Flammulina-elastica_spore_stat_2M

Description:

Flammulina elastica (Sacc.) Redhead & R.H. Petersen, Synonymy: Agaricus elasticus Lasch, Collybia elastica Sacc., Flammulina elastica f. longispora (Bas) Redhead & R.H. Petersen, Flammulina velutipes f. longispora BasEN: no name found, DE: Weiden-Samtfurbling, Langsporiger SamtfurblingFamily: PhysalacriaceaeSlo.: no name foundDat.: Dec. 8. 2019Lat.: 46.358774 Long.: 13.705412Code: Bot_1271/2019_DSC01961Habitat: river bank, at the base of moderately inclined mountain slope, southeast aspect; calcareous, alluvial, stony ground (pebbles); cool, humid, mostly shady place; exposed to direct precipitations; average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, air temperature during last few days about -5 deg C during the night and 0-4 deg C during the day; average year temperature 6-8 deg C, elevation 530 m (1.740 feet), alpine phytogeographical region.Substratum: dead, still standing trunk of an old Salix eleagnos.Place: Lower Trenta valley, between villages Soa and Trenta; right bank of river Soa, upstream entrance in a small river gorge between farmhouses Otokar, Trenta 4 and Matev, Trenta 1; East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC. Comments: Flammulina elastica is a beautiful, winter growing species very similar to well-known and common Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes). The name Flammulina is based on the yellow-orange caps, which shine like little flames in the murky winter colored habitats. It is a rather newly separated species (1999). Several differences in the morphology between Flammulina velutipes and Flammulina elastica (however, very variable) are described in literature, but many, if not most of, authors consider both species indistinguishable solely on morphology. Only DNA analyses, sexual incompatibility and spore shape (particularly Q) and dimensions (mostly their length) separate them.Currently Flammulina elastica appears a rare species in Slovenia and elsewhere. It is not included neither in the Boletus Informaticus data base (Ref.: 6) nor in the Operational List of Fungi of Slovenia (Ref. 7). Because Flammulina elastica cannot be separated from Flammulina velutipes without microscopy, hundreds of historical field observations of the latter can actually be the former. Therefore, published distribution maps of both species seem questionable. More than 15 pilei were observed on the trunk from 30 cm above to about 2 m above the ground, most of them were old and hence of very dark color. Pilei diameter 4 - 7.5 cm, stipe length 2.8 - 4 and their diameter 0.5 - 1.4 cm; stipe pliant, firm, like made of soft rubber; taste and smell mild, indistinctive, eventually weakly mushroomy; SP abundant, white, oac909. Photographed in frozen state. With average (at N=44) spore length 9.1 m, about 25% of spores longer than 10 m instead of 'a few only' for Flammulina velutipes according to (Ref.: 5) and Qe = 2.6 this determination seems quite reliable.Spores dimensions: (7.4) 8.2 - 10.6 (11.5) (2.9) 3.2 - 4 (4.1) m; Q = (2.2) 2.3 - 2.8 (3.3); N = 44; Me = 9.1 3.5 m; Qe = 2.6. Olympus CH20, NEA 100x/1.25, magnification 1.000 x, oil; in water, fresh material, spores from spore print. AmScope MA500 digital camera.Herbarium: Index Herbariorum LJF @ Mycotheca and lichen herbarium of Slovenian Forestry Institute.(1) Personal communication Mr. Bojan Rot, www. gobenabovskem.si (2) G.J. Krieglsteiner (Hrsg.), Die Grosspilze Baden-Wrttembergs, Band 3., Ulmer (2001), p 245. (3) www.123pilzsuche.de/daten/details/LangsporSamtfussrueblin... (accessed Dec. 10. 2019) (4) www.mycoquebec.org/bas.php?trie=F&l=l&nom=Flammul... (accessed Dec. 10. 2019) (5) T. Lsse, J.H. Petersen, Fungi of temperate Europe, Vol. 1., Princeton University Press (2019), p 300. (6) N. Ogris (ed), Boletus Informaticus, Slovenian Forestry Institute www.zdravgozd.si/bi_index.aspx (accessed Dec. 11. 2019)(7) S. erod et all (eds.), Operativni Seznam Gliv Slovenije (Operational List of Fungi of Slovenia), Association of Mycol. Soc. of Slovenia (2013) (in Slovenian).(8) www.first-nature.com/fungi/flammulina-elastica.php (accessed Dec. 12. 2019) (9) www.pilzepilze.de/cgi-bin/webbbs/parchive2011.pl?noframes... (accessed Dec. 12. 2019)