Wynnea americana
Encyclopedia
Wynnea americana, commonly known as moose antlers or rabbit ears, is a species
of fungus
in the Sarcoscyphaceae
family. This uncommon inedible species is recognizable by its spoon-shaped or rabbit-ear shaped fruit bodies
that may reach up to 13 cm (5.1 in) tall. It has dark brown and warty outer surfaces, while the fertile spore-bearing
inner surface is orange to pinkish to reddish-brown. The fruit bodies grow clustered together from large underground masses of compacted mycelia known as sclerotia
. In eastern North America, where it is typically found growing in the soil underneath hardwood
trees, it is found from New York
to Michigan
south to Mexico. The species has also been collected from Costa Rica, India, and Japan.
Wynnea americana is distinguished from other species in the genus Wynnea
by the pustules (small bumps) on the outer surface, and microscopically by the large asymmetrical longitudinally ribbed spore
s with a sharply pointed tip. The spores are made in structures called asci
, which have thickened rings at one end that are capped by a hinged structure known as the operculum
—a lid that is opened when spores are to be released from the ascus.
. Thaxter found several clusters of fruit bodies in Burbank, Tennessee
in 1888, and believed the fungus to be Wynnea macrotis, one of the first identified species of genus Wynnea. An 1896 visit to the same location as well as Cranberry, North Carolina
yielded further specimens. This time, however, Thaxter noticed that the fruit bodies were not attached to humus, as expected, but rather to "a large, irregularly lobed, brown, firm, tuber-like body buried a few inches deep in the humus." Microscopic examination of this structure and other tissue of the fruit body convinced Thaxter the material was sufficiently different from known Wynnea secies to justify the creation of a new species. Both the Tennessee and the North Carolina specimens were used as syntype
s to describe the taxon; the Tennessee specimen has since been designated the lectotype
(the name-bearing type specimen). In 1946, French mycologist Marcelle Louise Fernande Le Gal determined that the ascus
in W. americana was similar in structure to those species he placed in the suboperculate series.
The common name
s for W. americana are "moose antlers", or "rabbit ears".
—is pinkish orange to dull purplish red or brown at maturity. The outer surface may develop wrinkles in maturity. The apothecia, which occur singly or in groups of up to about 25, arise from a short stalk
. The stalk is variable in length and solid, dark outside, white within. The stalks originate from a sclerotium
, a compact mass of hardened mycelium. The sclerotium has an almost gelatinous consistency with irregularly shaped lobes and internal chambers, and may reach a diameter of 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in). The sclerotium's function is thought to supply moisture and nutrients, or to serve as a resistant structure capable of sustaining the fungus through times of stress. W. macrotis is the only other species in the genus to bear a sclerotium.
Wynnea americana has no discernible odor, and its taste is unknown. It has been described as inedible due to its toughness.
comprising the apothecia) is 125 µm thick, and composed of dark angular to roughly spherical cells that are 40–70 µm in diameter. The angular cells form pyramidal warts on the outer surface. The medullary excipulum (the inner fleshy layer of tissue underneath the ectal excipulum) is almost gelatinous, composed of interwoven hypha
e 10 µm in diameter.
Several structural components are involved in spore discharge in W. americana, such as the ascus, the operculum, the suboperculum. The spore-bearing cells, the asci
, are 330–400 µm long by 16–20 µm wide. The ascus has a thickened apical ring that is capped by a hinged operculum
, a lid that is opened when spores are to be released from the ascus. The presence of the apical ring beneath the operculum and the slanted opening that results is a condition known as "suboperculate", and is shared with Cookeina tricholoma and Phillipsia domingensis, also in the Sarcoscyphaceae
family.
The spores are scaphoid (boat-shaped), and have dimensions of 35–38 by 12–14 µm. They are marked with prominent longitudinal grooves, and when mature, are apiculate (ending abruptly in a short point). The spores typically contain several oil droplets. The paraphyses
(sterile cells interspersed among the asci) are 8–9 µm long and have internal partitions called septa. The structure of the septa has been investigated using transmission electron microscopy
, which has revealed that W. americana has a single pore plugged by a "fan-shaped matrix"—an electron-dense region with a torus
-shaped ring of translucent tissue wrapped around it. The pore plug resembles those found in the Sarcoscyphaceae species Sarcoscypha occidentalis
and Phillipsia domingensis.
on the genus Wynnea, suggests that the pustulate appearance of the outer surface clearly distinguishes W. americana from the other species in the genus.
forests, and prefer moist, organic soils. In both Asia and North America, fruit bodies are most often produced during August and September. The single Central American collection, from Costa Rica
, was made in early November.
In North America, Wynnea americana has been collected from several locations, including Tennessee
, New York
, West Virginia
, North Carolina
, Ohio
, and Pennsylvania
. It has also been collected in Costa Rica
, India, Mexico, and Japan.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of fungus
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 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:...
family. This uncommon inedible species is recognizable by its spoon-shaped or rabbit-ear shaped fruit bodies
Ascocarp
An ascocarp, or ascoma , is the fruiting body of an ascomycete fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and may contain millions of asci, each of which typically contains eight ascospores...
that may reach up to 13 cm (5.1 in) tall. It has dark brown and warty outer surfaces, while the fertile spore-bearing
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...
inner surface is orange to pinkish to reddish-brown. The fruit bodies grow clustered together from large underground masses of compacted mycelia known as sclerotia
Sclerotium
A sclerotium is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until a favorable opportunity for growth. Other fungi that produce...
. In eastern North America, where it is typically found growing in the soil underneath hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
trees, it is found from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
south to Mexico. The species has also been collected from Costa Rica, India, and Japan.
Wynnea americana is distinguished from other species in the genus Wynnea
Wynnea
Wynnea is a genus of fungi in the Sarcoscyphaceae family of cup-fungi. First described by English naturalist Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1866, the genus contains eight species that have ear-shaped fruiting bodies that grow on the ground...
by the pustules (small bumps) on the outer surface, and microscopically by the large asymmetrical longitudinally ribbed 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 with a sharply pointed tip. The spores are made in structures called asci
Ascus
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 have thickened rings at one end that are capped by a hinged structure known as the operculum
Operculum (botany)
An operculum, in botany, is a term generally used to describe a structure within a plant, moss, or fungus acting as a cap, flap, or lid. In plants, it may also be called a bud cap.Examples of structures identified as opercula include:...
—a lid that is opened when spores are to be released from the ascus.
History and taxonomy
Wynnea americana was first described in 1905 by American mycologist Roland ThaxterRoland Thaxter
Roland Thaxter , the son of Celia Thaxter and Levi Thaxter, was an American mycologist. He was known for his work on the fungal grouping known as the Laboulbeniales, and published 21 papers on the subject. Thaxter served as editor of the journal Annals of Botany from 1907 to 1932...
. Thaxter found several clusters of fruit bodies in Burbank, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1888, and believed the fungus to be Wynnea macrotis, one of the first identified species of genus Wynnea. An 1896 visit to the same location as well as Cranberry, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
yielded further specimens. This time, however, Thaxter noticed that the fruit bodies were not attached to humus, as expected, but rather to "a large, irregularly lobed, brown, firm, tuber-like body buried a few inches deep in the humus." Microscopic examination of this structure and other tissue of the fruit body convinced Thaxter the material was sufficiently different from known Wynnea secies to justify the creation of a new species. Both the Tennessee and the North Carolina specimens were used as syntype
Syntype
In biological nomenclature, a syntype is a term used to indicate a specimen with a special status.In zoological nomenclature, a syntype is defined as "Each specimen of a type series from which neither a holotype nor a lectotype has been designated [Arts. 72.1.2, 73.2, 74]. The syntypes...
s to describe the taxon; the Tennessee specimen has since been designated the lectotype
Lectotype
In botanical nomenclature and zoological nomenclature, a lectotype is a kind of name-bearing type. When a species was originally described on the basis of a name-bearing type consisting of multiple specimens, one of those may be designated as the lectotype...
(the name-bearing type specimen). In 1946, French mycologist Marcelle Louise Fernande Le Gal determined that the ascus
Ascus
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...
in W. americana was similar in structure to those species he placed in the suboperculate series.
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...
s for W. americana are "moose antlers", or "rabbit ears".
Description
The fruit bodies (technically called apothecia) of W. americana are erect and spoon- or ear-shaped, and may reach up to 13 cm (5.1 in) tall by 6 cm (2.4 in) wide with the edges usually rolled inward. The outside surface is dark brown, while the inner surface—the spore-bearing 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 pinkish orange to dull purplish red or brown at maturity. The outer surface may develop wrinkles in maturity. The apothecia, which occur singly or in groups of up to about 25, arise from a short stalk
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...
. The stalk is variable in length and solid, dark outside, white within. The stalks originate from a sclerotium
Sclerotium
A sclerotium is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until a favorable opportunity for growth. Other fungi that produce...
, a compact mass of hardened mycelium. The sclerotium has an almost gelatinous consistency with irregularly shaped lobes and internal chambers, and may reach a diameter of 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in). The sclerotium's function is thought to supply moisture and nutrients, or to serve as a resistant structure capable of sustaining the fungus through times of stress. W. macrotis is the only other species in the genus to bear a sclerotium.
Wynnea americana has no discernible odor, and its taste is unknown. It has been described as inedible due to its toughness.
Microscopic characteristics
With many cup fungi, microscopic analysis of the anatomy and structure of the apothecium is necessary for accurate identification of species, or to help distinguish between related species that have a similar external appearance. In W. americana, the ectal excipulum (the outer layer of tissueTissue (biology)
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
comprising the apothecia) is 125 µm thick, and composed of dark angular to roughly spherical cells that are 40–70 µm in diameter. The angular cells form pyramidal warts on the outer surface. The medullary excipulum (the inner fleshy layer of tissue underneath the ectal excipulum) is almost gelatinous, composed of interwoven 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 10 µm in diameter.
Several structural components are involved in spore discharge in W. americana, such as the ascus, the operculum, the suboperculum. The spore-bearing cells, the asci
Ascus
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...
, are 330–400 µm long by 16–20 µm wide. The ascus has a thickened apical ring that is capped by a hinged operculum
Operculum (botany)
An operculum, in botany, is a term generally used to describe a structure within a plant, moss, or fungus acting as a cap, flap, or lid. In plants, it may also be called a bud cap.Examples of structures identified as opercula include:...
, a lid that is opened when spores are to be released from the ascus. The presence of the apical ring beneath the operculum and the slanted opening that results is a condition known as "suboperculate", and is shared with Cookeina tricholoma and Phillipsia domingensis, also in the 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:...
family.
The spores are scaphoid (boat-shaped), and have dimensions of 35–38 by 12–14 µm. They are marked with prominent longitudinal grooves, and when mature, are apiculate (ending abruptly in a short point). The spores typically contain several oil droplets. The 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...
(sterile cells interspersed among the asci) are 8–9 µm long and have internal partitions called septa. The structure of the septa has been investigated using transmission electron microscopy
Transmission electron microscopy
Transmission electron microscopy is a microscopy technique whereby a beam of electrons is transmitted through an ultra thin specimen, interacting with the specimen as it passes through...
, which has revealed that W. americana has a single pore plugged by a "fan-shaped matrix"—an electron-dense region with a torus
Torus
In geometry, a torus is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle...
-shaped ring of translucent tissue wrapped around it. The pore plug resembles those found in the Sarcoscyphaceae species Sarcoscypha occidentalis
Sarcoscypha occidentalis
Sarcoscypha occidentalis, commonly known as the stalked scarlet cup or the western scarlet cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae of the Pezizales order. Fruit bodies have small, bright red cups up to wide atop a slender whitish stem that is between long...
and Phillipsia domingensis.
Similar species
The closely related Wynnea sparassoides, known in the vernacular as the "stalked cauliflower fungus", has a fruit body resembling a yellow-brown cauliflower atop a long brown stem. In comparison to W. americana, W. gigantea has apothecia that are smaller, more rounded at the tips, more numerous in a single specimen, and paler in color. Donald H. Pfister, in his 1979 monographMonograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
on the genus Wynnea, suggests that the pustulate appearance of the outer surface clearly distinguishes W. americana from the other species in the genus.
Habitat and distribution
The fruit bodies of Wynnea americana grow solitarily or in clusters on the ground in deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forests, and prefer moist, organic soils. In both Asia and North America, fruit bodies are most often produced during August and September. The single Central American collection, from Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, was made in early November.
In North America, Wynnea americana has been collected from several locations, including Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It has also been collected in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, India, Mexico, and Japan.