Mucronella
Genus of fungi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mucronella is a genus of fungi in the family Clavariaceae. Species in the genus resemble awl-shaped teeth that grow in groups without a common subiculum (supporting layer of mycelium).
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| Mucronella | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mucronella bresadolae | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Clavariaceae |
| Genus: | Mucronella Fr. (1874) |
| Type species | |
| Mucronella calva | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Taxonomy
The type species was originally named Hydnum calvum in a collaborative effort by the German botanist Johannes Baptista von Albertini and the American Lewis David de Schweinitz in 1805.[2] Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries transferred the species to the newly described genus Mucronella in 1874.[3]
Molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests that the genus is monophyletic, and is sister to the remainder of the Clavariaceae,[4] confirming earlier suspicions that the taxa were phylogenetically related.[5] It had previously been placed in the Russulales due to its amyloid spores, and its morphological similarity to some members of genus Hericium.[4]
Description
Fruitbodies of Mucronella species resemble hanging spines; they occur singly, scattered, or in groups. Colors range from white to yellow to orange. Mucronella has a monomitic hyphal system —consisting of only generative hyphae. The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are four-spored and club shaped. Basidiospores are usually smooth with thin walls, weakly amyloid, and somewhat hyaline (translucent).[6] Mucronella is the sole genus in the Clavariaceae with amyloid spores, and with the "hanging spine" fruitbody morphology.[4]
Habitat and distribution
Mucronella species are saprotrophic.[4] Kartar Singh Thind and I.P.S. Khurana identified five species from the northwestern Himalayas, India, in 1974: M. bresadolae, M. calva, M. flava, M. subalpina, and M. pulchra.[6]
Species
As of August 2015[update], Index Fungorum accepts 17 species of Mucronella:[7]
- Mucronella albidula (Corner) Berthier 1985
- Mucronella argentina Speg. 1898 – South America
- Mucronella belalongensis P.Roberts 1998 – Brunei[8]
- Mucronella brasiliensis Corner 1950 – South America
- Mucronella bresadolae (Quél.) Corner 1970
- Mucronella calva (Alb. & Schwein.) Fr. 1874
- Mucronella flava Corner 1953
- Mucronella fusiformis (Kauffman) K.A.Harrison 1972
- Mucronella minutissima Peck 1891[9]
- Mucronella pendula (Massee) R.H.Petersen 1980 – Australia
- Mucronella polyporacea Velen. 1922 – Europe
- Mucronella pulchra Corner 1970 – Pakistan[10]
- Mucronella pusilla Corner 1950
- Mucronella ramosa Lloyd 1922[11]
- Mucronella styriaca Maas Geest. 1977 – Europe[12]
- Mucronella subalpina K.S.Thind & Khurana 1974 – India[6]
- Mucronella togoensis Henn. 1897 – Africa[13]
