Content uploaded by Otto Miettinen
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Otto Miettinen on Nov 24, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova
(Syzygosporaceae, Heterobasidiomycetes) from Finland
HEIKKI KOTIRANTA1 and OTTO MIETTINEN2
1Finnish Environment Institute, Research Department
P.O. Box 140, FI-00251 Helsinki, heikki.kotiranta@ymparisto.fi
2Finnish Museum of Natural History, Botanical Museum, University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 7, FI-00014, otto.miettinen@helsinki.fi
Kotiranta H., Miettinen O.: Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova (Syzygosporaceae,
Heterobasidiomycetes) from Finland. Acta Mycol. 41 (1): 21-24, 2006.
A new Syzygospora species from Finland, S. lapponica is described and illustrated. The
hitherto collections derive from Finnish Lapland and the species is apparently a mycoparasite
of the rare old-growth forest dwelling polypore Antrodia infirma. The new species deviates
from other species in the genus in having cylindrical, slightly bent spores and having a polypore
as the host.
Key words: Antrodia infirma, Lapland, old-growth forest, Syzygospora
INTRODUCTION
According to the Index Fungorum (2006) the genus Syzygospora G. W. Martin
contains 15 species of which four have previously been reported from Finland: S.
bachmannii Diederich & M. S. Christ., S. mycophaga (M. P. Christ.) Hauerslev, S.
pallida (Hauerslev) Ginns and S. tumefaciens (Ginns & Sunhede) Ginns (Koti-
ranta, Larsson 1990; K o tiranta, Saarenoksa 1993, 2000; Kotiranta 2001;
Harmaja 2003).
According to e.g., Ginns (1986), Ro b erts and Hauerslev (1997) or Chen
et al. (1998) none of the Syzygospora species is known to be a mycoparasite of poly-
pores. Also the spores of most of the species are basically ellipsoid, thus differing
from those seen in the new species.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty spores per specimen are measured, and the measurements are made in
Cotton Blue (CB) or Melzer´s reagent (IKI). CB– means that the walls of the cells
are not stained by Cotton Blue, and CB+ that they are stained, and IKI– that there
is no reaction to Melzer´s reagent.
ACTA MYCOLOGICA
Vol. 41 (1): 21-24
2006
Dedicated to Professor Alina Skirgiełło
on the occasion of her ninety-fifth birthday
22 H. Kotiranta and O. Miettinen
The following abbreviations are used: L* = mean spore length, W* = mean spore
width, Q = range of the variation in L/W ratio, Q* = quotient of the mean spore
length and width (L/W). None of the measurements derive from spore print.
Biological provinces and collecting sites in Finland are indicated according to
the Finnish national uniform grid system (27°E), as applied to biological material by
Heikinheimo and Raatikainen (1981).
SYZYGOSPORA LAPPONICA MIETTINEN & KOTIR., SP. NOVA
Holotype: Finland. Sompion Lappi: Sodankylä, Raitiojänkä, Mikkelinpuro, Kivi-
Värriön kummut, pine dominated old-growth forest on poor soil, inside Antrodia
infirma Renvall & Niemelä on decorticated, fairly advanced decayed, 25 cm thick
Pinus sylvestris, 67°38´N, 27°20´E, (Grid 27°E:7505809:514633), 3 Oct 2005 Miet-
tinen 10748 (H).
Fructificatio invisibilis; systema hypharum monomiticum; hyphae fibulatae;
cystidia desunt; basidia cylindracea vel sinuosa, tetrasterigmatica; conidia ellipsoi-
dea vel cylindracea, 5–7 X 2.5–3 μm; sporae cylindraceae, 5–6 X 2 μm.
Fig. 1. Syzygospora lapponica Miettinen & Kotir. (a – b drawn from Miettinen 10748, type, c
from Miettinen 10780): a – section trough basidiocarp showing a hyphal peg, conidiophores,
conidia, basidia and basidiospores; b – spores; c – spores.
Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova (Syzygosporaceae, Heterobasidiomycetes) 23
Basidiocarp invisible. Hyphal system monomitic, hyphae clamped, in subiculum
2–3 μm wide, thin-walled, in subhymenium 3–4 μm wide, very thin-walled, CB–, IKI–
. Cystidia none, but sterile, apically slightly widened hyphal ends form hyphal pegs
which penetrate to the tubes of the host. No haustoria observed. Conidiophores
abundant, clamped, 2–3 μm in diam., very thin-walled. Conidia born in the apices of
conidiophores, ellipsoid or cylindrical, (4.2-)5-7(-7.3) X (2.3-)2.5-3(-3.7) μm, rela-
tively thin-walled, CB–, IKI–. Basidia solitary between the conidiophores or form-
ing a more or less continuous hymenium, cylindrical or sinuous, basally clamped,
very thin-walled, (16-)20-30(-32) X 4-5 μm, with four, up to 4 μm long, very thin,
needle-like sterigmata. Spores cylindrical, sometimes slightly bent, 5-6.3(-7) X
(1.6-)1.8-2.1 μm, L* = 5.7 μm, W* = 1.9 μm, Q = 2.5-3.7, Q* = 3, (Miettinen 10780),
4.5-5.6(-6.2) X 1.7-2 μm, L* = 5.1 μm, W* = 1.9 μm, Q = 2.4-3.3, Q* = 2.7 (Miet-
tinen 10748, type), with a negligible apiculus, very thin-walled, CB-, IKI-.
Additional specimen examined: Finland. Sompion Lappi: Savukoski, Mukka-
joenrovat, Välirova, dry pine dominated old-growth forest, inside Antrodia infirma
on long time ago burned, heavily charred, decorticated, fairly advanced decayed, 32
cm thick Pinus sylvestris, 67°56´N, 28°20´E (Grid 27°E:7540124:555948), 4 Oct 2005
Miettinen 10780 (H).
Material for this study was collected during inventories of unprotected, state-
owned old-growth forests in Finnish Lapland. The two hitherto finds derive from
pine dominated old-growth forests on poor soils, where they grew inside basidio-
carps of the polypore Antrodia infirma. These forests with abundance of kelo pine
trees (Niemelä et al. 2002), dry microclimate and history of forest fires form a spe-
cial kind of ecosystem that used to typify northeastern Fennoscandian forest land-
scapes. They harbour a number of specialist species adapted to the harsh ecological
conditions such as A. infirma and ecologically closely related A. primaeva Renvall &
Niemelä. Tens of basidiocarps of both A. infirma and A. primaeva have been studied
during these inventories, as well as specimens of A. crassa (P. Karst.) Ryvarden, A.
serialis (Fr.) Donk, A. sinuosa (Fr.) P. Karst. and A. xantha (Fr.: Fr.) Ryvarden from
the same area. With only two finds, it seems that Syzygospora lapponica is a rare
species, and possibly restricted to A. infirma and the dry old-growth pine forests of
the north. The host A. infirma itself is considered rare and classified as a vulnerable
(VU) species in Finland (Ra s s i et al. 2001). If A. infirma is the sole host species of
S. lapponica, also it should be classified as a threatened species.
Acknowledgements. We are grateful to Teuvo Ahti (Helsinki) who helped us with the Latin diagnosis.
A research grant from the Ministry of Environment (YM131/5512/2002) helped us to carry out this
study.
REFERENCES
Chen C-J., O berwinkler F., Chen Z-C. 1998. Syzygospora nivalis sp. nov. from Taiwan. Mycotaxon
67: 217–226.
G i n n s J. 1986. The genus Syzygospora (Heterobasidiomycetes: Syzygosporaceae). Mycologia 78: 619–
636.
H a r m a j a H. 2003. Syzygospora tumefaciens (Fungi: Tremellales) found in Finland. Memoranda Soc.
Fauna Flora Fennica 79: 73–74.
24 H. Kotiranta and O. Miettinen
Heikinheimo O., Raatikainen M. 1981. Ruutukoordinaattien ja paikannimien käyttö Suomessa
[Grid references and names of localities in the recording of biological finds in Finland]. Notul. En-
tomol. 61: 133–154. [In Finnish].
Index Fungorum 2006. Syzygosporaceae. www.indexfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp, 1 Feb. 2006.
Kotiranta H. 2001. The Corticiaceae of Finland. Publ. Botany Univ. Helsinki 32: 1–29.
Kotiranta H., Larsson K-H. 1990. New or little collected corticolous fungi from Finland (Aphyl-
lophorales, Basidiomycetes). Windahlia 18: 1–14.
Kotiranta H., Saarenoksa R. 1993. Rare Finnish Aphyllophorales (Basidiomycetes) plus two new
combinations in Efibula. Ann. Bot. Fennici 30: 211–249.
Kotiranta H., Saarenoksa R. 2000. Corticioid fungi (Aphyllophorales, Basidiomycetes) in Finland.
Acta Bot. Fennici 168: 1–55.
Niemelä T., Wallenius T., Kotiranta H. 2002. The kelo tree, a vanishing substrate of specified
wood-inhabiting fungi. Polish Bot. Jour. 47: 91–101.
Rassi P., Alanen A., Kanerva T., Mannerkoski I. (eds) 2001. Suomen lajien uhanalaisuus 2000
[The 2000 Red List of Finnish species]. Ministry of Environment and Finnish Environment Institute,
Helsinki. [In Finnish].
Roberts P., Hauerslev K. 1997. Syzygosporaceae Jülich. (In:) Hansen, L., Knudsen, H. (eds)
Nordic Macromycetes 3. Heterobasidioid, Aphyllophoroid and Gastromycetoid Basidiomycetes.
Nordsvamp, Copenhagen: 84–86.
Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova (Syzygosporaceae, Heterobasidiomycetes)
z Finlandii
Streszczenie
Nowy gatunek Syzygospora lapponica zosta opisany i zilustrowany. Kolekcja pochodzi z
Fińskiej Laponii, gdzie grzyb ten występuje jako pasożyt na owocnikach Antrodia infiryna w
starych lasach. Opisany gatunek różni się od innych z tego rodzaju zarodnikami w kształcie
cylindrycznym, lekko wygiętymi oraz występowaniem na poliproidalnym gospodarzu.
