New Species of Fungi

Beekeeper · #1 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 06:39 PM

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this on the forum but cannot find any post so far.

I only caught the tail end of a news story on local tv around wednesday, but apparantly a totally new species of fungi has been discovered in the New Forest where it has survived undetected in an area of ground which has been left undisturbed for many years.

The reporter did describe the fungi but i cannot remember just what was said as i was doing something else at the time, if i can find a newslink to this story i will update the topic.

BK

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 07:27 PM

Hi BK,

I'm not often in the fungi forum, but any discoveries of new species of anything interest me. I've had a good look around the 'Net, but found no sign of this story as yet. Will keep looking...

mollisia · #3 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 08:12 PM

Hello,

new species of fungi are described dozens each year in Europe, hundreds or more throughout the world. Specialists say, that we know appr. 10% of fungi species that in reality exist. That means, as we know appr. 100.000 to 150.000 today wordlwide, that there must be a million and more out there. 850.000 are still unknown and wait for you.
So the story about a new species in England is nice, but far from being a sensation. If I would like to, I could describe some twenty "new" Mollisia species tomorrow, and if I like further, I could collect all those type specimens in the Black Forest .....

best regards,
Andreas

Deer Stalker · #4 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 09:54 PM

Hi BK.

The new species found in the New Forest is a yellow form of Phellodon melaleucus.

NickCantle · #5 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 10:36 PM

Did you find it Si?

Deer Stalker · #6 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Did you find it Si?

No mate. I have enough trouble with P. melaleucus, P. niger & P.tomentosus as it is, without finding new ones!!

Chris Yeates · #7 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollisia

Hello,

new species of fungi are described dozens each year in Europe, hundreds or more throughout the world. Specialists say, that we know appr. 10% of fungi species that in reality exist. That means, as we know appr. 100.000 to 150.000 today wordlwide, that there must be a million and more out there. 850.000 are still unknown and wait for you.
So the story about a new species in England is nice, but far from being a sensation. If I would like to, I could describe some twenty "new" Mollisia species tomorrow, and if I like further, I could collect all those type specimens in the Black Forest .....

best regards,
Andreas

as someone interested in fungi parasitic on plants, insects, lichens and the like I think Andreas might be being conservative in the numbers he mentions

in the last year I have come across several fungi which I'm pretty sure have not been described already, but you need several, separate collections of these before you can be certain of their position . . . plus you need access to the literature / experts before you can make any definitive statements about "newness"

as Andreas puts it so well it is "far from a sensation" and if we are talking about a "yellow form" of an already described fungus - you only have to look on WAB to see interesting colour forms of well-known species

cheers

Chris

Beekeeper · #8 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deer Stalker

Hi BK.

The new species found in the New Forest is a yellow form of Phellodon melaleucus.

Thank you once again Deer Stalker, you always seem to come to my rescue and it is appreciated.

BK

Beekeeper · #9 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollisia

Hello,

new species of fungi are described dozens each year in Europe, hundreds or more throughout the world. Specialists say, that we know appr. 10% of fungi species that in reality exist. That means, as we know appr. 100.000 to 150.000 today wordlwide, that there must be a million and more out there. 850.000 are still unknown and wait for you.
So the story about a new species in England is nice, but far from being a sensation. If I would like to, I could describe some twenty "new" Mollisia species tomorrow, and if I like further, I could collect all those type specimens in the Black Forest .....

best regards,
Andreas

Thanks for that information Andreas, i know hardly anything about Fungi so when it was announced on television news i really thought it was an unusual occurrence, by the way the Black Forest make nice Gateaux

BK (Ian)