Exotic microfungi from western Scotland
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105 EXOTIC MICROFUNGI FROM WESTERN SCOTLAND B.C. Sutton For some years I have been absorbed by the remarkably diverse mycoflora associated with Eucalyptus leaf litter. Persistent entreaty to friends and colleagues in areas where Eucalyptus species are indigenous or introduced as ornamentals or for commercial use has resulted in the receipt of several hundred collections for study. These have been avidly examined and the result is that a comprehensive dossier on deuteromycetes and some ascomycetes is now emerging. The Western coast of Scotland seemed an improbable source of interesting Eucalyptus material, but the perspicacity of my colleague, Dr David Minter, was not to be denied and during a visit there in June 1978 he returned with ample samples of Eucaluptus litter, capsules and small twigs. The material originated from a mixed Eucalyptus plantation at Kinloch Hourn, Inverness-shire, Wester- ness. Enquiries show that the Eucalyptus species were brought from Tasmania and probably mainland Australia and planted in Scotland prior to 1906. They comprised E. cinerea, coccifera, alpina, cordata, corriacea, gunnii, whitting- hamei, urnigeraand vernicosa. It is not known whether they were introduced by seed, cutting, seedling or young trees. Hitherto none of the fungal species found on this material have been known to occur in the British Isles and therefore none could be interpreted as indigenous. The likelihood of air dispersal is quite remote, so it seems highly probable that the species were introduced on the original Eucalyptus seed or stock. This would certainly seem to account for the presence of Readeriella mirabilis which until now had only been known from south east Australia. Harknessia eucalypti and Polyscy talum truncatum are somewhat more widely distributed and their appearance in Scotland is less surprising. As for Polyschema clavata, the situation seems more complicated inasmuch as the species is only known from California and is yet to be reported from Australia. Whether it is indigenous in California, introduced to Australia thence to Scotland or vice versa is an imponderable that only further collections will clarify. An unexpected bonus was found amongst these collections. Several leaves of Rhododendron were mixed with those of the Eucalyptus species and examina- tion of these revealed an unnamed Sporidesmium species which is to be described as S. hourniense shortly. Harknessia eucalypti Cke apud Cke & Harkn., Grevillea 9, 85 (1881). Eucalyptus leaves, petioles and peduncles are known to be substrates for a total of seven Harknessia species, of which H. uromycoides (Speg.) Speg. and H. hawaiiensis Stev. & Young are the most common and widely distributed. H. fumaginea Sutton & Alcorn, H. insueta Sutton and H. eucalypti Cke are less common, with H. globosa Sutton and H. ventricosa Sutton & Hodges ined.only known from two and one collections respectively. The genus Harknessia, revised with 16 accepted species by Sutton (1971), has not been recorded from Britain before, consequently it is surprising that H. eucalypti, rather than the well-known H. uromy coides, should have been found in abundance in Scotland (lMI 229565, 229563). So far, this species is known from S. Carol., U.S.A., New Zealand and Australia, all of which are based on herb. IMI collections, and from Italy where Rambelli (1962) recorded it from Eucalyptus grandis. It can be distinguished from other species occurring on Eucalyptus by a combination of the broadly ventricose, apiculate conidia measuring 18-25 x 11-14.5 fJ. and the relatively short basal appendage which rarely exceeds 12 fJ. in length. 0007·1528/79/0000-0132 $ 01.00 © 1979 British Mycological Society.
Transcript of Exotic microfungi from western Scotland
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EXOTIC MICROFUNGI FROM WESTERN SCOTLANDB.C. Sutton
For some years I have been absorbed by the remarkably diverse mycofloraassociated with Eucalyptus leaf litter. Persistent entreaty to friends and colleaguesin areas where Eucalyptus species are indigenous or introduced as ornamentalsor for commercial use has resulted in the receipt of several hundred collectionsfor study. These have been avidly examined and the result is that a comprehensivedossier on deuteromycetes and some ascomycetes is now emerging.
The Western coast of Scotland seemed an improbable source of interestingEucalyptus material, but the perspicacity of my colleague, Dr David Minter, wasnot to be denied and during a visit there in June 1978 he returned with amplesamples of Eucaluptus litter, capsules and small twigs. The material originatedfrom a mixed Eucalyptus plantation at Kinloch Hourn, Inverness-shire, Wester-ness. Enquiries show that the Eucalyptus species were brought from Tasmaniaand probably mainland Australia and planted in Scotland prior to 1906. Theycomprised E. cinerea, coccifera, alpina, cordata, corriacea, gunnii, whitting-hamei, urnigeraand vernicosa. It is not known whether they were introducedby seed, cutting, seedling or young trees.
Hitherto none of the fungal species found on this material have been knownto occur in the British Isles and therefore none could be interpreted as indigenous.The likelihood of air dispersal is quite remote, so it seems highly probable thatthe species were introduced on the original Eucalyptus seed or stock. Thiswould certainly seem to account for the presence of Readeriella mirabilis whichuntil now had only been known from south east Australia. Harknessia eucalyptiand Polyscy talum truncatum are somewhat more widely distributed and theirappearance in Scotland is less surprising. As for Polyschema clavata, the situationseems more complicated inasmuch as the species is only known from Californiaand is yet to be reported from Australia. Whether it is indigenous in California,introduced to Australia thence to Scotland or vice versa is an imponderable thatonly further collections will clarify.
An unexpected bonus was found amongst these collections. Several leavesof Rhododendron were mixed with those of the Eucalyptus species and examina-tion of these revealed an unnamed Sporidesmium species which is to be describedas S. hourniense shortly.
Harknessia eucalypti Cke apud Cke & Harkn., Grevillea 9, 85 (1881).Eucalyptus leaves, petioles and peduncles are known to be substrates for a
total of seven Harknessia species, of which H. uromycoides (Speg.) Speg. andH. hawaiiensis Stev. & Young are the most common and widely distributed.H. fumaginea Sutton & Alcorn, H. insueta Sutton and H. eucalypti Cke are lesscommon, with H. globosa Sutton and H. ventricosa Sutton & Hodges ined.onlyknown from two and one collections respectively.
The genus Harknessia, revised with 16 accepted species by Sutton (1971),has not been recorded from Britain before, consequently it is surprising that H.eucalypti, rather than the well-known H. uromycoides, should have been foundin abundance in Scotland (lMI 229565, 229563). So far, this species is knownfrom S. Carol., U.S.A., New Zealand and Australia, all of which are based onherb. IMI collections, and from Italy where Rambelli (1962) recorded it fromEucalyptus grandis. It can be distinguished from other species occurring onEucalyptus by a combination of the broadly ventricose, apiculate conidiameasuring 18-25 x 11-14.5 fJ. and the relatively short basal appendage whichrarely exceeds 12 fJ. in length.
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Polyschema clavulata (Cke & Harkn.) M.B. Ellis, Mare Dematiaceous Hypha-mycetes, 370 (1976).
Eucalyptus capsules are notoriously poor substrates for micro-fungi, but a col-lection from Scotland (lMI 229564) yielded this rare species. It had onlypreviously been known from two collections on Eucalyptus wood found inCalifornia, U.S.A. by Harkness. The species is distinguished from the other fivedescribed in this essentially tropical to subtropical genus by its smooth ratherthan verrucose conidia which measure 30-46 x 12-16 u.
Polyscytalum truncatum Sutton & Hodges, Nova He dwigia 27,487 (1976).Perhaps the most common hyphomycete involved in Eucalyptus leaf litter
colonization is P, truncatum, and if one was to predict the species most likelyto be found in an unusual locality it would be this one. Indeed, Sutton & Hodges(1976) were moved to suggest 'it seems quite likely that P. truncatum occurswherever Eucalyptus is grown'. At that time it was known from a variety ofEucalyptus species from Brazil, India, New Zealand and Taiwan. Since thenmaterial has been seen from Hawaii, U.S;A. and Qd , Australia and more than30 collections of the species are now maintained in herb. IMI. The collectionsfrom Scotland (IMI 229555, 229556) now extend the range of the species con-siderably. It can be separated from the similar P, gracilisporum (Matsushima)Sutton & Hodges by the smaller conidia measuring 10.5-16 x 2-2.5 J1 and thevinaceous buff colonies.
Readeriella mirabilis H. & P. Sydow, Annis mycol. 6,484 (1908),This species is easily recognised by the characteristic pale brown triangular to
deltoid conidia, a feature that separates it readily from other pycnidial fungi.Macauley & Thrower (1965) and Sutton (1971) have given fully illustrated des-criptions of the species and details of the hitherto rather limited known dis-tribution.
As far as substrate is concerned, it is restricted to Eucalyptus leaves. Itsknown geographical distribution only included South Australia and Victoria,Australia, until this collection (lMI 229566) from Scotland. Bearing in mindfirstly the ubiquity of eucalypts now grown for private and commercial use andsecondly, the large number of collections I have examined in recent years fromBrazil, U.S.A., New Zealand, Australia, India and more sporadically from otherlocalities, I find it quite remarkable that the only collection now known outsideAustralia should be from Scotland.
ReferencesMACAULEY, B.J. & THROWER, L.B. (1965). Readeriella, a little-known genus
of Sphaeropsidales. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 48,105-111.
RAMBELLI, A. (1962). Harknessia eucalypti in coltura pura. Giornale botanicaitaliana 69, 109-111.
SUTTON, B.C. (1971). Coelomycetes. IV. The genus Harknessia, and 'similarfungi on Eucalyptus. Mycological Papers 123, 1-46.
SUTTON, B.C. & HODGES, C.S. Jr. (1976). Eucalyptus micro fungi. Miscella-neous Hyphomycetes. Nova Hedwigia 28, 487-498.
