Mycology is Better Than Yours

The Kingdom Fungi

The word mycology comes

from two Greek words,

“mykes” which means

mushroom and “logos” which

means discourse

Mycology, Schmycology!

What’s It All About Anyway?

So, mycology actually means

“the study of mushrooms”

History

• Have been around

for millions of years

• Fewer groups

• Performing the

same function

UH-OH!

• Fungal spike at the

K/T boundary

• Some groups

disappeared

• Others evolved into

modern groups

So, What Good Are They?

Decomposers

Economically Important

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Historically Important

Salem witch trials: Claviceps purpurea causes rye

ergot

Uncinula necator causes

powdery mildew of

grapes

Phytophthora infestans caused the Irish

potato famine

Human Pathogens

Tinea pedis

Tinea corporis Candida albicans

• More than 100,000

species of known fungi

• Estimated that there

are ~1.5 million

species worldwide

Fungi are divided into

four groups

Fungal Groups

Chytridiomycota

• Oldest known group of

fungi

– May be ancestors to

modern fungal groups

• Predominately aquatic

– Flagellated gametes

• Cell walls of chitin

– Same as modern day fungi

• About 1,000 known

species

Zygomycota

• Mostly terrestrial

• No flagellated cells

• Reproduce via

zygospores

• About 1,000 known

species

Rhizopus sp. (Black bread mold)

Ascomycota

• Mostly terrestrial

• Morels

– Some aquatic and marine

species

• Filamentous or unicellular

– Yeast

• Multicellular fruiting bodies

– Ascocarps w/ascospores

• About 45,000 known species

Basidiomycota

• Mostly terrestrial

• Filamentous or

unicellular

• Multicellular fruiting

bodies

– Spores produced on

basidia

• About 22,000 known

species

Mushrooms are the largest and

most familiar of the fungi

Mushroom Morphology

scale; also called warts;

remains of the

universal veil

tubes (tooth fungi)

pores (boletes)

cap

gills

ring (annulus)

stipe, stalk

scales

volva

Order: Agaricales The Amanitas

• Some of the deadliest

mushrooms

• Tall thin stalks

• Cream to white in

color

• Brown, yellow, red

• Smell bad

• No smell

Amanita cokeri

Order: Agaricales The Amanitas

• Gills are free

• Partial veil

• Universal veil

• Spore print white to

cream colored

Amanita virosa

Partial veil

Order: Agaricales The Amanitas

• Mycorrhizal

– Oak

– Hickory

– Pine

• Grow on the ground

– Single to several

– Occasionally form

“fairy rings”

Amanita thiersii

Amanita virosa

• Virosa means

poisonous

• Late spring to fall

• Single or small groups

• Found in association

with oaks

• Pleasant odor

• White spore print

Amanita polypyramis

• Polypyramis means

many pyramids

– Describes the pyramid-

shaped warts on the

caps

• Strong chlorine smell

• Late fall and winter

• Solitary on ground

– Associated with pines

Amanita rubescens

• Rubescens means turning

red

– Bruises reddish especially

on the lower stalk

– Called the “blusher” in

Europe

• Spring, summer, and fall

– Most common during the

summer

Amanita muscaria

• Iconic image of the

amanitas

• Muscaria means “of

the fly”

– Believed to kill flies

• Late fall and early

winter

– Under pines during wet

seasons

Order: Agaricales The Russulas

• Russula comes from

the Latin word

meaning “red.”

• Many species have red

or pink caps

Russula rosacea (Rosy russula)

Order: Agaricales The Russulas

• Short and stout

• Brittle

• Caps brightly colored

– Red, pink, purple, green

– White, yellow, brown

• Gills evenly spaced

• Spore print white,

yellowish, buff-colored,

orange Russula variata

Order: Agaricales The Russulas

• Russula species occur

on the ground

• Associated with a

wide range of conifer

and hardwood hosts

– Woods

– Lawns with trees

– In brush

– Pastures with trees Russula emetica

Russula aeruginea

• Distinctive green cap

– aeruginea is Latin for

“green”

• Summer and fall

– Single to numerous

under oaks

• Often found with

Lactarius volemus and

Lactarius corrugis

Lactarius volemus

Lactarius corrugis

Lactarius indigo

• Common throughout

the Gulf Coast

– Found in areas that

have recently been

under water

– Fresh specimens exude

a blue milk

• Summer and fall

Lactarius salmoneus

• Distinctive bright

salmon pink to orange

gills

• Summer and fall

• In wet, swampy areas

in floodplains that

have recently been

underwater

Order: Agaricales The Tricholomas

• Large, fleshy caps

• Stalks are off-center,

grow out of the side of

the cap, or missing

• Gills distinct and thin-

edged

• Spore prints white,

light pink, lilac, pale

yellow, light tan

Pleurotus dryinus

Order: Agaricales The Tricholomas

• Found on living or dead

wood

• Important role in

primary decomposition

– Economically important

because they decay trees

humans don’t want to

see damaged Panus rudis

Pleurotus ostreatus

• Large meaty caps are

edible

• Found anytime of the

year

– Most common during the

cooler months

• Dead and decaying trees

– Willow and cottonwood

Phyllotopsis nidulans

• Nidulans means

“nesting”

– Looks like small nests

• Distinct orange color

• Foul odor

• Fall and winter

• Fallen trees

– Conifers

Clitocybe gibba

• Clitocybe means

“sloping head”

– Refers to the funnel

shape

• Summer and fall

• Decomposer of pine

litter

Collybia iocephala

• Slight gunpowder odor

• Summer

• Common on decaying

leaves

• Low spots that are

occasionally

underwater

Marasmiellus albuscorticis

• albuscorticis is from

the Latin for “white”

and “leather”

• Summer and fall

• Decaying litter and

berry bushes

• Spore print is white

Order: Agaricales The Crotinarii

• Latin cortina meaning

“curtain” or “veil

• Large family

• Rusty-brown to

brown-spored

mushrooms

• Mycorrhizal to

decomposers of

mosses and wood

Cortinarius cinnamomeus

Order: Agaricales The Crotinarii

• Diverse family

• Large, medium, and

small

• Colors from orange to

brown to purple and

red

• Gills attached to the

stalk

• Spore prints usually

some shade of brown

Cortinarius cinnamomeus

Gymnopilus spectabilis

• Large, orange-yellow

mushroom

• Spore print is a bright

rusty orange

• Called the “big

laughing mushroom”

in Japan

– Hallucinogenic

Cortinarius marylandensis

• First collected in

Maryland

• Deep rust-red color

• Summer, fall, and

winter

• Spore print deep rusty

brown

Cortinarius iodes

• Bell-shaped, purple

cap

• Fall and winter

• Under oaks and

beeches during wet

winter months

• Spore print rusty

brown

Order: Agaricales The Agarics

• Short, thick stalks

• Thick, fleshy caps

• Tiny, hair-like fibers

or scales on the caps

– Usually in the center

• White, tan, reddish, or

brown

• Gills free

Agaricus bispora

Order: Agaricales The Agarics

• Spore print chocolate

brown

– Few species with

purple-brown spores

• Some species bruise a

very light yellow on

the cap and stalk

• Saprophytic on dead

plant material

Agaricus sp. spore print

Agaricus campestris

• Closely related to

commercial

mushrooms

• Spring and fall

• Often form fairy rings

in grassy areas

• Spore print chocolate

brown

Order: Agaricales The Coprini

• Small

• Gills directly attached or

notched so the upper part is

attached to the stalk and the

lower half is free

• Spore print some shade of

brown or black

• Decompose decaying

material, dung, or humus

Panaeolus phalaenarum

Panaeolus campanulatus

• Toxic

• Fall, winter, spring

• Found on cow dung

• Spore print black

Coprinus comatus

• Bullet-shaped cap

• Scales on the cap

• Cool, wet weather,

usually winter

• Spore print black

Order: Agaricales The Boletes

• Fleshy cap and central

stalk

– Tubes instead of gills

• Mycorrhizal

• Most are summer

species

– Few fall species

Boletus sp.

Boletus pinophilus

• Pinophilus means

“pine loving”

– Long-leaf pine

• Summer and fall

• Single mushroom can

weigh ½ pound

Boletus frostii

• Named for C.C. Frost

(1805-1880)

– New England naturalist

• Bruises blue

• Summer and fall

• Mycorrhizal with

hardwoods

Order: Aphyllophorales The Chanterelles

• Brightly colored

• Mycorrhizal with

various trees

– Oak species

• Slow growing

Cantharellus lateritius

Cantharellus cibarius

• Known as the “Golden

chanterelle”

• Best known edibles

• Early summer through

late fall

• Mycorrhizal

– Oaks

Craterellus fallax

• Called “trumpet of

death” in France

– Refers to appearance

• Fall and winter

• Oaks and conifers

• Throughout the

Coastal Plains

Order: Aphyllophorales The Coral and Club Fungi

• Resemble sea corals or

small clubs

• Parasitic

• Decomposers

• Mycorrhizal

Ramaria botrytis

Clavulina cristata

• Late summer to fall

• In mixed woods

– Pines

Ramaria stricta

• Found in forested

areas of East Texas

– Common

• Late summer and fall

Clavaria zollingeri

• Species name honors

Heinrich Zollinger

(1818-1859), an early

mycologist

• Late summer to fall

Order: Aphyllophorales The Tooth Fungi

• Have tiny teeth on

which spores are

produced

• Mycorrhizal

– White pocket rot on

living trees Sarcodon imbricatum

Hericium erinaceus

• Hedgehog mushroom

• Winter

• Pine and oak

Cousin It?

Sarcodon imbricatum

• imbricatum refers to

the brick-like scales on

top of the cap

• Summer and fall

• Oaks and conifers

Order: Aphyllophorales The Polypores

• Polypore refers to the

may pores where the

spores are produced

– Small, short pores

• Saprophytic

• Parasitic

Laetiporus sulphureus

Trametes versicolor

• Most common fungus

in the world

• Many-colored

polypore

– Turkey tail

• All year

Ganoderma lucidum

• Also called cobra head

– Artists conks

– Long-lasting and

unusual drawing

surface

• Medicinal properties

– Raised commercially

in San Antonio

• All year

Coltricia perennis

• One of the first

mushrooms to appear

after a rain

• Year round

• Used in dried floral

arrangements

Schizophyllum commune

Just Cause They’re Cool!

Tremella mesenterica

Order: Tremellales The Jelly Fungi

Auricularia auricula

Tremella fuciformis

Calocera cornea

Exidia glandulosa

Order: Lycoperdales The Puffballs & Earthstars

Lycoperdon pyriforme

Geastrum saccatum

Order: Nidulariales The Bird’s Nest Fungi

Cyathus stercoreus

Sphaerobolus stellatus

Order: Sclerodermatales The Earthballs

Astraeus hygrometricus

Scleroderma polyrhizon

Order: Phalleles The Stinkhorns

Linderia columnaris

Mutinus elegans

Chorioactis geaster is known only from Austin, TX