Fungi Introductions

[KeenTeen17]

I have been reading about the devils fingers fungus which my book says is introduced and naturalised in some parks. How do you introduce a fungus?

[cybershot]

"Mr Devils Fingers I'd like you to meet KT"

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by cybershot

"Mr Devils Fingers I'd like you to meet KT"

Thank you - that made me laugh.

[NickCantle]

LOL David .

Some non-native fungi come in on imported wood-chip KT, so there's one way. As temperatures rise slowly, in years to come conditions here may be as good as the Mediterranean, so we could see more and more new fungi appearing on our shores.

[solus]

Interesting question...
Plants have been "introduced" and spread via roads and railways from seed carried on vehicles coming from mainland Europe: can fungal spores be spread this way too? Or could they be carried across the Channel by the wind?? Of course, presumably fungi could also come (as some pest invertebrates species have done) in soil in potted plants...?

OK, that's enough activity for my little brain for one day - don't want to wear the little grey cells out too quickly!

[Chris Yeates]

Mycorrhizal species are often introduced: Suillus grevillei and other species associated with larch have to have been introduced with the host which is not a GB native; the Eucalyptus Deceiver Laccaria fraterna which I posted about recently has to have been similarly introduced

obligate parasites (fungi which can only exist in parasitic mode) and which are host-limited can often be intentionally or unintentionally introduced:
Puccinia malvacearum the hollyhock rust (which is also common on mallow species) was first described in 1852 from Chile where it is presumably native. It was observed in Australia in 1857. In Europe it appeared in Spain in 1869, in 1872 in France and in 1873 in England and in Germany and in several other European countries between 1874 and 1890. It was found in South Africa in 1875 and in North America in 1886 and is now spread all over the world.

Puccinia lagenophorae another rust fungus, which causes the galling tiny cluster-cups on Groundsel and Oxford Ragwort is a native of Australia, being described by M.C.Cooke on Lagenophora in 1884; it was unknown in Europe until 1961. It appeared in that year in central France and was collected at Dungeness by Dr R.W.G. Dennis. In 1962 it was found in SW England from Southampton to the Lizard, in Wales and in the Scilly Isles; it is now very common throughout lowland Britain (I would link to a map here but the NBN server appears to be down). This holds true for many other rusts, smuts, powdery and downy mildews.

Chris

[NickCantle]

Excellent information as per usual Chris