they are easily confused, but i must say i would (as per my photo's) agree with your analogy that it's just a question of age.

Cheers J.P.

[CloudedYellow]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

I know in the past when i've said oh there's epidendrum people have said are you sure they are easily confused, but i must say i would (as per my photo's) agree with your analogy that it's just a question of age.

Cheers J.P.

Will be interesting to see if anyone else has any thoughts on this.

Thanks

[FungiJohn]

I believe Lycogala terrestre is the more common species and that the pink plasmodium and pink spore mass separate it from the darker Lycogala epidendrum.

The size of the pseudocapillitial tubes in Lycogala terrestre are larger too … I think

John

[CloudedYellow]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

The size of the pseudocapillitial tubes in Lycogala terrestre are larger too …
John

Thanks John,

Searching fo the new term 'pseudocapillitial tubes' on the internet took me to Bioimages. Malcolm Story says for terrestre that "The fragile pseudocapillitial tubes are 12-25µm diam (8-12µm in L. epidendrum)" and show images.

Haven't see any for a while so this will something to look at when I do.

Richard

[cybershot]

Also discovered when browsing the net on this subject: "The pseudocapillitia, sterile elements in the spore mass, are long, flattened, branching tubes with transverse wrinkles and folds."

David

[CapAndBracket]

very good of you all to show so much interest, and looks like we spent quite a bit of time searching the net, i found many sites list L.epidendrum var terrestre and one article did say one species was pink the other red!, bioimages does seem to be the only one with useful detail. wont get back to site today but hopefully sunday i will collect another of those i photoed and see if i can image more detail.

Cheers J.P.

[Nettle Runner]

I revisited the Myxomycetes I found last week to see what changes had occurred.



The fungi had undergone a drastic colour change, and was now quite hard, looking like it had been eaten in places.

Les

[fairplay]

About 10 odd years ago, I found what I thought was a cluster of 9 or 10 small puffballs aprox 10-12 mm across.
Peter Roberts at Kew identified them as Lycogala flavofuscum and retained them for the herbarium as they had no material from Suffolk.

I'd love to know what it's status is in Britain.

Neil.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Lycogala.sp photographed yesterday,



Same example today.

Cheers J.P.

X1000

Collected one for the scope today, the spores (6-8 um) are reticulate (have a network of warts on the surface) which is very obvious in the image.

From Stephenson +Stempen, these fit perfectly with Lycogala epidendrum, they don't list L.terrestre. So to compromise i have labeled the image,
Lycogala epidendrum/terrestre.

Cheers J.P.

[CloudedYellow]

Thanks for postin' that JP

Did you manage to find anything that could have been a 'pseudocapillitial tube'?
I guess they may look something like a hypha??

Richard

[CapAndBracket]

No i didn't and i hadn't forgoton, must say i have to catch these at different stages, It was a bit of a suprise today despite the rain everything collected just contained spores (that were perfectly dry).
There do seem to be several about at the moment, so maybe if i try to collect a selection on one day and concentrate on those i may get some more of these structures imaged.

Cheers J.P.

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by fairplay

About 10 odd years ago, I found what I thought was a cluster of 9 or 10 small puffballs aprox 10-12 mm across.
Peter Roberts at Kew identified them as Lycogala flavofuscum and retained them for the herbarium as they had no material from Suffolk.

I'd love to know what it's status is in Britain.

Neil.

Recorded from.....

England: South Hampshire, Shropshire, Mid West Yorkshire, East Norfolk, West Kent, Leicestershire, East Gloucestershire - no details as to whether or not there are voucher specimens to prove the records !

East Suffolk (your specimens Neil), and Surrey with vouchers in Kew.

Scotland: South Aberdeen identified by Bruce Ing thus unlikely to be a mistake and probably has voucher in his herbarium !

Nick

[fairplay]

Smashing !!
Cheers Nick.

Neil.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by CloudedYellow

Thanks for postin' that JP

Did you manage to find anything that could have been a 'pseudocapillitial tube'?
I guess they may look something like a hypha??

Richard

Well that was a task, i wanted to find more evidence for Lycogala epidendrum but a fresh fruitbody this evening produced only unripe cells of interior (as might be expected), so i though i would try staining some of last nights left over material with cotton blue, after some searching at X400 i found something worth upping the magnifycation.


X1000

Pseudocopillitium of Lycogala epidendrum, (Stephenson+Stempen), long branching and anastomising flattened tubules, marked with conspicuous transverse folds and wrinkles. (one for the gallery).

Cheers J.P.

[CloudedYellow]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Pseudocopillitium of Lycogala epidendrum, (Stephenson+Stempen), long branching and anastomising flattened tubules, marked with conspicuous transverse folds and wrinkles. (one for the gallery).

Cheers J.P.

Well done and great image - I have put it in the A-Z.

Looks as though you have cleared up the confusion between the two sp.!!

So these tubes were seen in the dryer ripe 'material'? What colour was the spore mass at that stage?

Thanks

Richard

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by CloudedYellow

Well done and great image - I have put it in the A-Z.

Looks as though you have cleared up the confusion between the two sp.!!

So these tubes were seen in the dryer ripe 'material'? What colour was the spore mass at that stage?

Thanks

Richard

Well i'm just going with the book i have and the features fit with that, there will always be a level of uncertainty i suspect.

The spore mass was just like sherbert dip (ah childhood memories stay with us), really i would say off white in colour.

Cheers J.P.