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Go to the NZFungi website for more indepth information on Stereum spectabile. Stereum spectabile

Biostatus

Absent from region

Article: Cunningham, G.H. (1963). The Thelephoraceae of Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Bulletin 145: 359 p. Wellington:.
Description: Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei effused-reflexed, sometimes umbonate, imbricate, 2-8 mm radius, 5-30 mm wide; pileus surface cinnamon or vandyke-brown, fibrillose, hairs imbricate, arranged in concentric light and dark brown zones, sometimes radially striate, often complicate and radiately sulcate; margin acute, slightly inturned, lobed, concolorous or lighter; hymenial surface even, bay or tan, often with a greyish tint. Context tan, to 160 µm thick, of densely arranged parallel hyphae, cortex yellow-brown, of compact intertwined partly cemented hyphae, abhymenial hairs to 5 µm diameter, walls 1-1.5 µm thick, generative hyphae 3-3.5 µm diameter, walls 0.5-1 µm thick, without clamp connections. Acanthophyses clavate, to 5 µm diameter, projecting, bearing upon the upper third numerous crowded, hyaline, digitate processes 1-2 µm long. Conducting hyphae arising in the upper part of the context and traversing the hymenial layer, slightly inflated at distal ends, granular contents discoloured. Hymenial layer to 35 µm deep, a close palisade of basidia, paraphyses, acanthophyses, and conducting hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 16-20 x 4-4.5 µm, bearing 4 spores; sterigmata erect, slender, to 4 µm long. Paraphyses subclavate, 12-16 x 3-3.5 µm. Spores obovate or pip-shaped, 5-7 x 4-5 µm, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µm thick.

Habitat: >HABITAT: Bark or decorticated wood of dead branches.

Distribution: DISTRIBUTION: Philippine Islands, Japan, Australia.

Notes: Recognised by the monomitic hyphal system, pigmented conducting hyphae, hyaline acanthophyses, small size, silky surface, thin context, and presence of a coloured cortex. Collections examined are the type of Stereum radiato-fissum ex "Queensland, Thozet, No. 277" which Bresadola on the type sheet and later (1916, p. 232) referred to S. spectabile Kl.; "N.S.W., Mosman, J. B. Cleland, May 1917" referred by Lloyd to S. radiato-fissum; "N.S.W., Sydney, J. B. Cleland, March 1915" the type of S. obscurum Lloyd, which Lloyd held to be a variety of S. spadiceum, "N.S.W., Lisarow, J. B. Cleland, June 1916" which Lloyd misnamed S. bellum Kze., and a collection ex "N.S.W., Beecroft, Mrs M. Blackwell, March 1955". The species is a 'bleeder' with monomitic hyphal system and well developed conducting hyphae containing granular, contents which discolour in dried specimens and stain deeply in. sections. According to J. B. Cleland, the surface also turns red when bruised, a feature of most species with conducting hyphae. Acanthophyses resemble those of S. illudens.