Acanthophysellum lividocoeruleum (P. Karst.) Parmasto
no common name
Stereaceae

Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.

Introduction to the Macrofungi

Photograph

Once images have been obtained, photographs of this taxon will be displayed in this window.Click on the image to enter our photo gallery.
Currently no image is available for this taxon.


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Acanthophysellum lividocoeruleum
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

Summary:
Features include 1) resupinate growth on dry barkless conifer wood, 2) fruitbodies that are dark blue to grayish blue, 3) elliptic to subcylindric spores that are smooth and amyloid, 4) a catahymenium composed of a) basidial elements, b) embedded pseudocystidia that darken in sulphobenzaldehyde, and c) numerous to scattered acanthophyses with apical projections, and 5) context that is monomitic with clamp connections. ''lividocaeruleum'' is considered a more correct Latin spelling than ''lividocoeruleum''.
Microscopic:
SPORES about 7.5 x 3 microns, subcylindric, smooth, amyloid, BASIDIA 4-spored, 20-25 x 5 microns; PSEUDOCYSTIDIA numerous, 40-70 x 8-12 microns, often moniliform apically, contents granular; ACANTHOPHYSES numerous, 15-25 x 4-5 microns with short apical protuberances; HYPHAE monomitic "with thinwalled hyphae, usually densely interwoven and fused to an almost pseudo-parenchymatic structure in which distinct hyphae may be difficult to demonstrate", (even basidia and acanthophyses in the hymenium may be fused), in between hyphae are irregular and amorphous grains of a dark blue pigment, calcium oxalate crystals present in varying degrees, (Eriksson), SPORES 5.5-7(8) x 2.5-3.5(4) microns, elliptic to subcylindric, rounded on both ends, smooth, amyloid, thin-walled, apiculate; catahymenium composed of basidial elements, embedded pseudocystidia, and numerous to scattered acanthophyses, BASIDIA (2-)4-spored, (15)20-25(30) x (4)4.5-5(5.5) microns, subclavate, sterigmata up to 5.5 microns long and 1 micron wide at base; PSEUDOCYSTIDIA (macrocystidia) (25)30-80 x (4.5)5.5-8(9) microns, flexuous-cylindric, "often apically moniliform, walls thin to partially thickened", "contents faintly yellowish in KOH, darkening in sulphobenzaldehyde"; ACANTHOPHYSES mostly subclavate, (7)10-18(20) x (2.5)3-5(6) microns, apically pronged [bottlebrush-like at tip]; HYPHAE monomitic, of hyphae 2-2.5(3) microns wide, branched, with thin to partially thickened walls, conspicuously clamped, (Lemke)
Notes:
It has been recorded from BC, WA, OR, ID, AB, MB, NF, NS, ON, PQ, YT, AK, AZ, CO, FL, GA, IA, IN, MD, MI, MN, MS, MT, NC, NH, NM, NY, UT, VT, and WI, (Ginns), and Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, (Eriksson). Collections were examined from BC, WA, ID, MB, ON, and Sweden, (Lemke).

Habitat and Range

Habitat
on wood of conifers and hardwoods: primarily on dry decorticated wood, conifer test flooring, utility poles, associated with a white rot, (Ginns), principally on dry decorticated coniferous wood, (Lemke)

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Helvella sphaerospora Peck
Pseudorhizina sphaerospora (Peck) Pouzar Ceska