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 Podoscypha petalodes subsp. floriformis
SynonymsStereum elegans
Stereum floriforme
Stereum sowerbyi
Thelephora sowerbyi
BiostatusPresent in region - Indigenous. Non endemic
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, gregarious or caespitose,
seldom solitary. Pilei infundibuliform, or split on one side to the stem apex,
sometimes flabelliform, often rosetted, with stems discrete but apices
concrescent, 15-35 mm tall, 12-30 mm wide; pileus surface glabrous, bay or
tobacco-brown, concolorous or with darker lateral zones, radiately plicate;
hymenial surface grey when fertile, when sterile ochre or pallid brown,
irregularly fluted, creviced longitudinally when old; margin thinning out,
concolorous, crenate, often deeply lobed or incised, somewhat translucent. Stems
5-10 mm long, 1-4 mm wide, sometimes fused but usually single although several
may arise from a common mycelial base, finely velutinate, concolorous. Context
wood colour, 0.3-0.5 mm thick, of radiately arranged parallel compact hyphae;
skeletal hyphae 3.5-4 µm diameter, lumena capillary; generative hyphae 3.5-4 µm
diameter, walls 0.2 µm thick, with clamp connections. Gloeocystidia arising in
the base of the subhymenium and traversing the hymenium, not projecting,
flexuous-cylindrical or subventricose, to 90 x 8 µm. Hymenial layer to 80 µm
deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses, and gloeocystidia. Basidia
subclavate, 25-40 x 5-6 µm, bearing 2-4 spores; sterigmata slender, erect, to 6
µm long. Paraphyses subclavate or subcylindrical, 16-28 x 4-5 µm. Spores broadly
elliptical or oval, apiculate, 5-6 x 3-3.5 µm, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2 µm
thick.
Habitat: HABITAT: Growing from buried wood on the
forest floor.
Distribution: DISTRIBUTION: Central America, East Indies, Australia, Tasmania, New
Zealand.
Notes: Since the type no
longer exists, many workers have been confused as to the specific features of
S. elegans . Judged from numerous specimens examined in Kew herbarium,
these call for plants with rosetted pilei, several usually arising from discrete
stems and becoming apically concrescent. Pilei are thin and brittle, often
appearing translucent, and spores are broadly elliptical, apiculate, 5-6 x 3-3.5
µm. The habitat also is noteworthy, plants arising from decayed wood buried in
humus. As pilei vary from solitary and flabelliform to campanulate concrescent
forms, pileus features are not sufficient to enable species to be identified
accurately. Identifications of early workers, based on these, cannot be regarded
as trustworthy; consequently the distribution given is that of authentic
specimens examined in Kew herbarium, or received from collectors. The species is
close to S. affine, differing in pileus shape, habitat, and slightly
larger apiculate spores. Flabelliform, specimens of both, if sterile, are
difficult to separate. Welden (1954, p. 437) listed as a synonym S.
flabellatum Pat.; a second is S. floriforme Bres., ex "Aireys
Inlet, Victoria, Miss Berthon"; and S. sowerbeii Berk. is merely a
small form without any constant differentiating features.
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