Studies in the Stypella vermiformis group (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota)

Abstract

Stypella vermiformis is a heterobasidiomycete producing minute gelatinous basidiocarps on rotten wood of conifers in the Northern Hemisphere. In the current literature, Stypella papillata , the genus type of Stypella (described from Brazil), is treated as a taxonomic synonym of S. vermiformis . In the present paper, we revise the type material of S. papillata and a number of specimens addressed to S. vermiformis . As a result, the presumed synonymy of S. papillata and S. vermiformis is rejected and the genus Stypella is restricted to the single species S. papillata . Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of specimens from the Northern Hemisphere corresponding to the current concept of S. vermiformis uncovered three species from two newly described genera. S. vermiformis s.str. is distributed in temperate Europe and has small-sized basidia and basidiospores, and it is placed in a new genus, Mycostilla . Another genus, Stypellopsis , is created for two other species, the North American Stypellopsis farlowii , comb. nov., and the North European Stypellopsis hyperborea , sp. nov. Basidia and basidiospores of Stypellopsis spp. are larger than in Mycostilla vermiformis but other morphological characters are very similar. In addition, Spiculogloea minuta (Spiculogloeomycetes, Pucciniomycotina) is reported as new to Norway, parasitising basidiocarps of M. vermiformis and Tulasnella spp.

A convolute diversity of the Auriculariales (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota) with sphaeropedunculate basidia

“…1). The genus Hyalodon is described in detail in Malysheva et al (2018), Mycostilla and Stypellopsis are introduced in Spirin et al (2019). The Heterochaetella species characterized by long, thick-walled, tubular cystidia are excluded from this study.…”

“…This kind of basidium was first described by Wells (), but its taxonomic applicability has since then been judged in different ways (Donk , Reid , Wells 1994, Roberts ). Phylogenetic studies conducted over the last 20 years show that taxa with sphaeropedunculate basidia occur in several, rather distantly related lineages within Auriculariales (Weiss and Oberwinkler , Wells et al , Spirin et al , , Malysheva et al ). Weiss and Oberwinkler () assumed that the occurrence of this basidial type within a given lineage is constant and, therefore, taxonomically valuable.…”

Diversity and distribution of Finnish aphyllophoroid and heterobasidioid fungi (Basidiomycota): An update

“…The ecology of the species seems to be poorly known, and its delimitation against H. obtusiforme deserves further study. Mycostilla vermiformis is distributed in temperate and boreal forests of Europe, and it has been found in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, and France (see Spirin et al 2019b). The hosts described by Spirin et al (2019b) were Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris.…”

“…Mycostilla vermiformis is distributed in temperate and boreal forests of Europe, and it has been found in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, and France (see Spirin et al 2019b). The hosts described by Spirin et al (2019b) were Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris. In Finland, basidiomata grew on coarse trunks of intermediately decayed Picea abies.…”

“…Previous reports of Stypella vermiformis in Finland represent another species. For the taxonomy of the complex see Spirin et al (2019b).…”