Cookeina
Encyclopedia
Cookeina is a genus of cup fungi
in the family Sarcoscyphaceae
, members of which may be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Species may be found on fallen branches of angiosperms, trunks, and sometimes on fruits. The Temuan
s of Peninsular Malaysia
are reported to use certain species from this genus as food, and also as a bait for fishing, where it is rubbed against the hook.
, is brightly-colored, yellow to red, although the color will fade upon drying. The outer surface is less brightly colored. The excipulum, the tissue making up the walls of the apothecium, is thin and flexible. When hairs are present on the apothecium, they are fasciculate―made of bundles of cylindrical hypha
e.
which are constricted abruptly below and form a blunt, rounded base with a slim, tail-like connection. They have asci which mature simultaneously rather than in series. They have paraphyses
which anastomose and form a three-dimensional network. Ascospore
s are large (20—40 µm long), ellipsoidal or slightly unequal-sided, and either smooth or ornamented with fine wrinkles.
The genus appears to be restricted to wood, commonly to wood in early stages of decay.
, a hydrostatic pressure within the ascus which put pressure on the tip of the ascus, held in place by the rigid ascus wall. As the water level in the cup reduces due to evaporation, the asci tips dry out, resulting in a negative vapor pressure that ultimately results in the thin tissue at the wall of the apex (the operculum) breaking outward, releasing the spores.
has helped to clarify the evolutionary and genetic relationships amongst the species in Cookeina. The species C. speciosa, C. tricholoma, and C. sinensis belong to a monophyletic group, and all are hairy, with stipes, and lack a well-defined layer of slime in the excipulum at maturity. Another monophyletic grouping contains the species C. Venezuela and C. colensoi, which do have a slime layer on the excipulum, and have either short stipes or not at all (sessile
). In this analysis, C. indica and C. insititia did not clearly resolve with the other clades
.
The presence of some unique physical characteristics in the species C. insititia has made its taxonomic status uncertain, and a source of some debate in the literature― some authors have supported its segregation into the genus Boedijnopeziza, and others have questioned this interpretation. Based on a study of ultrastructural characteristics using electron microscopy, a possible solution to the taxonomic conundrum was suggested in 2003, to segregate C. insititia into a subgenus Boedijnopeziza within the Cookeina.
is Peziza colensoi Berk (1855).
Apothecia cupulate, subsessile to stipitate, 5–19 mm in diameter when dry, receptacle surface smooth; gelatinous layer present in the inner ectal excipulum, 40–50 µm thick, cells of axes somewhat perpendicular to receptacle surface; asci suboperculate, 330–360 × 12.5–13 µm. Ascospores are subfusoid-ellipsoid, smooth-walled, contain two or three oil droplets, and have dimensions of 27–30 × 10.5–12 µm. Known from the South Pacific and South America, and Cameroon
. Weinstein and Pfister characterize the distribution as sub-tropical, but more prevalent in the southern hemisphere.
C. colensoiopsis Iturr. & Pfister, (2006).
C. globosa Douanla-Meli (2005).
This species is known only from the Mbalmayo
rain forest reserve in southern Cameroon.
C. indica Pfister & R. Kaushal (1984):
Apothecia deeply discoid, up to 15 mm in diameter, sessile to stipitate, stalks less than 4 mm long; hymenium ochraceous-oray, receptacle concolorous with or lightly darker than the hymenium when dry, surface smooth; ectal excipulum of texture angularis, about 50–70 µm thick, with some hair-like structures made up of several cells; medullary excipulum of textura intricata, about 175 µm thick; asci 320–350 × 5–18 µm; ascospores ellipsoid to subfusoid, 3-guttulate, surface with longitudinal ridges, 27.5–35 × 10–13 µm.
C. instititia (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Kuntze:
Apothecia deeply cupulate, 3–6 mm in diameter when dry; ectal excipulum of texture subglobulosa to textura angularis, with a gelatinous layer about 40–85 µm thick in ectal excipulum; triangular scalelike hairs arising from ectal excipulum forming several rings along apothecial margin, less than 4 mm long; medullary excipulum of textura intricata, 45–100 µm thick; hymenium about 380–430 µm; asci 400–440 × 13–17 µm; ascospores fusoid, smooth, multiguttulate, 45–53.5 × 9–13 µm. Distribution restricted to the western Pacific Basin.
C. sinensis Z. Wang:
Apothecia solitary, cupulate, stipitate, up to 25 mmm high and 50 mm in diameter when dry, hymenium ochraceous-orange to raw sienna, receptacle cinnamon-buff when dry; conspicuously hairy; hairs fasciculate, arising from medullary excipulum, stiff, bristle-like, up to 6–7 mm long; ectal excipulum of textura angularis, about 50 µm thick, cells thick-walled, hyaline, 7–13 × 15–25 µm; medullary excipulum of textura intricata, 230–300 µm thick; asci suboperculate, 8-spored, long cylindrical, narrow-hyphoid at base, thick-walled, J-Melzer's reagent, 280–290 × 16–7 µm; ascospores smooth-walled, subfusoid to lemon-shaped, biguttulate with droplets up to 9 µm in diameter, 25–28 × 12–12.5 µm; paraphyses moniliform, anastomosing and septate.
C. speciosa (Fr.) Dennis (1994).
Apothecia funnel-shaped, stipitate, rarely sessile, margin covered with fine, inconspicuous hairs; hairs fasciculate, less than 3 mm long; asci 300–400 × 17–20 µm; ascospores ellipsoid, biguttulate, surface with fine longitudinal ridges, 25–29 × 13–15 µm.
This species has more pronounced variations in color, and is thought to represent a species complex
.
C. sulcipes (Berk.) Kuntze. The basionym for this species is Peziza sulcipes Berk. (1842).
Apothecia are goblet- to funnel-shaped, grow solitary to clustered on wood at altitudes less than 700 metres (2,296.6 ft), and are have dimensions of 2 – in diameter by 3 – tall. The stipe is slender, 3–4 mm thick, and 1 – long. The hymenium surface is pink to buff in color, while the outer surface is less brightly colored. Ascospores have a cylindrical or ellipsoid shape, containing two large oil drops, covered with fine longitudinal wrinkles, and have dimensions of 25–33 × 14–18 µm. This species is distributed through the lowlands of Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Asia.
C. tricholoma (Mont.) Kuntze (1891). Synonyms include Peziza tricholoma Mont., (1834), Pilocratera tricholoma (Mont.) Henn., and Trichoscypha tricholoma (Mont.) Cooke, (1889).
Apothecia are goblet to funnel-shaped with an inrolled margin, 1 – in diameter, with slender stipes that are 1 – tall, The apothecia are conspicuously hairy; hairs stiff, bristle-like, fasciculate, and usually 2–3 mm long. Its asci are 280–350 × 13–18 µm. The ascospores pointed-ellipsoid, surface with fine, longitudinal ridges, biguttulate, 25–35 × 11–13.5 µm. The typical habitat is on wood like twigs and rotten tree limbs, at low altitudes (usually below 1000 m), in the tropics. The distribution of this species includes the lowlands of Central America
, Mexico
, the Caribbean
, South America
, Africa
, Asia
, Australia
, and the South Pacific
.
C. venezuelae (Berk. & Curt in Cooke) Le Gal. The basionym
for this species is Peziza Venezuela.
Apothecia do not have stipes, are pink to light orange in color, bowl-shaped, smooth, and typically 8–15 mm in diameter × 5–10 mm deep. Ascospores are ellipsoid, pale yellow, contain two large oil drops, have wrinkles and ribs on the surface, and dimensions of 33–36 × 11–13 µm. They grow solitary to clustered on wood, at elevations of 800 – in the tropics. The distribution of this less common species is limited to Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean.
, Phillipsia
, Sarcoscypha
, and Geodina
, have brightly-colored apothecia which might be confused with those of Cookeina. Although these genera may be distinguished microscopically because they all have asci which mature seriatim rather than simultaneously and paraphyses which do not anastomose to form a reticulum, distinguishing on the basis of macroscopic characters is less reliable. Species of Phyllipsia have apothecia that are saucer-shaped to discoid, thick-fleshed, and usually sessile. In Sarcoscypha the apothecia vary from saucer-shaped to cup-shaped and are usually stipitate. In Geodina the apothecia are cup-shaped, stipitate, and occur on soil. Another similar genus, Scutellinia
, has eyelash-like hairs around the margin of a red or orange apothecia, but lacks a stipe.
Cup fungus
The Pezizaceae are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota which produce mushrooms that tends to grow in the shape of a "cup". Spores are formed on the inner surface of the fruit body . The cup shape typically serves to focus raindrops into splashing spores out of the cup...
in the family Sarcoscyphaceae
Sarcoscyphaceae
The Sarcoscyphaceae are a family of cup fungi in the Pezizales order. There are 13 genera and 102 species in the family. Members of this family are cosmopolitan in distribution, being found in both tropical and temperate regions.-External links:...
, members of which may be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Species may be found on fallen branches of angiosperms, trunks, and sometimes on fruits. The Temuan
Temuan
The Temuans are one of indigenous peoples of Malaysia.They speak Temuan, an Austronesian language. Like other indigenous tribes in Malaysia, most Temuans live in poverty.-Flood Legend:...
s of Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
are reported to use certain species from this genus as food, and also as a bait for fishing, where it is rubbed against the hook.
Description
Species in the Cookeina have a deep, cup-shaped to funnel-shaped fruiting bodies, or apothecia. The inner spore-bearing surface of the apothecium, the hymeniumHymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia or...
, is brightly-colored, yellow to red, although the color will fade upon drying. The outer surface is less brightly colored. The excipulum, the tissue making up the walls of the apothecium, is thin and flexible. When hairs are present on the apothecium, they are fasciculate―made of bundles of cylindrical hypha
Hypha
A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...
e.
Microscopic features
The Cookeina have asciAscus
An ascus is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. On average, asci normally contain eight ascospores, produced by a meiotic cell division followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera or species can number one , two, four, or multiples...
which are constricted abruptly below and form a blunt, rounded base with a slim, tail-like connection. They have asci which mature simultaneously rather than in series. They have paraphyses
Paraphyses
Paraphyses are part of the fertile spore-bearing layer in certain fungi. More specifically, paraphyses are sterile filamentous hyphal end cells composing part of the hymenium of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota interspersed among either the asci or basidia respectively, and not sufficiently...
which anastomose and form a three-dimensional network. Ascospore
Ascospore
An ascospore is a spore contained in an ascus or that was produced inside an ascus. This kind of spore is specific to fungi classified as ascomycetes ....
s are large (20—40 µm long), ellipsoidal or slightly unequal-sided, and either smooth or ornamented with fine wrinkles.
The genus appears to be restricted to wood, commonly to wood in early stages of decay.
Mechanism of spore release
When mature apothecia become filled with water, the asci absorb some of that water and develop a Turgor pressureTurgor pressure
Turgor Pressure or turgidity is the main pressure of the cell contents against the cell wall in plant cells and bacteria cells, determined by the water content of the vacuole, resulting from osmotic pressure, i.e...
, a hydrostatic pressure within the ascus which put pressure on the tip of the ascus, held in place by the rigid ascus wall. As the water level in the cup reduces due to evaporation, the asci tips dry out, resulting in a negative vapor pressure that ultimately results in the thin tissue at the wall of the apex (the operculum) breaking outward, releasing the spores.
Phylogeny
Phylogenetic analyses of ribosomal DNARibosomal DNA
Ribosomal DNA codes for ribosomal RNA. The ribosome is an intracellular macromolecule that produces proteins or polypeptide chains. The ribosome itself consists of a composite of proteins and RNA. As shown in the figure, rDNA consists of a tandem repeat of a unit segment, an operon, composed of...
has helped to clarify the evolutionary and genetic relationships amongst the species in Cookeina. The species C. speciosa, C. tricholoma, and C. sinensis belong to a monophyletic group, and all are hairy, with stipes, and lack a well-defined layer of slime in the excipulum at maturity. Another monophyletic grouping contains the species C. Venezuela and C. colensoi, which do have a slime layer on the excipulum, and have either short stipes or not at all (sessile
Sessility (botany)
In botany, sessility is a characteristic of plants whose flowers or leaves are borne directly from the stem or peduncle, and thus lack a petiole or pedicel...
). In this analysis, C. indica and C. insititia did not clearly resolve with the other clades
Cladistics
Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...
.
The presence of some unique physical characteristics in the species C. insititia has made its taxonomic status uncertain, and a source of some debate in the literature― some authors have supported its segregation into the genus Boedijnopeziza, and others have questioned this interpretation. Based on a study of ultrastructural characteristics using electron microscopy, a possible solution to the taxonomic conundrum was suggested in 2003, to segregate C. insititia into a subgenus Boedijnopeziza within the Cookeina.
Species
C. colensoi (Berk.) Seaver (1913). The basionymBasionym
Basionym is a term used in botany, regulated by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
is Peziza colensoi Berk (1855).
Apothecia cupulate, subsessile to stipitate, 5–19 mm in diameter when dry, receptacle surface smooth; gelatinous layer present in the inner ectal excipulum, 40–50 µm thick, cells of axes somewhat perpendicular to receptacle surface; asci suboperculate, 330–360 × 12.5–13 µm. Ascospores are subfusoid-ellipsoid, smooth-walled, contain two or three oil droplets, and have dimensions of 27–30 × 10.5–12 µm. Known from the South Pacific and South America, and Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. Weinstein and Pfister characterize the distribution as sub-tropical, but more prevalent in the southern hemisphere.
C. colensoiopsis Iturr. & Pfister, (2006).
C. globosa Douanla-Meli (2005).
This species is known only from the Mbalmayo
Mbalmayo
Mbalmayo, chef-lieu du département du Nyong –et – So’o est une ville d’environ 120 000 habitants sur les bords du Fleuve Nyong, située à 38km de Yaoundé....
rain forest reserve in southern Cameroon.
C. indica Pfister & R. Kaushal (1984):
Apothecia deeply discoid, up to 15 mm in diameter, sessile to stipitate, stalks less than 4 mm long; hymenium ochraceous-oray, receptacle concolorous with or lightly darker than the hymenium when dry, surface smooth; ectal excipulum of texture angularis, about 50–70 µm thick, with some hair-like structures made up of several cells; medullary excipulum of textura intricata, about 175 µm thick; asci 320–350 × 5–18 µm; ascospores ellipsoid to subfusoid, 3-guttulate, surface with longitudinal ridges, 27.5–35 × 10–13 µm.
C. instititia (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Kuntze:
Apothecia deeply cupulate, 3–6 mm in diameter when dry; ectal excipulum of texture subglobulosa to textura angularis, with a gelatinous layer about 40–85 µm thick in ectal excipulum; triangular scalelike hairs arising from ectal excipulum forming several rings along apothecial margin, less than 4 mm long; medullary excipulum of textura intricata, 45–100 µm thick; hymenium about 380–430 µm; asci 400–440 × 13–17 µm; ascospores fusoid, smooth, multiguttulate, 45–53.5 × 9–13 µm. Distribution restricted to the western Pacific Basin.
C. sinensis Z. Wang:
Apothecia solitary, cupulate, stipitate, up to 25 mmm high and 50 mm in diameter when dry, hymenium ochraceous-orange to raw sienna, receptacle cinnamon-buff when dry; conspicuously hairy; hairs fasciculate, arising from medullary excipulum, stiff, bristle-like, up to 6–7 mm long; ectal excipulum of textura angularis, about 50 µm thick, cells thick-walled, hyaline, 7–13 × 15–25 µm; medullary excipulum of textura intricata, 230–300 µm thick; asci suboperculate, 8-spored, long cylindrical, narrow-hyphoid at base, thick-walled, J-Melzer's reagent, 280–290 × 16–7 µm; ascospores smooth-walled, subfusoid to lemon-shaped, biguttulate with droplets up to 9 µm in diameter, 25–28 × 12–12.5 µm; paraphyses moniliform, anastomosing and septate.
C. speciosa (Fr.) Dennis (1994).
Apothecia funnel-shaped, stipitate, rarely sessile, margin covered with fine, inconspicuous hairs; hairs fasciculate, less than 3 mm long; asci 300–400 × 17–20 µm; ascospores ellipsoid, biguttulate, surface with fine longitudinal ridges, 25–29 × 13–15 µm.
This species has more pronounced variations in color, and is thought to represent a species complex
Species complex
A species complex is a group of closely related species, where the exact demarcation between species is often unclear or cryptic owing to their recent and usually still incomplete reproductive isolation. Ring species, superspecies and cryptic species complex are example of species complex...
.
C. sulcipes (Berk.) Kuntze. The basionym for this species is Peziza sulcipes Berk. (1842).
Apothecia are goblet- to funnel-shaped, grow solitary to clustered on wood at altitudes less than 700 metres (2,296.6 ft), and are have dimensions of 2 – in diameter by 3 – tall. The stipe is slender, 3–4 mm thick, and 1 – long. The hymenium surface is pink to buff in color, while the outer surface is less brightly colored. Ascospores have a cylindrical or ellipsoid shape, containing two large oil drops, covered with fine longitudinal wrinkles, and have dimensions of 25–33 × 14–18 µm. This species is distributed through the lowlands of Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Asia.
C. tricholoma (Mont.) Kuntze (1891). Synonyms include Peziza tricholoma Mont., (1834), Pilocratera tricholoma (Mont.) Henn., and Trichoscypha tricholoma (Mont.) Cooke, (1889).
Apothecia are goblet to funnel-shaped with an inrolled margin, 1 – in diameter, with slender stipes that are 1 – tall, The apothecia are conspicuously hairy; hairs stiff, bristle-like, fasciculate, and usually 2–3 mm long. Its asci are 280–350 × 13–18 µm. The ascospores pointed-ellipsoid, surface with fine, longitudinal ridges, biguttulate, 25–35 × 11–13.5 µm. The typical habitat is on wood like twigs and rotten tree limbs, at low altitudes (usually below 1000 m), in the tropics. The distribution of this species includes the lowlands of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
.
C. venezuelae (Berk. & Curt in Cooke) Le Gal. The basionym
Basionym
Basionym is a term used in botany, regulated by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
for this species is Peziza Venezuela.
Apothecia do not have stipes, are pink to light orange in color, bowl-shaped, smooth, and typically 8–15 mm in diameter × 5–10 mm deep. Ascospores are ellipsoid, pale yellow, contain two large oil drops, have wrinkles and ribs on the surface, and dimensions of 33–36 × 11–13 µm. They grow solitary to clustered on wood, at elevations of 800 – in the tropics. The distribution of this less common species is limited to Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean.
Similar genera
Three other tropical genera of the family SarcoscyphaceaeSarcoscyphaceae
The Sarcoscyphaceae are a family of cup fungi in the Pezizales order. There are 13 genera and 102 species in the family. Members of this family are cosmopolitan in distribution, being found in both tropical and temperate regions.-External links:...
, Phillipsia
Phillipsia
Phillipsia is a genus of fungi in the Sarcoscyphaceae family. There are about 17 species in the genus, which have a widespread distribution in subtropical and tropical areas.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...
, Sarcoscypha
Sarcoscypha
Sarcoscypha is a genus of ascomycete fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae. Species of Sarcoscypha are present in Europe, North America and tropical Asia. They are characterised by a cup-shaped apothecium which is often brightly coloured. Some members of the family such as S. coccinea and the -...
, and Geodina
Geodina
Geodina is a genus of fungi in the Sarcoscyphaceae family. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Geodina guanacastensis, found in Costa Rica.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...
, have brightly-colored apothecia which might be confused with those of Cookeina. Although these genera may be distinguished microscopically because they all have asci which mature seriatim rather than simultaneously and paraphyses which do not anastomose to form a reticulum, distinguishing on the basis of macroscopic characters is less reliable. Species of Phyllipsia have apothecia that are saucer-shaped to discoid, thick-fleshed, and usually sessile. In Sarcoscypha the apothecia vary from saucer-shaped to cup-shaped and are usually stipitate. In Geodina the apothecia are cup-shaped, stipitate, and occur on soil. Another similar genus, Scutellinia
Scutellinia
Scutellinia is a genus of cup-fungi in the family Pyronemataceae. The genus is widely distributed, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, and according to the Dictionary of the Fungi , contains 66 species.-Species:...
, has eyelash-like hairs around the margin of a red or orange apothecia, but lacks a stipe.