Rolf Singer

Upper Eocene Gilled Mushroom from the Dominican Republic

Coprinites dominicana gen.nov., spec.nov. (Coprinaceae) found in amber from the Dominican Republic is the earliest known gilled mushroom, the first fossil fleshy agaric determinable, and the only kiiown fossil mushroom (Agaricales) from the tropics. This find is of significance with respect to the evolutionary development of the Basidiomycetes. Because the appearance of this fossil is quite modern, it suggests that mushrooms as a group probably arose much earlier than the early to mid-Tertiary.

Litter decomposing and ectomycorrhizalBasidiomycetes in an igapó forest

An igapó forest near the confluence of Rio Tarumã Mirim (Tarumãzinho) and Rio Negro has been studied. It is a typical ectotroph forest with a raw humus layer and suppressed litter decomposing activity by Higher (i.e., carpophore-producing) Fungi. The number of the latter is about one-fifth of that observed in the (anectotrophic) terra firme forest. All ectotrophically mycorrhizal fungi observed belonged in three families:Amanitaceae, Boletaceae, Russulaceae. Leguminosae are dominant, and of theseAldina latifolia andSwartzia cf.polyphylla were demonstrably ectomycorrhizal. The scarcity of mineral nutrients in the soils of igapó, campinarana and campina is overcome by direct cycling through ectomycorrhizae. This is in contrast to other black- and white-water inundated forest communities in Amazonia.

NEW SPECIES OF PHYLLOPORUS AND TRICHOLOMOPSIS FROM COLOMBIA, WITH NOTES ON PHYLLOPORUS BOLETINOIDES

Phylloporusfibulatus and Tricholomopsis humboldtii from Colombian oak forests are newly described, and a new section of Phylloporus, sect. Fibulati, is proposed. Phylloporus boletinoides is redescribed from recently collected material and placed in sect. Manausensis. A comparison of characters distinguishing Paxillus and Phylloporus is given.

The role of fungi in periodically inundated Amazonian forests

In a comparative survey the terms (terra-firme) flood plain, igapó, várzea with and without black water influence are reviewed and the importance of ectotrophic mycorrhiza for their definition emphasized. Várzea alta with fluvisol base is briefly characterized and a first list of Basidiomycetes collected in it is provided. These are all non-mycorrhizal litter fungi.

Notes onConocybe (Bolbitiaceae)

The mycological exploration of the Viennese nature preserve Lobau, resulted in the discovery of several new species ofBasidiomycetes; of special interest is the genusConocybe of which the authors present two new taxa:C. lobauensis andC. leporina var.tetraspora. FurthermoreC. neoantipus, C. striatipes andC. caespitosa are discussed, and the new varietiesC. neoantipus var.tucumana and var.carinthiaca as well asC. striatipes var.sejuncta are proposed.

New Genera of Agaricales

Since intensive year-round collecting by specialists has started in the neotropics, approximately 1948, the number of species of Agaricales is steadily growing. The majority of the species are different from those of the temperate zones. Under these circumstances it is remarkable that since 1950 only a few exclusively neotropical genera have been discovered. This may mean that the classification then proposed was basically sound in the sense that it could absorb most novelties without major rearrangements, or that the average area of distribution covered by the taxa combined in an agaric genus is wider than that covered by, e.g., a phanerogamic genus. In the present paper, three new genera are proposed and a fourth, now rediscovered, is fully described.

Some interesting agarics from eastern Austria.

Four very rare species ofAgaricales of dry grassland of the Galgenberg near Röschitz (Niederösterreich) are described and their taxonomy, affinities, ecology and distribution are discussed.Marasmiellus graminis (Murr.)Sing. & Hausknecht andCrinipellis subtomentosa (Peck.)Sing. var.mauretanica (Mre.)Sing. & Hausknecht are proposed as new combinations;Campanella inquilinaRomagn. apudRedhead is a synonym ofC. caesiaRomagn.

Agaricales from Henderson Islands (South Pacific)

Carmichael, J. W., W. B. Kendrick, L. L. Connors, and L. Sigler. 1980. Genera of Hyphomycetes. Uni? versity of Alberta Press, Edmonton. 386 p. Koorders, S. H. 1907. Botanische Untersuchungen ueber einige in Java Vorkommende Pilze, besonders ueber Blaetter bewohnende, parasitisch auftretende Arten. 4. Morphologische-Systematisch notizen ueber einige mittel-Javanische, vorwiegend Blaetter bewohnende Pilze. Verh. Koninkl. Nederl. Akad. Wetensch. Naturk., Tweede Sect., Section 2, 13: 1-264. Kuthubutheen, A. J., and A. Nawawi. 1988. A new species of Wiesneriomyces (Hyphomycetes) from submerged decaying leaves. Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc. 90:619-625. Morris, E. F. 1967. Studies on the synnematous Fun? gi Imperfecti. Mycopath. Mycol Appl. 33: 179185. Seifert, K. A. 1985. A Monograph <?/Stilbella and Some Allied Hyphomycetes. Studies in Mycology No. 27. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn. 238 p. Shaw, D. E., and B. C. Sutton. 1985. A new aeroaquatic hyphomycete from Papua New Guinea and Australia. /. Linn. Soc. Bot. 91: 25-36. Subramanian, C. V., and B. C. Lodha. 1964. Two interesting Hyphomycetes. Canad. J. Bot. 42: 1057-1063. Tubaki, K. 1958. Studies on the Japanese Hypho? mycetes. V. Leaf and stem group with a discussion of the classification of Hyphomycetes and their perfect stages. J. Hattori Bot. Lab, No. 20: 142244.

A new species ofPsilocybe (Agaricales)

Psilocybe laetissima sp. n. of the sect.Merdariae is close toP. sabulosa s.l. and known to us from Austria, Hungary, and West Germany.

The group ofConocybe mesospora in Europe (Bolbitiaceae)

On the basis of studies of about 100 collections of the groupConocybe mesospora and after comparison of extra-European material we conclude that, within the European representatives of this complex, it is necessary to distinguish nine species and two varieties. Three new species are described:Conocybe subxerophyticaSing. & Hauskn.,C. minimaSing. & Hauskn. andC. robertiSing. & Hauskn.C. mesospora var.subalpinaSing. is now recognized as an autonomous species, butC. brunneola (Kühn. ex)Kühn. & Watling is understood as variety ofC. microspora (Velen.)Dennis.C. excedens var.pseudomesosporaSing. & Hauskn. is described as a new variety.C. affinisSing. is indicated for Europe.C. microspermaSing. is the new name ofC. microspora (Vel.)Dennis ss.Dennis. A full description of nine taxa of this group is given and a key to 11 taxa occurring in Europe added. Seven taxa are illustrated for the first time with colored photographs. All taxa known to us from other continents and belonging to theC. mesospora group have been compared with the most similar European species or varieties.