Microstoma floccosum
Encyclopedia
Microstoma floccosum is a species in the Sarcoscyphaceae
family of cup fungi. It is recognizable by its deep funnel-shaped, scarlet-colored fruiting bodies bearing white hairs on the exterior. Found in the United States and Asia, it grows on partially buried sticks and twigs of oak
trees.
: they are up to 1 mm long or more, translucent, thick-walled, rigid and more or less sword-shaped with simple, sharply diminishing bases. They are connected to the fruiting body at the junction of internal tissue layers called the medullary and ectal excipulums. When the hairs come in contact with an alkali solution of 2% potassium hydroxide
, the thick walls of the base of the hair first swell in size and then dissolve, releasing the contents of the internal lumen. The stem
is cylindrical, and about 1 to 5 cm (0.393700787401575 to 2 in) long by 1–2 mm thick.
are 20–30 by 14–16 µm; the asci
(spore-bearing cells) are 300–350 by 18–20 µm. The paraphyses (sterile, upright, basally attached filaments in the hymenium
, growing between asci) are thin, slightly thickened at the tip and contain many red granules.
of the hairs.
that has spores with short, sharply pointed tips. Scutellinia scutellata
has a shallow red cup, no stalk, and black hairs on only the edge of the cap margin. The stalked scarlet cup, Sarcoscypha occidentalis
, has a shape, size and color that somewhat resemble M. floccosum, but it lacks any surface hairs, and the cup is not as deep.
and Shagbark hickory
has been noted.
Microstoma floccosum has been collected from the United States, India, China, and Japan.
Sarcoscyphaceae
The Sarcoscyphaceae are a family of cup fungi in the Pezizales order. There are 13 genera and 102 species in the family. Members of this family are cosmopolitan in distribution, being found in both tropical and temperate regions.-External links:...
family of cup fungi. It is recognizable by its deep funnel-shaped, scarlet-colored fruiting bodies bearing white hairs on the exterior. Found in the United States and Asia, it grows on partially buried sticks and twigs of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees.
Description
The diameter of the cup- or funnel-shaped fruiting bodies is 0.5 to 0.8 cm (0.196850393700787 to 0.31496062992126 in) in diameter; the margins of the cup are curved inwards when young. Both the interior and exterior surfaces of the cup are scarlet red. The exterior surface is covered with stiff white hairs. Details of the hair structure may be seen with a magnifying glassMagnifying glass
A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle ....
: they are up to 1 mm long or more, translucent, thick-walled, rigid and more or less sword-shaped with simple, sharply diminishing bases. They are connected to the fruiting body at the junction of internal tissue layers called the medullary and ectal excipulums. When the hairs come in contact with an alkali solution of 2% potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, commonly called caustic potash.Along with sodium hydroxide , this colorless solid is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications. Most applications exploit its reactivity toward acids and its corrosive...
, the thick walls of the base of the hair first swell in size and then dissolve, releasing the contents of the internal lumen. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is cylindrical, and about 1 to 5 cm (0.393700787401575 to 2 in) long by 1–2 mm thick.
Microscopic characteristics
The sporesAscospore
An ascospore is a spore contained in an ascus or that was produced inside an ascus. This kind of spore is specific to fungi classified as ascomycetes ....
are 20–30 by 14–16 µm; the asci
Ascus
An ascus is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. On average, asci normally contain eight ascospores, produced by a meiotic cell division followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera or species can number one , two, four, or multiples...
(spore-bearing cells) are 300–350 by 18–20 µm. The paraphyses (sterile, upright, basally attached filaments in the hymenium
Hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia or...
, growing between asci) are thin, slightly thickened at the tip and contain many red granules.
Varieties
One variant species has been described, M. floccosum var. floccosum, found in China and Japan, has larger spores than typical. The fungus originally described as Microstoma floccosum var. macrosporum was recognized as an independent species in 2000 and renamed to Macrostoma macrosporum. It differs from M. floccosum by fruiting season, asci and ascospore size, and the ultrastructureUltrastructure
Ultrastructure is the detailed structure of a biological specimen, such as a cell, tissue, or organ, that can be observed by electron microscopy...
of the hairs.
Similar species
Microstoma apiculosporum is a species from TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
that has spores with short, sharply pointed tips. Scutellinia scutellata
Scutellinia scutellata
Scutellinia scutellata, commonly known as the eyelash cup, the Molly eye-winker, the scarlet elf cap, the eyelash fungus or the eyelash pixie cup, is a small saprophytic fungus of the genus Scutellinia. It is the type species of Scutellinia, as well as being the most common and widespread...
has a shallow red cup, no stalk, and black hairs on only the edge of the cap margin. The stalked scarlet cup, Sarcoscypha occidentalis
Sarcoscypha occidentalis
Sarcoscypha occidentalis, commonly known as the stalked scarlet cup or the western scarlet cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae of the Pezizales order. Fruit bodies have small, bright red cups up to wide atop a slender whitish stem that is between long...
, has a shape, size and color that somewhat resemble M. floccosum, but it lacks any surface hairs, and the cup is not as deep.
Habitat and distribution
A saprobic species, Microstoma floccosum grows scattered to clustered together, atttached to wood that is typically partially buried in the earth. A preference for both oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and Shagbark hickory
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata, the Shagbark Hickory, is a common hickory in the eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 27 m tall, and will live up to 200 years. Mature Shagbarks are easy to recognize because, as their name implies, they have shaggy bark...
has been noted.
Microstoma floccosum has been collected from the United States, India, China, and Japan.