Amanita nothofagi
Encyclopedia
Amanita nothofagi is a species of fungus
in the Amanitaceae
family. Endemic to New Zealand, the species was first described by mycologist Greta Stevenson in 1962. The fruit bodies
have dark brown caps
that are up to 13 cm (5.1 in) in diameter and covered with patches of soft greyish-brown scales or warts. The gills underneath the cap are crowded together, free from attachment to the stem
, and white, becoming tinged with yellow in age. The stem of the mushroom is 4 – long by 0.5 – thick, and has a ring
. The spore print
is white, and individual spores are spherical to ellipsoid, measuring 7.5–9 by 7.5–9 micrometre
s. The mushroom may be confused with another New Zealand species, A. australis
, but can be distinguished by certain characteristics. Amanita nothofagi is a mycorrhiza
l species, and grows in association with native New Zealand trees such as Southern Beech.
and Cape Farewell
. She published a description
of the mushroom in the Royal Botanic Garden
's journal Kew Bulletin
in 1962, the second part of a five-part series of articles describing the mushroom flora
of the country. The specific epithet nothofagi refers to Nothofagus, the genus of Southern beeches with which the species is often associated. Amanita authority Rodham Tulloss uses the common name
"southern beech Amanita", while Geoff Ridley suggests "charcoal flycap".
Stevenson classified Amanita nothofagi in the section Phalloideae of the genus Amanita
, but Ridley considered it better placed in section Validae because of its "subglobose basidiospores, a clavate or occasionally abruptly bulbous stipe base, with sparse bands or a rim of volva material."
of A. nothofagi is initially convex, later becoming flattened with a central depression, with radial grooves on the margin, reaching diameters of 30 –. The colour is variable, ranging from buff to dark grey to greyish-sepia
, with radial streaks of dusky brownish grey. The cap surface is sticky when young or wet, but dries out with age. The remnants of the volva
form small to large, irregularly shaped, felted patches, that are dull greyish-sepia to sepia, and sometimes scab-like. The gills are crowded closely together, and free from attachment to the stem. They are white to cream-coloured, 6 – wide. The lamellulae (short gills that do not extend fully from the cap edge to the stem) have somewhat truncated ends.
The stem
is 40 – high, 5 – thick, and tapers slightly at the top. It is hollow and has a bulbous base measuring 10 – in diameter. The stem surface above the level of the ring
is white, sparsely covered with woolly or fuzzy tufts, occasionally breaking into transverse bands; below the ring the stem surface is smooth or occasionally breaks into bands or fibrillose scales. It is whitish, buff or greyish-sepia streaked with grey. The stem base may or may not have a band or rim of buff to greyish-sepia volval remnants. The ring is membranous, grooved, whitish, buff, and greyish-sepia or lavender-grey. It first hangs freely before later sticking to the stem, often tearing and adhering to the edge of the cap. The flesh
of the cap is white or stained mouse-grey under the central part, occasionally with a grey line above the gills; the stem flesh is white to pale buff.
The spore print
is white. The spore
s are typically 7.5–9 by 7.5–9 µm
, spherical to broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, and thin-walled. Under a microscope, the spores appear hyaline
(translucent), and are amyloid—meaning they will turn bluish-black to black when stained with Melzer's reagent
. The basidia are 30.5–57 by 8–16 µm, four-spored, and not clamped at the base. The margin cells of the gills are plentiful, spherical, club-shaped or swollen spherically at the tip, hyaline, and measure 13–58 by 8–33 µm. The cap cuticle
consists of a 130–220 µm wide, strongly gelatinised suprapellis (upper layer) and a dense, non-gelatinised subpellis (lower layer). The volval remnants on the cap are made of abundant spherical, elliptic and club-shaped cells that are 21–119 by 14.5–115 µm, intermixed with hyphae 4–9 µm wide and pale umber in colour, and either arranged irregularly, or with a vertical orientation.
if the warts have been washed off and the colour has been bleached. A reliable method to distinguish the two is to check for the presence of clamp connections at the bases of the basidia, which are present in A. australis and absent from A. nothofagi. Ridley notes that the type collection was made with a dark grey specimen, and later collectors who found browner specimens have had difficulty in correctly identifying the species. Paler specimens resemble A. excelsa, which led some to incorrectly believe that the species occurs in New Zealand. Amanita luteofusca is also similar in appearance, spore size, amyloid reaction, and lack of clamp connections in the basidia. It is distinguished from A. nothofagi largely on the basis of colour—it is a greyish-brown to yellowish-grey brown that fades to pinkish-buff as it gets older. Tulloss suggests that the resemblance of a number of species from Australasia and Chile which lack brightly coloured fruit bodies and share similar greyish to brownish rings and volvas may indicate that they share Gondwana
n ancestors.
l, and grows in close association with Southern Beech (genus Nothofagus
) (including New Zealand Red Beech
, Silver beech, New Zealand Black Beech
, and Hard Beech), Manuka
, and Kānuka. Found on both the North and South islands of New Zealand, it is the most common of the country's endemic Amanita species.
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
in the Amanitaceae
Amanitaceae
Amanitaceae are a family of fungi or mushrooms. The family, also commonly called the Amanita family, is in order Agaricales, gilled mushrooms...
family. Endemic to New Zealand, the species was first described by mycologist Greta Stevenson in 1962. The 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...
have dark brown 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...
that are up to 13 cm (5.1 in) in diameter and covered with patches of soft greyish-brown scales or warts. The gills underneath the cap are crowded together, free from attachment to 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...
, and white, becoming tinged with yellow in age. The stem of the mushroom is 4 – long by 0.5 – thick, and has a ring
Annulus (mycology)
An annulus is the ring like structure sometimes found on the stipe of some species of mushrooms. The annulus represents the remaining part of the partial veil, after it has ruptured to expose the gills or other spore-producing surface. An annulus may be thick and membranous, or it may be cobweb-like...
. 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, and individual spores are spherical to ellipsoid, measuring 7.5–9 by 7.5–9 micrometre
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...
s. The mushroom may be confused with another New Zealand species, A. australis
Amanita australis
Amanita australis is a species of fungus in the Amanitaceae family. It is found only in New Zealand, where it occurs in Leptospermum and Nothofagus forest...
, but can be distinguished by certain characteristics. Amanita nothofagi is a mycorrhiza
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
l species, and grows in association with native New Zealand trees such as Southern Beech.
Taxonomy and classification
The species was first described as new to science by New Zealand mycologist Greta Stevenson who collected specimens in the mid-1950s, in NelsonNelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
and Cape Farewell
Cape Farewell, New Zealand
thumb|right|Clifftop walk, looking northeast.Cape Farewell is a headland in New Zealand, the most northerly point on the South Island. It is located just west of Farewell Spit...
. She published a description
Species description
A species description or type description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species which have been described previously, or are...
of the mushroom in the Royal Botanic Garden
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
's journal Kew Bulletin
Kew Bulletin
Kew Bulletin is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal on plant and fungal taxonomy published by Springer Science+Business Media on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was established in 1887...
in 1962, the second part of a five-part series of articles describing the mushroom flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
of the country. The specific epithet nothofagi refers to Nothofagus, the genus of Southern beeches with which the species is often associated. Amanita authority Rodham Tulloss uses 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...
"southern beech Amanita", while Geoff Ridley suggests "charcoal flycap".
Stevenson classified Amanita nothofagi in the section Phalloideae of the genus Amanita
Amanita
The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own...
, but Ridley considered it better placed in section Validae because of its "subglobose basidiospores, a clavate or occasionally abruptly bulbous stipe base, with sparse bands or a rim of volva material."
Description
The 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...
of A. nothofagi is initially convex, later becoming flattened with a central depression, with radial grooves on the margin, reaching diameters of 30 –. The colour is variable, ranging from buff to dark grey to greyish-sepia
Sepia (color)
Sepia is a dark brown-grey color, named after the rich brown pigment derived from the ink sac of the common cuttlefish Sepia.The word sepia is the Latinized form of the Greek σηπία, sēpía, cuttlefish.-Sepia in human culture:...
, with radial streaks of dusky brownish grey. The cap surface is sticky when young or wet, but dries out with age. The remnants of the volva
Volva (mycology)
The volva is a mycological term to describe a cup-like structure at the base of a mushroom that is a remnant of the universal veil. This macrofeature is important in wild mushroom identification due to it being an easily observed, taxonomically significant feature which frequently signifies a...
form small to large, irregularly shaped, felted patches, that are dull greyish-sepia to sepia, and sometimes scab-like. The gills are crowded closely together, and free from attachment to the stem. They are white to cream-coloured, 6 – wide. The lamellulae (short gills that do not extend fully from the cap edge to the stem) have somewhat truncated ends.
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 40 – high, 5 – thick, and tapers slightly at the top. It is hollow and has a bulbous base measuring 10 – in diameter. The stem surface above the level of the ring
Annulus (mycology)
An annulus is the ring like structure sometimes found on the stipe of some species of mushrooms. The annulus represents the remaining part of the partial veil, after it has ruptured to expose the gills or other spore-producing surface. An annulus may be thick and membranous, or it may be cobweb-like...
is white, sparsely covered with woolly or fuzzy tufts, occasionally breaking into transverse bands; below the ring the stem surface is smooth or occasionally breaks into bands or fibrillose scales. It is whitish, buff or greyish-sepia streaked with grey. The stem base may or may not have a band or rim of buff to greyish-sepia volval remnants. The ring is membranous, grooved, whitish, buff, and greyish-sepia or lavender-grey. It first hangs freely before later sticking to the stem, often tearing and adhering to the edge of the cap. 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....
of the cap is white or stained mouse-grey under the central part, occasionally with a grey line above the gills; the stem flesh is white to pale buff.
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. The 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 typically 7.5–9 by 7.5–9 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...
, spherical to broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, and thin-walled. Under a microscope, the spores appear hyaline
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
(translucent), and are amyloid—meaning they will turn bluish-black to black when stained with Melzer's reagent
Melzer's Reagent
Melzer's reagent is a chemical reagent used by mycologists to assist with the identification of fungi.-Composition:...
. The basidia are 30.5–57 by 8–16 µm, four-spored, and not clamped at the base. The margin cells of the gills are plentiful, spherical, club-shaped or swollen spherically at the tip, hyaline, and measure 13–58 by 8–33 µm. The 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....
consists of a 130–220 µm wide, strongly gelatinised suprapellis (upper layer) and a dense, non-gelatinised subpellis (lower layer). The volval remnants on the cap are made of abundant spherical, elliptic and club-shaped cells that are 21–119 by 14.5–115 µm, intermixed with hyphae 4–9 µm wide and pale umber in colour, and either arranged irregularly, or with a vertical orientation.
Similar species
Amanita nothofagi mushrooms can be confused with A. australisAmanita australis
Amanita australis is a species of fungus in the Amanitaceae family. It is found only in New Zealand, where it occurs in Leptospermum and Nothofagus forest...
if the warts have been washed off and the colour has been bleached. A reliable method to distinguish the two is to check for the presence of clamp connections at the bases of the basidia, which are present in A. australis and absent from A. nothofagi. Ridley notes that the type collection was made with a dark grey specimen, and later collectors who found browner specimens have had difficulty in correctly identifying the species. Paler specimens resemble A. excelsa, which led some to incorrectly believe that the species occurs in New Zealand. Amanita luteofusca is also similar in appearance, spore size, amyloid reaction, and lack of clamp connections in the basidia. It is distinguished from A. nothofagi largely on the basis of colour—it is a greyish-brown to yellowish-grey brown that fades to pinkish-buff as it gets older. Tulloss suggests that the resemblance of a number of species from Australasia and Chile which lack brightly coloured fruit bodies and share similar greyish to brownish rings and volvas may indicate that they share Gondwana
Gondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
n ancestors.
Habitat and distribution
The fruit bodies of Amanita nothofagi grow solitarily or in scattered groups. Like all Amanita mushrooms, it is mycorrhizaMycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
l, and grows in close association with Southern Beech (genus Nothofagus
Nothofagus
Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 35 species of trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic to tropical Southern Hemisphere in southern South America and Australasia...
) (including New Zealand Red Beech
Nothofagus fusca
Nothofagus fusca is a species of Nothofagus, endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs on both the North Island and South Island. Generally it is found on lower hills and inland valley floors where soil is fertile and well drained.It is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing to 35 m tall...
, Silver beech, New Zealand Black Beech
Nothofagus solandri
Nothofagus solandri is a species of Nothofagus, endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs on both the North Island and the South Island. There are two varieties, var. solandri, the New Zealand Black Beech, which occurs at low altitudes up to the mountains, and var...
, and Hard Beech), Manuka
Leptospermum scoparium
Leptospermum scoparium is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand and southeast Australia. Evidence suggests that L. scoparium originated in Australia before the onset of the Miocene aridity and dispersed relatively recently from Eastern Australia to New Zealand. It is likely that on arrival...
, and Kānuka. Found on both the North and South islands of New Zealand, it is the most common of the country's endemic Amanita species.