Cristinia helvetica (Pers.) Parmasto
no common name
Stephanosporaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
no common name
Stephanosporaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
Photograph
Species Information
Summary:
Features include 1) resupinate growth on wood, 2) a fruitbody that is whitish to pale ochraceous, the surface netted to floccose or granular, the margin indistinct to fibrillose, and the subiculum often with rhizomorphs, 3) spores that are small, nearly round, thick-walled, and cyanophilic, 4) basidia that are short, with cyanophilic granules (in young basidia), and 5) a monomitic hyphal system, the hyphae short-celled with clamp connections.
Microscopic:
SPORES 3.5-4.5(5) x 3-4 microns, oboval to nearly round or round, with small apiculus, thick-walled, illustrated as smooth, strongly cyanophilic, inamyloid, mostly with one droplet when fresh; BASIDIA normally 4-spored, 15-25 x 5-7 microns, subclavate to subcylindric, with oil droplets, with basal clamp connection; CYSTIDIA none; HYPHAE monomitic: hyphae 2-7 microns wide, thin-walled, "mostly shortcelled, with clamps at all septa", (Eriksson), SPORES 3.5-4 x 3-3.5 microns, nearly round, smooth, inamyloid, colorless, thick-walled, cyanophilic; BASIDIA 4-spored, 16-24 x 5-6.5 microns, cylindric, contents with cyanophilic granules, with basal clamp connection; CYSTIDIA none; HYPHAE monomitic: 2-6 microns wide, thin-walled, relatively short-celled, septa with clamp connections, (Breitenbach), SPORES 4-4.5 x 3-4 microns, (Lindsey)
Notes:
It has been found in in BC, ON, PQ, IA, and WI, (Ginns(5)). It also occurs in Europe including Switzerland, (Breitenbach), and all forested parts of N. Europe (Eriksson).
Habitat and Range
SIMILAR SPECIES
Cristinia eichleri has a yellow raduloid rather than a buff grandinioid surface, and spores are larger, (Lindsey). C. eichleri has a raduloid to irpicoid hymenial surface and spores 5-7 microns in diameter, whereas Cristinia helvetica has a granulose spore-bearing surface, and ovoid to round spores 3.5-4.5(5.0) x 3-4 microns, (Ginns(23)). Cristinia sonorae Nakasone & Gilb., [found in Arizona according to Ginns(5)], has a grandinioid to strongly hydnoid spore-bearing surface, ovoid to elliptic spores 4.5-5.5 x 3.5-4 microns, and leptocystidia, (Ginns(23)). However, the holotype of Cristinia sonorae Nakasone & Gilb. is said to be two mixed species with one part being a Hyphodontia species and the other seeming to be a Radulodon species, (Hjortstam(7)).Habitat
on decayed wood of hardwoods, sometimes of conifers, sometimes on burnt wood, (Eriksson), on hardwoods, associated with a white rot (Ginns(5)), on dead hardwood, more rarely on conifer wood, summer to fall, (Breitenbach), on rotting wood and woody debris of hardwoods and conifers, "also on leaf litter and underlying soil, herbaceous debris, old polypore fruitbodies and other organic remains", (Buczacki)
Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Pilacre subterranea Weinm.