Specimen #11

Beech Bark Disease




Figure 1: Diagram showing the life cycle of Beech Bark Disease.
Please click on picture for an up close view.



Figure 2: Beech Bark Disease of branch collected.



Name: Beech Bark Disease. Fungus: Nectria coccinea
Collection Date:  11th Oct. 2011

Habitat: Fungi found on fallen branches beneath Beech tree. 

Location: Hiram Field Station
Description: Perithecia or fruiting body very small only approximately 1cm or less. Orange-brown in colour and found in clusters on the branch.  

Collector: Olivia Benjamin



Figure 4: Sexual stage of Nectria fungus, showing perthecia.



Ecology and Life Cyle of Beech Bark Disease: Beech Bark Disease is a complex that infects and kills the species of tree the American Beech tree or Fagus grandifolia. This disease is distributed throughout eastern North America and parts of Canada, it was originally introduced from Europe in 1929. The life cycle of disease happens in two stages; the insect and then the fungus. A small (0.5-0.1mm) insect called the Beech Scale or Cryptococcus fagisuga colonize on the beech tree and feed on the sap of the inner bark, causingopen wounds on the tree bark. This stage looks like large amounts of wool covering the bark of the tree. The feeding of the beech scale then allows for the introduction of the fungus called Nectria or Nectria coccinea which is a pathogen. The Nectria fungus then enters the tree killing woody tissue that can sometimes cause cankers on the tree. This fungus allows forms fruiting bodies called perithecia which are round, and orange-brown in colour. Each perithecia has a sac filled with spores that are usually released in fall and are carried by the wind. There is also an asexaul stage of the fungus, which looks like white cushions that produce asexual spores which can also be dispersed by the wind. (O'Brien et. al., 2000)



Figure 3: Asexual stage of Nectria Fungus.


Links
http://michigansaf.org/ForestInfo/Health/BBdisease.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_bark_disease
http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/beechbark/fidl-beech.htm

Specimen #10

The Boletes

Figure 1: Top of fruiting body of Suillus luteus.

Figure 2: Suillus luteus.

Figure 3: Porus underneath of fruiting body of Suillus luteus.

Name: Suillus luteus
Common Name: Slippery Jack or Sticky Bun

Family: Boletaceae  

Collection Date: 29th Sept. 2011 

Habitat: Found in clusters underneath some pine trees.    

Location: Hiram College Campus

Description: Large cap about 5-5.5 inches across. Underneath cap porus and yellow in colour.Top of fruiting body brown.  

Collector: Olivia Benjamin

Key used: Orson K. Miller Jr. 1977. Mushrooms of North America. E.P. Dutton New York.
Keying Steps:

Introduction Key pg. 241

1b. Cap and stalk may be hairy but not as above...2

2b. Tubes straight, veritcally arranged, mouths open; widely distributed...3
3b. Tubes not radial arranged, mouths often round to angular, viscid cap...Suillus

Key to Suillus pg. 247

1a. Veil and/or annulus present...2

2b. Veil leaves a ring...3

3a. Cap viscid to glutinous surface...4

4b. Cap smooth, viscid to glutinous surface...5

5b. Cap and veil not bright yellow to red, under or near various conifers...6

6b. Cap convex but not knobbed, viscid to glutinous, variously coloured but not olive-buff; widely distributed--->287. S. luteus

Ecology: This fungus is mychorrizal with various species of pine trees. Can be found all over the northern hemisphere and grows throughout spring, summer and fall.

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suillus_luteus
http://boletales.com/genera/suillus/s-luteus/

Specimen #9

Gilled Mushrooms - Basidiomycetes

Figure 1: Amanita muscaria showing fragments of volva a base of stalk.

Figure 2: Amanita muscaria cap colouring; orange fading to light yellow.

Figure 3: Amanita muscaria in less mature stage than above picture (cap has not flattened).

Name: Amanita muscaria
Common Name: Fly Agaric

Family: Amanitaceae

Collection Date:  29th Sept. 2011

Habitat: Fungi found beneath a cluster of pine trees. 

Location: Hiram College Campus



Figure 4: Up close picture of less mature Amanita muscaria's cap.



Description: Medium sized, about 4 1/2 inches tall. Middle of cap orange fading to light yellow to edge of cap. Stalk white with volva present. 

Collector: Olivia Benjamin

Key used: Orson K. Miller Jr. 1977. Mushrooms of North America. E.P. Dutton New York.

Keying Steps:

Introduction Key pg. 23
1a. Gills free from stalk...2
2a. Volva present or pieces of volva in duff around stalk base, warts present on cap, ring present or absent...pg. 24 Amanitaceae

Key to Amanitaceae. 1b. Volva in fragments over bulb...7

7b. Cap with a definite pigment...9

9b. Cap light yellow to yello, orange, green or red...13

13b. Cap yellow, orange to red...15

15a. Cap large, warts white, volva white...16

16b. Stalk base lacking the concentric rings---> A. muscaria

Ecology: This fungus is mychorrizal and usually found under pine trees.

Links
http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Amanita_muscaria.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

Specimen #8

The Polypores

Figure 1: Porus underneath surface of Ganoderma applanatum. Showing brown bruising when scratched.

Figure 2: Top surface of Ganoderma applanatum.

Name: Ganoderma applanatum 
Common Name: Artist's Fungus or Conk

Family: Polyporaceae

Collection Date: 13th Sept. 2011 

Habitat: Found attached to fallen, rotting branch on hillside.   

Location: South Chagrin Reservation

Description: About 6-6.5 inches across. No stem present. Top of fruiting body dark brown and underneath white/grey and porus. Body also very hard, not easily broken.  

Collector: Olivia Benjamin

Key used: Orson K. Miller Jr. 1977. Mushrooms of North America. E.P. Dutton New York.
Keying Steps:

Introduction Key pg. 273
1b. Spore-bearing surface composed of pores...2

2a. Fruiting body forms large, woody, perennial corks. Shelf-like...3
3a. Cap surface smooth, appearing shellacked; shelf-like fruiting body...4

4b. Cap surface brown; pores bruising when scratched ---> 319. Ganoderma applanatum.

Figure 3: Ganoderma applanatum growing shelf-like on a tree.

Ecology: This fungus are saprotrophs and sometimes parasitic, growing alone or in groups on rotten logs or stumps. It is very common and widely distributed in North America (Kuo, 2004).

Links

Kuo, M. (2004, February). Ganoderma applanatum. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/ganoderma_applanatum.html

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/ganoderma_applanatum.html

http://mushroom-collecting.com/mushroomartist.html