Tremellodendropsis tuberosa

Tremellodendropsis tuberosa, commonly known as the ashen coral, is a species of coral fungus in the family Tremellodendropsidaceae. Described in 1825, it is found in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. It has a pale-colored, branched and tufted fruit body up to 6 cm (2.4 in) tall and 5 cm (2.0 in) in diameter. Its branches are forked, and they feature elongated, tapering tips.

Tremellodendropsis tuberosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Tremellomycetes
Order:
Tremellales
Family:
Tremellodendropsidaceae
Genus:
Tremellodendropsis
Species:
T. tuberosa
Binomial name
Tremellodendropsis tuberosa
(Grev.) D.A.Crawford (1954)
Synonyms[1]
  • Merisma tuberosum Grev. (1825)
  • Thelephora tuberosa (Grev.) Fr. (1828)
  • Stereum tuberosum (Grev.) Massee (1892)
  • Aphelaria tuberosa (Grev.) Corner (1950)

Taxonomy

The species was first described as Merisma tuberosum by Scottish mycologist Robert Kaye Greville in 1825.[1] D.A. Crawford transferred it to its current genus Tremellodendropsis in 1954, and made it the type species. It is classified in the subgenus Tremellodendropsis, which contains species with basidia that are partially partitioned (septate) at their apices; other species in this subgenus include T. pusio and T. flagelliformis.[2] The fungus is commonly known as the "ashen coral".[3]

Description

The fruit body is a coral-shaped structure ranging in height from 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 in) and up to 5 cm (2.0 in) in diameter. The arms can be either unbranched, or sparsely branched, and the tips are rounded and frequently flattened. The fruit body is whitish, but tends to turn brownish in maturity. The tough stem is white, as is the flesh, and is covered with whitish mycelia at the base. The edibility of the fruit body is unknown.[4][5]

In deposit, the spores are white. Spores are elongated-elliptical or spindle-shaped, have a smooth surface, and measure 13–20 by 4.5–6.5 μm. The basidia (spore-bearing cells) often have longitudinal partitions at their apices.[5]

Habitat and distribution

The fruit bodies of Tremellodendropsis tuberosa grow on the ground in woods or clearing, singly or in groups.[5] The fungus is known to occur in north temperate regions, including Europe[3] and North America,[5] and it is also found in South Brazil and Borneo.[2]

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References
  1. "Tremellodendropsis tuberosa (Grev.) D.A. Crawford 1954". MycoBank. International Mycological Association. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  2. Crawford, D.A. (1954). "Studies in New Zealand Clavariaceae. I" (PDF). Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 82: 617–631.
  3. Buczacki, S.; Shields, C.; Ovenden, D. (2012). Collins Fungi Guide: The Most Complete field Guide to the Mushrooms and toadstools of Britain & Ireland. HarperCollins UK. p. 2262. ISBN 978-0-00-741343-0.
  4. Davis, R.M.; Sommer, R.; Menge, J.A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. University of California Press. pp. 302–303. ISBN 978-0-520-95360-4.
  5. Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. pp. 643–644. ISBN 0-89815-169-4.
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