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 Thelephora congesta
BiostatusAbsent 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; membranous,
centrally stipitate, composed of numerous (15-26) erect branches arising from a
simple stem attached to a broad mycelial base, to 4 cm tall, 3 cm across, stems
to 10 mm long and 5 mm wide; main branches chocolate; terete, 1-2 mm diameter,
some slightly flattened, becoming once, twice, or thrice branched either
dichotomously or irregularly, terminating in usually bifid tips grey or ochre in
colour; hymenial surface amphigenous below, inferior on upper branches, even,
chocolate. Context of numerous cordons of loosely arranged parallel hyphae with
intertwined hyphae between; generative hyphae 4.5-5 µm diameter, walls 0.2 µm
thick, tinted brown, freely branched at a wide angle, septate, with numerous
often proliferating clamp connections. Hymenial layer to 160 µm deep, of 1-3
layers, a close palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia clavate, 30-40 x 7-8
µm, bearing 4 spores; sterigmata erect, slender, to 6 µm long. Paraphyses
clavate, 12-22 x 5-6 µm. Spores broadly oblong or oval, 8-10 x 7-8 µm, walls
sinuate, finely sparsely verruculose, tinted ferruginous, 0.2 µm thick.
Habitat: HABITAT: Solitary or gregarious on the ground.
Distribution: DISTRIBUTION: Australia.
Notes: When well
developed, plants possess a freely branched pileus attached to a stout
short.stem arising from a bulbous mycelial base. Primary branches are stout, and
bear secondary branches which in turn may branch once or twice, either
dichotomously or irregularly, tips being of lighter colour and broadened
slightly. The hymenium is amphigenous on stems and main branches, inferior
above, the surface being rich chocolate and even. Basidia develop in corymbose
clusters each surrounded by several paraphyses. Cordons are abundant in tissues
of the stem, lying parallel with one another and separated by loosely
intertwined hyphae. Some hyphae of which cordons are composed may be lactiferous
as they contain deeply staining contents. Variability in size and shape of
plants is considerable, almost every specimen examined differing in size, number
of branches and type of branching. Although three species with this form of
fructification have been described from Australia, examination of the types of
Thelephora congesta and 'Stereum' simulans ex "Brisbane, F. M.
Bailey" have shown them to be based on plants of the same species.
Thelephora archeri Berk. has been shown by Reid (1956, p. 536) to be an
heterobasidiomycete which he referred to Pseudotremellodon pusio
(Berk.) Reid. Even the generic position has been in doubt. Both Bresadola
and Lloyd referred Thelephora congesta and Stereum simulans to
Lachnocladium , and Lloyd (1919, p. 15) listed Thelephora archeri
and Lachnocladium congestum under Dendrocladium.
FIG. 126. Stereum scutellatum. Showing the
monomitic hyphal system, abhymenial hairs, cortex, conducting hyphae and (b)
elliptical spores. (a) Spores of S. sanguinolentum.
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