New names for Omphalina species

[RobSutton]

In the old days I'd have said this was an Omphalina sp. but I understand they have now been split into several Genera, I'm still away from home so I don't have access to my books at the moment so any suggestion which Genus I should label it as for now. (Un)fortunately I found it on a camping trip to the Outer Hebrides and the specimen I tried to bring back didn't survive the journey so no chance of any microscopy so I'll be happy with a genus for this one.

Forgot to say it was found growing on an exposed peaty bank.

[mollisia]

Hello Rob,

I think it is a Lichenomphalia species.

best regards,
Andreas

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by mollisia

Hello Rob,

I think it is a Lichenomphalia species.

best regards,
Andreas

Which would probably make it L. umbellifera
Mal

[RobSutton]

Andreas and Mal - many thanks for the speedy reply.

[Alantb]

I think this may be a bit messier than that; the lichen used to be Coriscium viride and the Omphalina was O. hudsoniana ..... names, shnames.... I always called these things Omphalina ericetorum - which was also wrong - see <<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichenomphalia>> and the entry for Phytocomis in Courtecuisse & Duhem [page 186] for more confusion...

Cheers, Alan

[RobSutton]

Said with tongue firmly in cheek - now this is where just using a common name (even if it's made up) would avoid all that confusion of scientific names changing all the time.

[Lancashire Lad]

Hi Rob,

I think you are definitely in the right area. (You already know much more about these things than I do anyway). - But your specimen looks similar to this recent find of mine, so I think there's no doubt about Genus: -


(Identified as Heath Navel - Lichenomphalia umbellifera).

Regards
Mike.

[mollisia]

Hello,

yes, my thoughts also were Lichenomphalia umbellifera = Omphalina ercietorum = Phytoconis ericetorum = Phytoconis viride.
But as I don't know wether the outer Hebrids my have an alpine vegetation, I'm not 100% certain about the species ID. The genus Lichenomphalia (= Phytoconis) should be certain, as one can clearly see the Botrydinia algae out of which the basidiocarpium is growing

best regards,
Andreas

[AlanS]

Just to be clear, Rob's photograph is definitely Lichenomphalia umbellifera. It is variable beast, but the slight reddish tinge at the top of the stem and running onto the flesh between the gills is a valuable field character.

Mike's photograph, as believe I commented before, is probably the same, but a pale variant that might well be a sterile state that sometimes occurs in this species.

There is indeed some confusion regarding this group, exacerbated by a nightmare of nomenclatural complications, so a few notes that might or might not be of use ...


The other widespread (both lowland and upland) species is L. velutina, which when fresh is dark sooty brown but becomes paler with age, and which has a densely velvety stem. Frequent but under-recorded on degraded heathland. Unfortunately, there are a couple of Arrhenia species that are macroscopically very similar, so microscopic confirmation is needed.

Both of these have a granular algal mat as a thallus, which was named as "Botrydina" before it was realised that the toadstool was the fruiting body of the lichen.

The bright yellow, montane species on bare peat, L. alpina, also has a 'Botrydina' thallus.

Alantb mentions Lichenomphalia hudsoniana, which is a separate species with a more organised thallus of bluish discs, which indeed was called "Coriscium viride". The structure of the gill tissue in the fruitbody matches other Lichenomphalia species. The fruitbody is again very variable, with tinges of lilac or pale yellow, sometimes even bright yellow to apricot in colour (though not usually so in Britain). It is mainly montane, in my experience preferring soils with some mineral content rather than pure peat. Sometimes, in its yellow state, confused with L. alpina, but has a minutely pubescent stem as well as the 'Coriscium' thallus.

These are the four currently recognised Lichenomphalia species in Britain, but the Basidiomycete checklist recognises Omphalina fulvopallens as a separate species. This is actually also a Lichenomphalia (demonstrated so by the Canadian mycologist, Redhead), though its lichenised state was not recognised by the original author. Very similar to L. umbellifera and probably a synonym of it, but rather brighter in colour and grows on Sphagnum.

And to add a little more fun, there is a newly defined species, L. meridionalis, recognised in Spain and Italy. It closely resembles a pale L. velutina and I have a horrible feeling that I have seen it in the UK, but not kept material.

Pictures of most of these on my lichen website in the fullness of time ...

BY the way, Phytoconis was a briefly introduced but invalid name that became part of the nomenclatural tangle.

Alan

[AlanS]

Originally Posted by mollisia

Hello,

yes, my thoughts also were Lichenomphalia umbellifera = Omphalina ercietorum = Phytoconis ericetorum = Phytoconis viride.
But as I don't know wether the outer Hebrids my have an alpine vegetation, I'm not 100% certain about the species ID. The genus Lichenomphalia (= Phytoconis) should be certain, as one can clearly see the Botrydinia algae out of which the basidiocarpium is growing

best regards,
Andreas

Hi Andreas

L. umbellifera is commonly a lowland species with us, so long as the peaty or well-rotted wood substrate is available.

One note of caution, Arrhenia and Omphalina species can also be associated with algal mats, but do not form the lichen association. Absence of an algal mat would cast suspicion on a 'Lichenomphalia' identification, but presence is not enough for confirmation.

'Botrydina' is a synonym of the lichen, i.e. of the fungus. The actual alga in these lichens is Coccomyxa.

Alan