Oudemansiella australis
Encyclopedia
Oudemansiella australis is a species of gilled mushroom
in the Physalacriaceae
family. It is found in Australiasia, where it grows on rotting wood. It produces fruit bodies
that are white, with caps
up to 5.5 cm (2.2 in) in diameter, attached to short, thick stems
.
, along with the species O. mucida, O. venesolamellata, and O. canarii. In a more recent classification proposed by Yang and colleagues, O. australis is in section Oudemansiella, which contains tropical to south temperate
species, such as O. platensis, O. canarii and O. crassifolia. These species are characterised by having an ixotrichoderm cap cuticle
, meaning it is made of gelatinized filamentous hypha
e of different lengths arranged in roughly parallel fashion. These hyphae are often mixed with inflated cells that usually occur in chains.
New Zealand mycologist Geoff Ridley has proposed the common name
"porcelain slimecap" for the mushroom.
that is 3 – in diameter, and initially white becoming a light yellowish brown (fawn) in age. It has a convex shape, but splits at the margins. The cap cuticle splits irregularly to reveal firm white flesh underneath. The gills are adnate, powdery white, and moderately distantly spaced. They are long and short intercalated, with deep with ribs at the base. The stem
is 2.5 cm (0.984251968503937 in) long by 0.6 – thick, attached off-centre to the cap. It is white on the upper part, changing to fawn around the swollen base. The flesh
is solid, white, and silky.
The spore print
is white. Spore
s are spherical or nearly so, measuring 24 by 21 µm
, with thick walls (about 1 µm). They are non-amyloid
, and have a prominent hilar
appendix (a depression in the surface where the spore was once connected to the sterigmata).
. It has since been found in Australia and Papua New Guinea
.
Agaricales
The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms , or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13000 described species, along with five extinct genera known only from the fossil record...
in the Physalacriaceae
Physalacriaceae
Physalacriaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Species in the genus have a widespread distribution, but most are found in the tropics, particularly in South-East Asia and Australasia. Molecular studies suggested that Physalacria, formerly the sole genus in this family, is related to...
family. It is found in Australiasia, where it grows on rotting wood. It produces fruit bodies
Basidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome or basidioma , is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not produce such structures...
that are white, with caps
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
up to 5.5 cm (2.2 in) in diameter, attached to short, thick stems
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
.
Taxonomy and classification
The species was reported as new to science by Greta Stevenson and G.M. Taylor in a 1964 publication, based on a specimen found in March, 1961. According to the 1986 arrangement of Pegler and Young, based largely on spore structure, Oudemansiella australis is classified in the section Oudemansiella of genus OudemansiellaOudemansiella
Oudemansiella is a genus of fungi in the Physalacriaceae family. According to the Dictionary of the Fungi, the genus contains about 15 species that are widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions. Yang and colleagues revised the genus in a 2009 publication, describing several new species...
, along with the species O. mucida, O. venesolamellata, and O. canarii. In a more recent classification proposed by Yang and colleagues, O. australis is in section Oudemansiella, which contains tropical to south temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
species, such as O. platensis, O. canarii and O. crassifolia. These species are characterised by having an ixotrichoderm cap cuticle
Pileipellis
thumb|300px||right|The cuticle of some mushrooms, such as [[Russula mustelina]] shown here, can be peeled from the cap, and may be useful as an identification feature....
, meaning it is made of gelatinized filamentous 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 of different lengths arranged in roughly parallel fashion. These hyphae are often mixed with inflated cells that usually occur in chains.
New Zealand mycologist Geoff Ridley has proposed the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
"porcelain slimecap" for the mushroom.
Description
Oudemansiella australis mushrooms have a capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
that is 3 – in diameter, and initially white becoming a light yellowish brown (fawn) in age. It has a convex shape, but splits at the margins. The cap cuticle splits irregularly to reveal firm white flesh underneath. The gills are adnate, powdery white, and moderately distantly spaced. They are long and short intercalated, with deep with ribs at the base. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 2.5 cm (0.984251968503937 in) long by 0.6 – thick, attached off-centre to the cap. It is white on the upper part, changing to fawn around the swollen base. The flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is solid, white, and silky.
The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is white. Spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are spherical or nearly so, measuring 24 by 21 µm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
, with thick walls (about 1 µm). They are non-amyloid
Amyloid (mycology)
In mycology the term amyloid refers to a crude chemical test using iodine in either Melzer's reagent or Lugol's solution, to produce a black to blue-black positive reaction. It is called amyloid because starch gives a similar reaction, and that reaction for starch is also called an amyloid reaction...
, and have a prominent hilar
Hilum (biology)
In botany, the hilum is a scar or mark left on a seed coat by the former attachment to the ovary wall or to the funiculus...
appendix (a depression in the surface where the spore was once connected to the sterigmata).
Habitat and distribution
The fungus grows on rotting wood. The first recorded collection was made in the open near a forest in Wainui Valley, WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. It has since been found in Australia and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.