Fungi growing on Mexican tree ferns II. First record of Favolaschia singeriana (Agaricales, Marasmiaceae)

Abstract

Medel R., Lorea-Hernández F. & G. Guzmán (2010) Fungi growing on Mexican tree ferns II. First record of Favolaschia (Agaricales, Marasmiaceae) – Sydowia 62 (2): 277-281. Favolaschia singeriana is reported for the first time from Mexico where it is growing on Alsophila and Cyathea tree ferns in Veracruz. A detailed description and illustrations of its macro-and micromorphological characters are provided and its taxonomical status among other members of Favolaschia on ferns is discussed.

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Fungi growing on Mexican tree ferns II. First record of
Favolaschia singeriana
(Agaricales, Marasmiaceae)
Rosario Medel1, Francisco Lorea-Hernández2 & Gastón Guzmán2
1 Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales, Universidad Veracruzana, Apartado
Postal 551, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz (México)
2 Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática, Instituto de Ecología, Apartado Postal 63,
Xalapa 91000, Veracruz (Mexico)
Medel R., Lorea-Hernández F. & G. Guzmán (2010) Fungi growing on Mexican
tree ferns II. First record of Favolaschia (Agaricales, Marasmiaceae) – Sydowia 62
(2): 277-281.
Favolaschia singeriana is reported for the rst time from Mexico where it is
growing on Alsophila and Cyathea tree ferns in Veracruz. A detailed description
and illustrations of its macro- and micromorphological characters are provided and
its taxonomical status among other members of Favolaschia on ferns is discussed.
Keywords: Basidiomycota, Cyathea, Alsophila, cloud forest.
Favolaschia (Pat.) Pat. is a genus with representatives of wide dis-
tribution that are found mainly in tropical regions of the world. It
forms characteristic poroid basidiomata and some members have been
recorded as bioluminescent (Singer 1945, Dennis 1952, Johnston et al.
2006). The taxonomic position of Favolaschia is uncertain, and two
families have been involved: Marasmiaceae (Kirk et al. 2008) and Myc-
enaceae (Moncalvo et al. 2002). Very few members of the genus are
known from Mexico, namely F. filopes Singer & O. Fidalgo from Ver-
acruz (Guzmán & Guzmán-Dávalos 1984), F. teapae Singer, and F. dy-
bowskyana (Singer) Singer, the latter two from Chiapas (Singer 1974).
When discussing F. aff. fendleri Singer on trunks of palm trees in Yu-
catan Peninsula, Guzmán (2004) pointed out that the genus is still bad-
ly known in Mexico.
This paper is part of a series intended to update the knowledge of
the mycobiota associated to ferns in Mexico, of which a rst install-
ment was recently published (Medel & Lorea 2008).
Materials and Methods
Samples of fern leaves with fungi/basidiomata were collected in
patches of cloud forest in central Veracruz. After proper drying of ba-
sidiomata, their macroscopic as well as microscopic features were re-
corded for correct species identication. Microscopic features of the
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basidiomata were studied with a Leica microscope, oil immersion ob-
jective 100 X, using hand-sections of basidiomata which were mounted
in 5 % KOH, Cresyl blue, and Melzer’s solution. Measurements of
spores and basidia are given in the form (minimum) mean ± standard
deviation (maximum), Q = length/width ratio (n = 35). Color notations
are from Kornerup & Wanscher (1978). The studied material is depos-
ited in the Fungus Collection of the herbarium of the Instituto de
Ecologìa (XAL).
Taxonomy
Favolaschia singeriana
Dennis, Kew Bull. 7: 331, 1952. – Figs. 1–6.
Basionym. – Favolaschia intermedia subsp. singeriana (Dennis) Singer, Beih.
Nova Hedwigia 50: 91, 1974
B a si d i o m at a discoid to ovoid, white (2A1), 0.5–1 mm in diam-
eter, with a powdery, whitish, sugar-like cover, poroid rim, slightly
crenulated in some specimens. – Hymenophoral pores 4–10 (–15)
per basidioma, round to isodiametric, concolorous with basidiomata or
beige (2A2) in some mature specimens. – S t i p e present or absent, ex-
centric if present, shorter than 1 mm when dry. – B as i di a (22–) 29.9
± 6.8 (– 43) × 8.5 – 1.5 µm, hyaline, sterigmata (1–) 2 (–4), – Spores 10.2
± 1.15 × 6.4 ± 1.28 µm (Q = 1.6) (n = 35), ellipsoid, wall thin, smooth,
hyaline, with an apiculus, slightly amyloid. − H y ph ae not gelatinous
in KOH. − Acanthocysts (12–) 15–35 × (7–) 9–17 µm, hyaline, lilac in
Cresyl blue, no amyloid. – G l oe o ve ss e ls (32–) 35–43 (–50) × 9 – 11
(–15) µm, hyaline, with lipids inside, slightly pink or light lilac in Cre-
syl blue.
Habitat and host plant. – In cloud forest, saprobic on leaf stalks
(petioles) of Cyathea bicrenata Liebm., Alsophila firma (Baker) D.S.
Conant, and Cyathea spp.
D i st r i b u ti o n . – Venezuela and Mexico.
Material examined. –
Favolaschia singeriana
Dennis: MEXICO, Veracruz,
Municipio de San Andrés Tlalnelhuayocan, carretera Xalapa-San Andrés Tlalnel-
huayocan, Rancho Agüita Fría, 8 May 2004, leg. et det. Medel 856, 861, 862, 864, 866;
23 May 2004, leg. et det. Medel 878; 3 June 2005 leg. et det. Medel 933; 23 July 2005
leg. et det. Medel 986, 987, 991; Municipio de Coatepec, Zoncuantla region, Camp-
estre San Rafael, 31 May 2008, leg. et det. Medel 1753 (all in XAL).
Discussion
Singer (1974) considered four taxa of Favolaschia growing on
ferns, namely F. alsophila Singer, F. intermedia subsp. singeriana
(= F. singeriana), F. peziziformis (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Kuntze and
F. pterigena Singer. Following Singer (1974), the material studied here
corresponds with F. intermedia subsp. singeriana for the white and
mealy pores [4–10 (–15) per basidioma], the dimensions of the spores

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Figs. 1–6. – Favolaschia singeriana: 1. Basidiomata (bar = 0.5 mm). 2. Rehydrated
basidioma, with 8 hymenophoral pores (bar = 0.5 mm). 3. Basidia with 2 sterigmata
(bar = 10 µm). 4. Spores with apiculi (bar = 5 µm). 5. Gloeovessels (bar = 20 µm).
6. Acanthocysts (bar = 20 µm).

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(7–10.5 × 4.5–7.5 µm), and the small size of the basidiomata (up to 1
mm). The presence of acanthocysts and a context with hyphae not ge-
latinized in our specimens discard its placement in F. peziziformis. In
the same way, the absence of gloeocystidia with yellow granular con-
tent and the white basidiomata set the material apart from F. pterige-
na including its two varieties F. pterigena var. boliviana Singer and
F. pterigena var. purpurea Singer with brown and purple basidiomata,
respectively. The material studied here is also different from F. al-
sophila and F. cyatheae P.R. Johnst. in that both form basidiomata up
to 10 mm in diameter and the latter exhibits hyphae in a gelatinous
matrix (Johnston et al. 2006), characters that are absent in our speci-
mens. Additionally, F. alsophila basidiomata present gloeovessels and
those of F. cyatheae a gelatinized context (Singer 1974, Johnston et al.
2006), characters not found in the studied material.
Previously, F. singeriana was known only from tropical rain for-
ests and cloud forests in Venezuela (Singer 1974, Dennis 1970). In both
cases, host plants were recorded just as ‘ferns’. As we mentioned be-
fore, the specimens studied here were found on different tree ferns be-
longing to the Cyatheaceae, and despite the wide distribution of Favo-
laschia in tropical regions, F. singeriana has been recorded few times,
very likely because of its small-sized basidiomata; it is recorded here
for the rst time from Mexico where it grew on tree ferns in a cloud
forest.
Acknowledgments
The senior author thanks for the support provided by the Instituto
de Ecología. Juan Lara, assistant of the Mycological Collection, helped
processing the collected material for its incorporation in XAL. Ranulfo
Castillo assisted with the microscopic survey of specimens.
References
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(Manuscript accepted 16 August 2010; Corresponding Editor: R. Pöder)