VIRTUAL MYCOTA: NZ Fungi Identification: Lentinellus pulvinulus

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Lentinellus pulvinulus

Synonyms

Lentinellus hepatotrichus
Lentinus hepatotrichus
Pleurotus hepatotrichus
Lentinus pulvinulus
Lentinus hyracinus
Lentinellus hyracinus

Biostatus

Present in region - Indigenous. Non endemic

Images (click to enlarge)


Caption: Fig. 3C, L. hepatotrichus sensu Reid: a, spores; b, lamellar leptocystidia, e, pileal pseudocystidia.	Caption: Fig. 40	Caption: Fig. 3B, L. hyracinus sensu Stevenson: a, basidioma; b, spores; e, lamellar leptocystidia; d, lamellar pseudocystidia; e, pileal pseudocystidia.	Caption: Fig. 3D, New Zealand collections: a, basidioma (PDD 62527); b, basidioma, e, spores, d, lamellar leptocystidia; e, basidium; f, pileal pseudocystidia; g, hairs and elongate pseudocystidia of pileus (b-g PDD 62528). Scale bar = 20 mm for basidioma, 10 µm
Owner: J.A. Cooper	Caption: fruibody. Note absence of tomentum in this collection. Owner: J.A. Cooper	Caption: cystidia Owner: J.A. Cooper	Caption: scale=4mm Owner: J.A. Cooper
Caption: amyloid thick skeletal cap hyphae, spores and cystidia. Owner: J.A. Cooper	Caption: 136-"Lentinus hepatotrichus": a. spores; b. cuticle.	Caption: Fig. 3 A, Lentinellus pulvinulus. holotype of L pulvinulus [Lentinus pulvinulus Berk.]: a, spores; b, lamellar pseudocystidia, e, thick-walled hyphae from trama.

Article: Segedin, B.P. (1996). A new species of Lentinellus (Hericiales, Lentinellaceae) and a revision of taxa attributed to Lentinellus in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 249-261 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Notes: Lentinellus pulvinulus (Berk.) Pegler, [5288]
Aust. J. Bot. 13: 344, fig. 3/12, 1965
=Lentinellus hepatotrichus ( Berk.) sensu Reid, Kew Bull. 1: 642, 1956.

Article: Segedin, B.P. (1996). A new species of Lentinellus (Hericiales, Lentinellaceae) and a revision of taxa attributed to Lentinellus in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 249-261 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Habitat: HABITAT: on dead wood in mixed lowland Nothofagus-podocarp, podocarp-broadleaf, or tawa forests (in New Zealand).
Notes: Lentinellus pulvinulus appears to be very close to L. flabelliformis (Bolton: Fr.) S. Ito as already noted by Miller & Stewart (1971) and Pegler (1983). Basidiomata are similar in shape, colour, and growth habit, except that those of L. pulvinulus may be dorsally as well as laterally attached, or with only a rudimentary stipe, whereas in L. flabelliformis the stipe is usually absent or, when present, is excentric to lateral. Both species have similar spores, larger than those of most other species, and the blueing in Melzer's reagent of the hyphae in the upper context of L. pulvinulus is also reported in L. flabelliformis (Miller & Stewart 1971). However, published descriptions of the pileipellis of L. flabelliformis indicate a structure different from that of L. pulvinulus. Miller & Stewart (1971) describe the pileipellis of L. flabelliformis as being "glabrous", consisting of "erect, densely packed hyphae, 2.5 x 8 µm, with protruding to embedded pileocystidia 30-148 x (2.5) 4.2-8.0 µm", and Watling & Gregory (1989) describe it as "erect, densely packed mixture of hyphae < 7.5 µm broad and thin-walled hyaline cystidia 40-150 x 5 - 7.5 µm, often accompanied by oleiferous hyphae". In L. pulvinulus the surface of the basidioma is velvety to tomentose, the pileipellis is of yellow-brown, repent hyphae, some slightly banded, through which emerge numerous pseudocystidia, and from which fine hairs are produced near the attachment region. This apparent disparity, however, could be a matter of interpretation of the surface structures. Pilat (1946) noted that the interpretation of L. flabelliformis is confused. He maintained that the cuticle structure was not distinctive, and certainly all the American material examined also had a smooth pileus composed of repent hyphae not very different from the upper context and through which emerge a few scarcely thickened hyphal endings. Until more collections have been examined from other countries it is probably best to treat these species as distinct. L. pulvinulus is a new record for New Zealand. L. flabelliformis has been described from Australia (Young 1982).

Article: Segedin, B.P. (1996). A new species of Lentinellus (Hericiales, Lentinellaceae) and a revision of taxa attributed to Lentinellus in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 249-261 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Description: Description of the holotype of Lentinus hepatotrichus Berk.
The type material consists of one small basidioma, 10 mm diam., glued to the mounting sheet by the lamellae, and one even smaller basidioma cut into several pieces. Pileus dark reddish brown, bearing a dense mass of light brown, upstanding tufts of hairs, especially towards the attachment region, with short, pale to dark brown, stiff hairs in the middle region, and glabrous and slightly sulcate at the margin. Lamellae drying dark brown, narrow, crowded, faintly dentate to eroded at the margin. Stipe lacking.
Spores 3.5 -4.5 x 2.5-3 (4.1 x 2.7) µm, Q = 1.5, broadly ellipsoid, strongly amyloid and echinulate. Basidia 15 x 5 µm, broadly clavate, 4-spored. Remains of thin-walled, fusiform, subulate leptocystidia 20 x 4 µm on margin and face of lamellae. Pileipellis of repent dark yellowish brown (in KOH), more or less parallel, encrusted hyphae up to 6 µm diam., with epimembranal pigment in a network or deposited in patches. The pileal tomentum on the attachment region consists of a tangled mass of hyphae 3-4µm diam., with one or two septa and walls moderately thickened (c.1 µm thick). The upstanding bristly hairs in the middle region are up to 1 mm long, and are of similar but darker, agglutinated hyphae. Beneath the pileipellis is a region of closely packed, parallel, hyaline hyphae 5 - 6 µm diam., mixed with many oleiferous hyphae of similar diameter. Oleiferous hyphae emerge to the surface and their tips become thick-walled pseudocystidia, variable in size (20-60 x 10-20 µm) and shape (irregularly globose, clavate, ellipsoid, lageniform), without contents. Context of tightly interwoven, contorted hyphae 6 - mm diam., either thin-walled or thick-walled with little or no lumen, some amyloid in Melzer's reagent. Trama of thinwalled hyphae 3 - 5 µm diam., and contorted, thickwalled hyphae, some with blue patches on the walls in Melzer's reagent. Oleiferous hyphae mostly in the outer region of trama, adjacent to the narrow subhymenium, their ends protruding as cylindrical, thin-walled pseudocystidia 25 - 30 x 5-6 µm, on the lamellar face.
Notes: =Acanthocystis hepatotrichus (hepatotricha) (Berk.) Sing., Ann. mycol. 41: 148, 1943 [invalid combination, basionym not cited]. Acanthocystis was incorporated in Hohenbuehelia, with specific reference to L. hepatotrichus, by Singer, Lilloa 22: 255, 1949 (1951), but the transfer to Hohenbuehelia was not made because "the characters had not been checked on the type" (Singer 1949).
(a) Lentinus hepatotrichus Berk. In Hook.f., F1. Tasm. 2: 249, 1860 Colenso, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 23: 393, 1890.
The holotype material of L. hepatotrichus Berk., on stringy-bark gum-tree, Ovens rivulet, Tasmania, W. Archer 712, 1855, (holotype, K), was examined by Miller & Stewart ( 1971 ) who found the spores to be 3.5-4.5 x 3.0-3.8 µm, within the range for L. ursinus, and also described other features characteristic of L. ursinus but, because no basidiomata were complete enough to show details of the cuticle, they preferred to wait until fresh material was found before placing the name in synonymy. They made no comment on the identity of the Gentilli collection with larger spores, from Western Australia, named as Lentinellus hepatotrichus by Reid (1956), nor on Colenso's record of Lentinus hepatotrichus for New Zealand (Colenso 1890), based on a collection made near Dannevirke (Colenso b969, K).
This description fits that of Lentinellus ursinus (Fr.) Kuhner (Bresadola 1929; Pilat 1946, as Lentinus vulpinus (J.Sowerby) Fr.; Miller & Stewart 1971; Moser 1983; Breitenbach & Kranzlin 1991), confirming its presence in Australia.
Lentinus hepatotrichus was first recorded for New Zealand by Colenso, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 29: 393, 1890, based on the collection Colenso b969 sent to Kew and identified by Berkeley. A duplicate collection of Colenso's material from Herb PDD and other more recent collections listed below, possess all the characters described for the type of Lentinus hepatotrichus from Australia described above, and support its synonymy with L. ursinus in New Zealand. It will be shown later that Lentinellus hepatotrichus sensu Reid is a different species, L. pulvinulus (Berk.) Pegler, previously known only from Australia and confirmed there by Pegler (1965, 1983) and Miller & Stewart (1971) as a good species, close to L. flabelliformis (Bolton: Fr.) S.Ito.

Article: Massee, G.E. (1899) [1898]. The fungus flora of New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 31: 282–349 Wellington:.
Description: Pileus sessile, attached laterally, hoof-shaped; horizontal, 1.5-2 cm. broad, somewhat shaggy or strigose at the point of attachment, becoming smooth towards the margin, liver-colour or sometimes yellowish ; gills radiating from the point of attachment, broad, rather distant, pallid, margin minutely toothed; spores elliptical, smooth, pallid, 7 x 5 µ.
Habitat: On wood and bark.
Distribution: New Zealand. Tasmania.
Notes: Distinguished by the dark colour of the pileus and the broad gills having the margin minutely crenulated.

Article: Horak, E. (1971). A contribution towards the revision of the Agaricales (Fungi) from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 9(3): 403-462 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Notes: Fig. 13 The spores of the type (native to Tasmania) are slightly smaller than those of the New Zealand collection (COLENos b 969). Unfortunately the poor state of the material makes it impossible to compare this fungus with one of the numerous species of Hemicybe in New Zealand.

Article: Segedin, B.P. (1996). A new species of Lentinellus (Hericiales, Lentinellaceae) and a revision of taxa attributed to Lentinellus in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 249-261 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Notes: The original description of Lentinus hepatotrichus was based on a collection W. Archer 712, 1855, on stringy-bark gum-tree, Ovens rivulet, Tasmania, (Herb. K). Reid (1956), after examining a collection of L. hepatotrichus from mainland Australia (on live trunk of Eucalyptus rudis, Chittering Lakes, Western Australia, J. Gentilli, 7 Jun 1953, Herb. FPSM. 3448), made the combination Lentinellus hepatotrichus (Berk.) Reid, commenting that the species was "originally described from Tasmania on stringy-bark gum-tree" and that < EM>L. ursinus "which also occurs in Australia is closely related to L. hepatotrichus but differs in its crowded gills and smaller amyloid spores (3.5-4.5 (5) x 3.5-4 µm instead of "5 - 6 (6.5) x 4-4.5 (5) µm" which he observed in the Gentilli collection. My examination of the holotype of Lentinus hepatotrichus supports the conclusion of Miller & Stewart (1971) that it resembles the small-spored Lentinellus ursinus very closely, making Lentinellus hepatotrichus a superfluous name and leaving unresolved the question or the true identity of the larger-spored Lentinellus hepatotrichus sensu Reid in Australia, and also of Colenso's collection from New Zealand which Berkeley identified as Lentinus hepatotrichus. These collections will be described below.

Article: Segedin, B.P. (1996). A new species of Lentinellus (Hericiales, Lentinellaceae) and a revision of taxa attributed to Lentinellus in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 249-261 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Notes: Berkeley (1860) described the type material of L. pulvinulus (Tasmania: on rotten wood, Archer, K) as being "1/3--1 inch across or resupinate, laterally attached [? should read "resupinate or laterally attached"], remarkably convex, smooth, ochraceous; margin sulcate. Gills very broad, yellowish, farinaceous; edge entire". His figure shows a laterally attached, distinctly convex basidioma, with four series of lamellae with apparently smooth margins. Berkeley based his description on a collection of three basidiomata, only one of which has survived. This is glued to the mounting sheet by the dorsal surface, but the lamellae appear to radiate from a lateral point, suggesting it was attached laterally. Both pileus and lamellae are clay buff (5C4, K&W). The margin of the pileus when dried is radially grooved. The lamellae are relatively broad but most of them are damaged such that the margins are missing, hence Berkeley's "edge entire". However, a careful examination showed one very small portion of one lamella with an intact, distinctly dentate to lacerate edge. Pegler (1965) described the type specimen as having "spores 5.7-8 x 4.5-5 µm, hyaline, ellipsoid, sometimes flattened on the adaxial side, strongly amyloid with exosporial ornamentation varying from slightly roughened to occasionally distinctly punctate. This ornamentation is seen only when the spores are mounted in Melzer's reagent. Cystidia absent. Basidia clavate, 13-18 x 4.5-7.5 µm, bearing 4 sterigmata. The hyphae are thickwalled, hyaline, and with clamp connections. In the context, gill trama, and subhymenium there are numerous oleiferous hyphae which occasionally penetrate the hymenium." Features of the holotype not mentioned by Pegler (1965) are the very contorted, arboriform, thick-walled hyphae in the trama, 5 - 8 µm diam., wall at least 2 µm thick, more or less parallel with thin-walled and oleiferous hyphae 5 - 6 µm diam. The context also consists of thick- and thin-walled interwoven hyphae mixed with oleiferous hyphae. The pileipellis consists of a few layers of narrow, repent hyphae showing slight banding on the walls. Swollen, clavate, sometimes thickwalled pseudocystidia up to 60 x 12 µm occasionally emerge through the pileipellis, which may also bear long, narrow, slightly thickened hairs 4 µm diam., aseptate or more usually with one clamped septum. The damage to the lamellar margin prevented observations on marginal leptocystidia. No facial leptocystidia were observed. Spores measured 5.5-7.0 x 4.0 -5.0 (6.3 x 4.6) µm, Q = 1.36.

Article: Segedin, B.P. (1996). A new species of Lentinellus (Hericiales, Lentinellaceae) and a revision of taxa attributed to Lentinellus in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 249-261 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Notes: The type collection from Australia (Richmond River, NSW, F. von Mueller, K, labelled "11, specimen authenticum. Omnino Lentinus ursinus Fr., Australia (indecipherable word) Kalchbrenner" was regarded by Pilat (1941), Pegler (1965), and Miller & Stewart (1971) as being synonymous with Lentinellus ursinus. However, Stevenson's description of L. hyracinus sensu Stevenson from New Zealand does not fit that of L. ursinus and this will be discussed below.

Article: Stevenson, G. (1964). The Agaricales of New Zealand: V. Kew Bulletin 19(1): 1-59.
Description: Pileus 2-3.5 cm diam., ochraceous salmon, orbicular, sessile, imbricating, tough gelatinous texture, matt drying finely fibrillose; flesh firm, fawn. Gills decurrent, moderately crowded, rather thick, margins coarsely and irregularly serrate. Spores 4.5-5.5 x 4-4.5µm, strongly amyloid, subglobose, ornamented with spines and fine ridges (Fig. 40). Hymenophoral trama loosely woven of irregular hyphae c. 5 µm diam., some with very thick walls. Cuticle of loosely woven hyphae, many 10 µm diam., with occasional cystidia 40-60 x 10-20 µm.
Habitat: On fallen rotting wood in coastal forest, Palmer's Bush, Nelson, 14.4.1956, Stevenson.

Article: Segedin, B.P. (1996). A new species of Lentinellus (Hericiales, Lentinellaceae) and a revision of taxa attributed to Lentinellus in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34(2): 249-261 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Notes: Stevenson (1964) recombined Lentinus hyracinus Kalchbrenner as Lentinellus hyracinus (Kalchbr.) G.Stev., based on a collection she made in New Zealand (Herb G.Stev. 1053, K). There is no evidence that she examined the type material from Australia (Richmond River, NSW, F. von Mueller, Herb. K), or that she knew that Bresadola (1929) and Pilat (1941) considered it to be a synonym of L. ursinus. Miller & Stewart (1971) also considered this collection to be synonymous with L. ursinus and my examination also confirmed the small spores and thick-walled, amyloid hyphae which are characteristic of L. ursinus. Miller & Stewart (1971) apparently did not examine the Stevenson collection which has larger spores and no amyloid tissues and is obviously not L. ursinus. In all characters L. hyracinus sensu Stev. resembles Lentinellus pulvinulus (Berk.) Pegler. The Stevenson material is described in full under L. pulvinulus. Description of L. hyracinus sensu Stevenson
Stevenson (1964) described her collection as "Pileus 2 - 3.5 cm diam., ochraceous-salmon, orbicular, sessile, mostly laterally attached but sometimes dorsally, with an inrolled margin, imbricating, tough gelatinous texture, matt drying finely fibrillose; flesh firm, fawn. Gills decurrent, moderately crowded, rather thick, margins coarsely and irregularly serrate".
My observations indicate that the dried basidiomata are a pale yellowish brown to ochraceous (5CS--5D7, K&W), lamellae drying ochraceous (5B6-5C6), broad, not very crowded especially in larger basidiomata, edge dentate to finely lacerate; surface of pileus finely fibrillose, tomentose towards the base in some (? older) basidiomata, the pileipellis there bearing a tangled mass of fine hairs. Spores 5.0-6.0 x 3.5-4.0 (5.5 x 4) µm, Q = 1.3. Basidia 25 x 6 µm, four-spored. Pseudocystidia on the lamellae narrow and filiform or larger (up to 15 µm diam.), basically clavate, sometimes with a digitate apex; leptocystidia subulate, hyaline, thin-walled, fusiform. Subhymenium narrow, of rather thick-walled hyphae. Trama of parallel hyphae with broad, oleiferous hyphae next to the subhymenium. Context of thick- and thinwalled, interwoven hyphae, 5-6 µm diam., a few thick-walled hyphae in the upper context becoming faintly amyloid in Melzer's reagent. Pileipellis of 3-4 layers, hyphae 3 µm diam. with yellowish brown walls. Some slightly thickened, oleiferous hyphae concentrated in the upper context, the emergent ends transformed to simple or vermiform, thick-walled pseudocystidia (40-80 x 8-15 µm) on the pileal surface. Hairs arising from the pileipellis towards the attachment region narrow (4-5 µm diam.) with slightly thickened walls and one or two clamped septa.