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Australian truffle-like fungi. VI* Gigasperma (Basidiomycotina, Tricholomataceae) and Horakiella gen.nov. (Basidiomycotina, Sclerodermataceae)

January 1992
Australian Systematic Botany 5(5)

January 1992
5(5)

DOI:10.1071/SB9920639

Authors:

Michael Angelo Castellano

US Forest Service

James M Trappe

Oregon State University

Re-examination of both species assigned too the genus Gigasperma reveals significant differences between the two taxa that warrant separation at the order level. Gigasperma cryptica is characterised by large, smooth, extremely thick-walled, reddish brown spores borne on 4-spored basidia as in some Agaricales. Horakiella clelandii gen. et comb. nov. differs in its ornamented, hyaline to pale brown spores enclosed by nurse hyphae as in the Sclerodermatales.* Part V, Aust. Syst. Bot., 1992, 5, 631–8.

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October

1992

AUS~.

syst. BO~.,

639-43

Australasian Truffle-like Fungi.

VI*.

Gigasperma

(Basidiomycotina, Tricholomataceae) and

Horakiella

gen. nov. (Basidiomycotina, Sclerodermataceae)

Michael

Castellano* and James M. TrappeB

AUnited States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,

Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory,

Corvallis, OR 97331, U.S.A.

BDepartment of Forest Science, Oregon State University,

Corvallis, OR 97331, U.S.A.

Abstract

Re-examination of both species assigned too the genus

Gigasperma

reveals significant differences between

the two taxa that warrant separation at the order level.

Gigasperma cryptica

is characterised by large,

smooth, extremely thick-walled, reddish brown spores borne on 4-spored basidia as in some Agaricales.

Horakiella clelandii

gen. et comb. nov. differs in its ornamented, hyaline to pale brown spores enclosed

by nurse hyphae as in the Sclerodermatales.

Introduction

Hydnangium clelandii

was erected by Rodway (1924) to accommodate a truffle-

like fungus characterised by pale yellow, globose, smooth to slightly rough-walled spores.

Hydnangium

Wallroth is based on

carneum

Wallroth, which is related to the agaric

genus

Laccaria

Berk.

Br. and is characterised by hyaline to pale pink, subglobose

echinulate spores.

Gigasperma

was erected by Horak (1971) to accommodate a new

species from New Zealand which is similar to

H. clelandii

in the possession of subglobose,

extremely thick-walled, more or less smooth spores. At the time, Horak recombined

H. clelandii

G. clelandii

after studying a portion of the type. In the course of fungal

collecting in Tasmania, we collected a fungus that from field observations appeared

to be a hypogeous

Scleroderma

sp. Further examination revealed it to belong to the

Sclerodermatales based on spore ontogeny and it became apparent that it was conspecific

with

G. clelandii.

We present here a redescription of the two species assigned to the

genus

Gigasperma,

comment on placement and relatedness of these two species and

erect a new genus for

G. clelandii.

Methods of collection and macroscopic and microscopic procedures were generally

those of Smith and Zeller (1966). Herbarium names are abbreviated according to

Holmgren

et al.

(1990). Colours of fresh specimens are in general terms of the authors.

Hand-cut sections of both fresh and dried material were mounted in

KOH or Melzer's

reagent for standard light microscopy. Spore dimensions are based on the measurement

of at least 50 randomly selected spores; spore lengths do not include sterigmal attachment.

Measurements of sterile tissues

(e.g. peridium) and spores are from mature sporocarps.

Light photomicrographs are from material mounted in

KOH.

Taxonomy

Gigasperma

Horak,

Zeal.

Bot.

49 1.

197

Etymology:

Latin

giga,

large, and

sperma,

seed, for the large size of the spores.

Part

Aust. Syst. Bot.,

1992,

631-8.

1030-1887/92/050639%05.00

640

A. Castellano and

Trappe

Distribution and Hosts

Known so far only from New Zealand. Probable mycorrhizal associate of

Nothofagus

SPP.

Discussion

Gigasperma

is characterised by the large, subglobose to globose, smooth, extremely

thick-walled spores that often have a distinct sterigmal attachment. Currently it is

restricted in distribution to New

Zealand and found exclusively under

Nothofagus

spp.

with which it presumably forms mycorrhizae.

Gigasperma

is considered to be monotypic

and of unknown relation to other truffle-like fungi or other members of the Agaricales.

Gigasperma cryptica

Horak,

N. Zeal.

Bot.

491. 197 1.

Basidiomata

hypogeous, pyriform or irregularly tuberiform, occasionally subglobose,

5-25mm in diam., pale brownish yellow as dried, surface sectored into more or less

uniform polygons, occasional adherent concolourous hyphae attached to slightly tomen-

tose surface.

Peridium in section

one layered, 0.3-0.4 mm thick, concolorous with with

surface.

Gleba

never exposed, friable, not gelatinised, pale reddish brown to reddish

brown marbled with tramal tissue that is concolorous with peridium and similar in

texture; locules round to elliptical, empty and lined with spores; sterile base distinct,

conical, and of similar structure and colour (slightly paler) to peridium, projecting 1-5 mm

from flattened base; columella absent. KOH on peridium: yellow-brown.

Odour

garlic.

Taste

acidulous.

Peridium

of hyaline to pale yellow-brown, non-gelatinised, thin-walled, subparallel

to closely interwoven hyphae, 3-6 pm in diam., hyphae more loosely interwoven at

surface; pale yellow pigment soluble from outer portion of

cutis; clamp connections

common.

Trama

thin, of hyaline, thin-walled, compact interwoven hyphae with many scattered

inflated cells.

Basidia

not crowded, hyaline, thin-walled, pear-shaped or peanut-shaped,

45-60

15-30 pm, 4-spored; sterigma stout, hyaline, 7-8

3-4 pm; basidia separated

by hyaline, thin-walled, inflated cells up to 25-30 pm in diam.; clamp connections

not seen.

Cystidia

absent.

Spores

smooth, globose to subglobose, 29-36 (-38) pm diam., sterigmal attachment

often conspicuous, 4

10 pm; spore wall 5-8 pm thick, sometimes somewhat thicker

at base than apex, penetrated by basal pore; in KOH reddish brown to orange-brown

singly, reddish brown in mass; no reaction in Melzer's reagent (Fig.

1.).

Etymology:

Greek

crypto,

'hidden' in reference to the sporocarps that were hypogeous

and thus hidden from view.

Distribution and Hosts

New Zealand; presumptive mycorrhiza formers with

Nothofagus fusca

and

menziesii.

Collections examined

NEW ZEALAND: Nelson: Lake Rotoiti, track to St Arnaud Range,

Horak,

.v.

1968

(holotype

PDD

27002,

isotype

681504);

Canterbury: Craigieburn State Forest Park, Cave Stream,

Beever

522,

.iv.

1986

(PDD

48944,

OSC).

Discussion

Gigasperma

differs from all known truffle-like fungi by virtue of its large, smooth,

extremely thick-walled, reddish brown spores that have a distinct basal pore.

Australasian Truffle-like Fungi.

64 1

Figs

1-3.1,

basidiospores of

Gigasperma cryptica, Beever

522,

scale: 15 pm;

basidiomata

Horakiella

clelandii,

H1556 (left and centre), HI557 (right), scale: 1Omm;

basidiospores

clelandii,

113739, scale: 20 pm.

Horakiella

Castellano

Trappe, gen. nov.

Gigasperma

differt sporis ornamentalis et nonporis. A

Scleroderma

differt sporis

pallidis parietibus crassis e loculis persistentibus.

Etymology:

In honour of Dr Egon Horak, eminent mycologist of southern hemisphere

fungi.

Typus:

Horakiella clelandii

(Rodway) Castellano

Trappe

Hydnangium clelandii

Rodway).

Distribution and Hosts

Known so far only from Tasmania, Australia. Probable mycorrhizal associate of

Myrtaceae.

642

A. Castellano and

Trappe

Discussion

The genus

Horakiella

is erected to accommodate a species that has been placed

in four widely different truffle-like genera,

Hydnangium, Leucophlebs

Harkness,

Octa-

viania

Vitt., and

Gigasperma.

The spores are surrounded by nurse hyphae and the

sporocarp when collected has many macroscopic field characters in common with the

genus

Scleroderma

s.1.

Horakiella clelandii

(Rodway) Castellano

Trappe, comb. nov.

Hydnangium clelandii

Rodway,

Pap. Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania

1923, 108.

1924.

Leucophlebs

clelandi(Rodway)

Zeller

Dodge in Dodge

Zeller,

Ann. Missouri

Bot. Gard.

23, 596. 1936.

Octaviania clelandii

(Rodway) Cunningham,

Trans. Proc. Roy. Soc.

Zeal.

67,

408. 1938.

Gigasperma clelandii

(Rodway) Horak,

Zeal.

Bot.

9,493. 1971.

Basidiomata

hypogeous, subglobose to slightly irregular, 11-14

11-20 mm, brownish

yellow, surface tomentose with patches of encrusted soil (Fig. 2).

Peridium

in section

one layered,

0.5 mm thick, dirty pale yellow at first, slowly staining red.

Gleba

never

exposed, solid, firm, dry, dark brown to brownish black, with white, pale yellow-white

to pale brown tramal plates; locules irregular to isodiametric, persistent, completely

filled with hyaline spores and some hyphae; sterile base and columella absent.

Odour

strongly of fresh peanut butter.

Taste

mild.

Peridium

200-300 pm thick, of hyaline to pale yellow, subgelatinised, thick-walled

(1-2 pm), closely interwoven hyphae 4-7 (-8) pm in diam.; yellow pigment instantly

soluble in KOH; tomentum covering the peridium of nontapered, subgelatinised, loose,

crystal encrusted, thick-walled

pm), pale yellow hyphae

4 pm in diam.; clamp

connections common.

Trama

thin, of hyaline, thin-walled, compactly interwoven hyphae.

Basidia

not seen.

Cystidia

absent.

Spores

ornamented with a low to moderate reticulum, some spores enclosed within

nurse hyphae; subglobose to irregularly shaped, 25-30

30-35 pm, sterigmal attachment

inconspicuous; spore wall 4-7 pm thick, basal pore absent; in KOH hyaline to pale

brown singly, pale yellow-brown in mass; no reaction in Melzer's reagent (Fig. 3);

many aborted spores are small

10 pm) and highly pigmented and scattered across

hymenium giving rise to the dark glebal colour.

Etymology:

In reference to Dr

B. Cleland (1878-1971), eminent mycologist from

South Australia.

Distribution and Hosts

Tasmania, Australia; under

Acacia melanoxylon

and

Eucalyptus globulus.

Collections Examined

AUSTRALIA: Tasmania: Hobart,

Rodway

(holotype HO 113739, isotype

PDD

8358); Cascades,

Rodway 300,

v. 1925 (HO 113738); Cascades,

Rodway,

ix. 1923 (HO 113737); Cascades,

Rodway

319,

v. 1925 (HO); Huon Valley, south of Geeveston, Hermons Rd,

Castellano,

H1556,

7 .v. 1990 (OSC); same locality and date,

Castellano,

HI557 (HO, OSC); same locality and date,

Amaranthus,

H1558 (HO, OSC).

Discussion

Horakiella clelandii

has had a much travelled history, having been placed in four

other genera,

Hydnangium, Leucophlebs, Octaviania

and

Gigasperma.

By virtue of

its nurse hyphae surrounding some spores and the characters of the sporocarp, it is

now readily apparent that

H. clelandii

is a member of the Sclerodermatales and is

Australasian Truffle-like Fungi.

643

closely related to Scleroderma. The strong odour of fresh peanut butter (paste) is

unknown from any other truffle-like fungus. The glebal colour seems to be due more

to the colour of the small, aborted, highly pigmented spores than to the more hyaline

to pale brown mature spores. In fact, one specimen was collected that was almost

black in glebal colour and it was found to have an extremely high portion of highly

pigmented, aborted spores. Upon closer examination, we discovered that the other

Hydnangium species (H.

mcalpinei Rodway) described by Rodway

(1924)

is also a

member of the Sclerodermatales but is not congeneric with Horakiella clelandii.

Acknowledgments

Partial funding for this work was provided by CSIRO through ACIAR project

8736.

We appreciate the loan of material from the following herbaria: DSIR Plant Protection,

Auckland, New Zealand (PDD), and the Tasmanian Herbarium, University of Tasmania,

Hobart

(HO).

The senior author appreciates the opportunity to study fungi in the

private herbarium of Dr Horak.

References

Holmgren, P.

K.,

Holmgren, N. H., and Barnett,

(1990). Index Herbariorum. Edition 8. Part

I. The Herbaria of the World.

Regnum Vegetabile

120,

1-693.

Horak, E. (1971). Contributions to the knowledge of the Agaricales s.1. (fungi) of New Zealand.

New

Zealand Journal of Botany

9,491-3.

Rodway,

(1924). Description of two underground fungi.

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society

of Tasmania

1923, 108.

Smith, A. H., and Zeller, S. M. (1966). A preliminary account of the North American species of

Rhizopogon. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden

14,

1-178.

Manuscript received 26 November 1991, accepted 21 May 1992

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