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Introduction

Mushrooms observed in the field are only the visiblepart of a much larger organism, the fungus. This ismainly formed by a web of filaments (hyphae) whichmake up the mycelium, sometimes occupying manysquare meters in extension.

Mycelia can live in three different ways:

1. - As decomposers of organic matter. These feedon debris (especially plants), such as branches,stems, leaves or the organic matter in the soil.

2. - As parasites. These live off of other livingbeings, which are harmed in the process. They canparasitize plants (mildew, rusts, blights ...) oranimals (ringworm, athlete's foot, fungalinfections ...).

3.

In association with another living beings,forming symbiosis. Both organisms benefit, as inthe case of lichens (fungus-alga association) ormycorrhizae (fungus-plant association). The vastmajority of plants are associated with mycorrhizalmushrooms.

Mycorrhizae

In this partnership, the mycelium is associated tothe root of a plant. There are several kinds ofmycorrhiza, the most important being:

Endomycorrhizae. Here the mycelium penetratesthe plant root. Endomycorrhizal fungi do notproduce mushrooms and predominate in tropicalforests. They occur in many botanical families suchas Lamiaceae, Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae, Poaceae.Where these plants are dominant, there are nomycorrhizal mushrooms (just decomposers andparasites).

Ectomycorrhizae. The mycelium does notpenetrate the plant root, but forms a sheath thatcovers the branchings of fine roots. Thesepredominate in temperate forests in families such asFagaceae, Betulaceae, Pinaceae, and Cistaceae. Asingle tree can be associated with many mycorrhizalfungi. These fungi produce large and fleshy

fruitbodies (mushrooms) in order to disseminatetheir spores.

A single tree could established mycorrhiza with several species of fungi

Forests and mycorrhizasMycorrhizal mushrooms that can be found in forestsand shrublands, depending on two main factors:

Woodland Age: Since mycorrhizal species evolvewith forest age, there are species typical of youngforests, the micopioneers; other species which aretypically found in intermediate stage forests, themicotransitionals; and others in old and matureforests, called micoclimax (Moreno, 2004). Micocli-

max species are the least common, as these old for-ests are very rare in many parts of the world.

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Tree species: Certain mycorrhizal fungi are linkedonly with pines, others with oaks, others withlindens, others with many varieties of trees andshrubs, others with rockroses, etc.

Thus, the greatest variety of mycorrhizal fungi areencountered in forests where there are trees ofdifferent ages along with a variety of tree and shrubspecies. In the southern part of the IberianPeninsula, a greater diversity of fungi can be foundin decarbonated soils, which are more conducive tothe development of the mycelia.

Cistophilous communities

The shrubs of the genus Cistus (rock roses), setboth ectomycorrhizae and endomycorrhizae. In thefirst case, with a huge variety of species of fungi.

According to Comandini et al (2006), about 230different ectomycorrhizal species can be associatedwith Cistus, while Vila & Limona (2009) registeredthe existence of 278 Cistophilic species, includingthe Saprophytes.

In about 60 cases, these species are exclusivelylinked with Cistus (cistophilic fungi). With referenceto the Iberian Peninsula, the studies completed by J.Vila and X. Llimona (1998, 1999,2002,2006 and2009) on Cistus shrubland in Catalunya should besingled out.

These mycorrhizal fungus communities of Cistusshrublands are unique in the world, exclusive to theMediterranean and, especially to the WesternMediterranean, where Cistus has its greatestdiversity and has registered the highest number ofspecies associated with these shrublands.

Map of distribution and number ofCistus species by country. The diagramsrepresent the ratio of white-flowered species (white) and pink (gray area),

in Guzmn and Vargas, 2005. In gray, Mediterranean biogeographicalregion.

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Ectomycorrhiza in Cistus laurifolius

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Amanita muscaria var. inzengae Entoloma philocistus *

Amanita vaginata var. cistetorum Entoloma olivaceohebes *

Arrhenia tabaresiana * Entoloma sericeum var. minutisporum *

Ciboria cistophila * Entoloma undatum var. aciesterilis *

Clitocybe cistophila * Hebeloma album

Cortinarius assiduus var. plesiocistus Hebeloma cavipes

Cortinarius aureocistophilus Hebeloma cistophilum

Cortinarius ayanamii Hebeloma erumpens

Cortinarius bulbosovulvatus Hebeloma hiemale

Cortinarius castaneus var. monspeliensis Hebeloma plesiocistum

Cortinarius cistoadelphus Hemimycena conidiogena *

Cortinarius cistohelvelloides Hygrophorus chrysodon var. cistophilus

Cortinarius cistoiodosmus Hygrophorus pseudodiscoideus var. cistophilus

Cortinarius cistophilus Hysterangium clathroides var. cistophilum *

Cortinarius cistovelatus Inocybe cistobulbipes

Cortinarius coeruleopallesecens Inocybe rocabrunae

Cortinarius conico-obtusarum Laccaria laccata fo. pseudobicolor

Cortinarius contui Laccaria proxima

Cortinarius llimonae Lactarius cistophilus

Cortinarius longisporus Lactarius cyanopus

Cortinarius mahiquesii Lactarius tesquorum

Cortinarius parvostriatus Leccinum corsicum

Cortinarius sabulicola Lepiota pleurocystidiophora *

Cortinarius scobinaceus Mycena cistophila *

Cortinarius subcotoneus Phanerochaete andreae

Cortinarius xanthosarx Rectipilus cistophilus *

Cortinarius xerophilus Russula cistoadelpha

Entoloma cistophilum * Russula monspeliensis

Entoloma cistoumbonatum * Tubaria cistophila *

Entoloma malenonii *

Mushrooms exclusively cistophilous (* decomposer species)

Source: Galn et al. (1996), Vila & Llimona (1998, 1999,2009), Moreau et al. (2005), Comandini et al. (2006)

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Lactarius cistophilus.

Cistophilous fungal communities are one of themost original and interesting features of the

Mediterranean mycota, unique to this biome.The greatest variety ofCistus are found on theIberian Peninsula

Cistus shrublands offer us a wide variety offungi, a unique place where mushroom lovers

can enjoy and learn about these fungi, uniquein the world.

References:

Comandini, O., Contu, M. and Rinaldi, A. C. 2006. An overview ofCistus ectomycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhiza 16: 381-395

Galn, R., Raitviir, A. and Palmer, J. T. 1996. Ciboria cistophila,sp. nov., a Leaf-Inhabiting Cistophilous Member of the Scle-rotiniaceae. Mycotaxon, 59: 227-236

Guzmn, B. and Vargas, P. 2005. Systematics, character evolu-tion, and biogeography ofCistus L. (Cistaceae) based on ITS,trnL-trnF, and matKsequences. Molecular phylogenetics andevolution 37: 644-660

Moreau, P., Vila, J., Prez-De-Gregorio, M. A., Llistosella, J. AndLlimona. 2005. Hemimycena conidiogena, a new cistophilousbasidiomycete. Mycotaxon, 91: 323-332

Moreno, G. 2004. Bosques, Matorrales, Praderas y Hongos. Con-ferencia en la Sociedad Micolgica de Madrid, disponible enlnea en http://www.socmicolmadrid.org/noti/noticias31.html.

Hygrophorus pseudodiscoideus var. Cistophilus

Vila, J. y Llimona, X. 1998. Els fongs del Parc Natural del Cap deCreus i Serra de Verdera (Girona). I. Espcies xerfiles dellocs oberts, amb Cistus i gramnies. Revista Catalana deMicologia, vol. 21: 125-136.

Vila, J. y Llimona, X. 1999. Els fongs del Parc Natural del Cap deCreus i Serra de Verdera (Girona). II. Aproximaci al compo-nent fngic del Cistion. Revista Catalana de Micologia, vol.22: 95-114.

Vila, J. y Llimona, X. 2002. Noves dades sobre el component fn-gic de les comunitats de Cistus de Catalunya. Revista Catala-na de Micologa, 24: 74-121

Vila, J. y Llimona, X. 2006. Noves dades sobre el component fn-gic de les comunitats de Cistus de Catalunya. II. Revista

Catalana de Micologa, 28: 167-207

Vila, J. y Llimona, X. 2009. Noves dades sobre el component fn-gic de les comunitats de Cistus de Catalunya. III. Addicions,correccions i claus didentificaci. Revista Catalana de Mico-loga, vol. 31: 103-137.

Texts: Alonso Verde y Jos Fajardo

Drawings, picture of Lactarius:Jos Fajardo

Picture of Hygrophorus: Josu Esteban

Design: Miguel R. Brotons

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