Ulocolla saccharina Bref.

Abstract

Ulocolla saccharina (Fr.) Bref., Untersuchungen aus dem Gesammtgebiete der Mykologie 7: 95, 1888 Figs 33 F, 36 F, 38 ≡ Exidia saccharina Fr., Systema Mycologicum 2: 225, 1822. Neotype (selected here, MBT 10031462). Finland. Uusimaa: Helsinki, Koskela, Pinus sylvestris, 14 Jun 2014, Miettinen 18284.1 * (H). = Tremella spiculosa var. saccharina Alb. & Schwein., Conspectus Fungorum in Lusatiae Superioris: 302, 1805. = Exidia subsaccharina F. Wu, Rivoire, Tohtirjap & Y. C. Dai, Frontiers in Microbiology 13 (1080290): 7, 2023. Holotype. France. Rhône: Chaussan, Pinus sylvestris, 10 Aug 2008, Dai 22187 * (BJFC 36778). Description. Basidiomata annual, at first cushion-shaped or adpressed-orbicular, narrowly or broadly attached, later cerebriform, up to 5 cm in diam., finally often fusing together and reaching 20 cm in the longest dimension, up to 2 cm thick, gelatinous. Hymenial surface at first nearly smooth or uneven, then distinctly folded, occasionally covered by rather regularly arranged spine-like projections up to 0.2 mm long, amber-yellow to yellowish-brown, later reddish-brown, in dry condition brownish-black. Abhymenial surface smooth, concolourous with hymenial surface. Margin free, concolourous with hymenial surface, entire, even or indistinctly lobate. Hyphal structure monomitic, hyphae clamped; context hyphae hyaline, thin- to slightly or rarely distinctly thick-walled, predominantly interwoven, spaced, anastomosing, 1–6.5 μm in diam., subhymenial hyphae hyaline to yellowish, thin- to slightly thick-walled, ascending or interwoven, 2–5 (7) μm in diam., basidia-bearing hyphae 2–6 μm in diam. Cystidia absent. Hyphidia with a thin- or slightly thick-walled, yellowish or brownish, hyphoid or nodulose stem, 2–9 μm in diam., and hyaline or yellowish-brownish apical branches, 1–2 μm in diam., forming a continuous layer up to 50 μm thick. Probasidia broadly to narrowly clavate, 13–20 × 4–8.5 μm. Basidia thin-walled, four-celled, ellipsoid-ovoid, some with a distinctly narrowed, stalk-like base, (14.5 –) 15–22.5 (– 23) × (9.1 –) 9.2–13.0 (– 13.2) μm (n = 60 / 6), sterigmata up to 30 × 2–2.5 μm. Basidiospores narrowly cylindrical to allantoid, more rarely cylindrical, distinctly curved, (10.1 –) 10.2–17.7 (– 18.1) × (3.7 –) 3.8–5.8 (– 6.1) μm (n = 180 / 6), L = 13.49–15.25, W = 4.24–5.00, Q = 2.98–3.24. Remarks. Ulocolla saccharina is distributed in temperate and hemiboreal forests of Europe and seemingly restricted to wood remains of Pinus spp. Substantial basidiomata with distinctly a plicate or reticulate hymenophore often bearing papillose projections, as well as large basidia and long basidiospores help to separate it from the closely related U. subrepanda. The latter species has a more northern distribution and occurs on a larger set of coniferous hosts (see below). This species was introduced by Fries (1822) as E. saccharina although his name and, at some important parts, description referred to that of ‘ Tremella spiculosa γγ saccharina ’ by Albertini and Schweinitz (1805). No authentic material is extant from the latter authors or Fries. Albertini and Schweinitz (ibid.) described T. spiculosa var. saccharina as producing large, brown, plicate-undulate basidiomata on freshly cut Pinus logs and having a papillose hymenial surface. The latter feature was also emphasized by Fries (1822). He observed E. saccharina inhabiting logs of Pinus and Picea (given as Abies) in Sweden. From his indication of the host trees, we can suggest that Fries’ concept of E. saccharina was mixed, i. e. it also covered the second European species from the U. saccharina complex reintroduced below as U. subrepanda. However, the hymenial surface of U. subrepanda can hardly be described as papillose. Poorly developed sharp warts are present only occasionally in senescent basidiomata of the latter species and they are visible only under magnification. On the contrary, hymenial projections of U. saccharina, if present, are usually detectable with the naked eye. This trait allows us to suggest that the pine-dwelling collections (i. e. those ones belonging to U. saccharina in the present sense) were the main source of the species introduction by Fries. The color photo of the type specimen of E. subsaccharina published by Gruhn et al. (2024) shows typical specimen of U. saccharina with a papillose hymenial surface. Based on morphological traits and sequences of E. subsaccharina, we place it as a synonym of U. saccharina. See further remarks under U. pinicola and U. subrepanda.

Authors 13

1. Viacheslav Spirin

   University of Helsinki · Finnish Museum of Natural History

   Affiliation as printed

   Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, PO Box 7, 00014 Helsinki, Finland

2. Vera F. Malysheva

   Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Komarov Botanical Institute, Prof. Popova str. 2, 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia

3. Nathan Schoutteten

   Universität Hamburg

   Affiliation as printed

   Organismic Botany and Mycology, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Ohnhorststraße 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany

4. Anton Savchenko Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, Netherlands

5. Bernard Rivoire
   Affiliation as printed

   Société Linnéenne de Lyon, 33 rue Bossuet, 69006 Lyon, France

6. Jan Olsson
   Affiliation as printed

   Österplana Skattegården 2, 53384 Hällekis, Sweden

7. Thomas Læssøe

   University of Copenhagen

   Affiliation as printed

   Globe Institute, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

8. Leif Ryvarden

   University of Oslo

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Oslo, P. O. Box 1045, Blindern, N- 0316 Oslo, Norway

9. Django Grootmyers

   University of Tennessee at Knoxville

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, 1406 Circle Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA

10. Matti Kulju

    University of Oulu

    Affiliation as printed

    Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P. O. Box 3000, FI- 90014 Oulu, Finland

11. Josef Vlasák

    Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, CZ 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

12. M. Victoria Vignale

    National University of Misiones

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Biotecnología Misiones (InBioMis), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Ruta Nacional N 12, km 7.5, Posadas, Misiones, CP 3304, Argentina & Instituto Misionero de Biodiversidad (IMiBio), Ruta Nacional N 12, km 5, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, CP 3370, Argentina

13. Ilya A. Viner

    University of Helsinki · Finnish Museum of Natural History

    Affiliation as printed

    Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, PO Box 7, 00014 Helsinki, Finland