Chlorociboria aeruginosa is a saprobic species of mushroom, commonly known as the green elfcup or the green wood cup because of its characteristic small, green, saucer-shaped fruit bodies (macroscopically identical to those of Chlorociboria aeruginascens, also described with those names).[1] Although the actual fruit bodies are infrequently seen, the green staining of wood caused by the fungus is more prevalent.[1]
| Chlorociboria aeruginosa | |
|---|---|
_Seaver_ex_C.S._Ramamurthi,_Korf_%26_L.R._Batra_435438.jpg)
| |
| The green elfcup, Chlorociboria aeruginosa. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Leotiomycetes |
| Order: | Helotiales |
| Family: | Chlorociboriaceae |
| Genus: | Chlorociboria |
| Species: | C. aeruginosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chlorociboria aeruginosa (Oeder) Seaver
| |
Description
editThis species has apothecia (cup-shaped ascocarps) that are usually attached laterally, often less than 0.5 cm in diameter, reaching 0.5-1 cm, collapsing laterally and becoming rolled inwards when dry. The outer tissue layer of the apothecium is bright green and smooth on the top, and felty and pale blue-green on the underside and stipe, darkening with age. The stipe is typically short, with a central or eccentric attachment to the apothecia.[1] Spores are roughly spindle-shaped (fusiform), smooth, 9-14 x 2-4 μm. Spore print is white. Asci are eight-spored; typically 65 x 5 μm. Apothecia grow on bark-free wood, especially oak, beech and hazel, part of which at least is stained greenish by the mycelium.[1]
The species is distinguished from the closely related C. aeruginascens by having bigger spores. Although some authors have in the past failed to recognize any appreciable differences between the two species,[2][3][4] Ramamurthi and colleagues note[5] that not only are the spore sizes different, but C. aeruginosa have roughened hyphae, in contrast with the smooth hyphae of C. aeruginascens.
"Green oak"
edit
Both C. aeruginosa and C. aeruginascens contain a quinone pigment called xylindein,[6][7] a dimeric naphthoquinone derivative, whose structure was determined by spectroscopic means in the 1960s [8] and later confirmed by X-ray crystallography.[9] It is this compound that is responsible for the characteristic bluish-green stain of wood infected by thosespecies, used today in decorative woodworking such as Tunbridge ware[10] and parquetry.[11] The use of this wood, known as "green oak", goes back to 15th century Italy, where it was used in intarsia panels made by Fra Giovanni da Veroni.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Chlorociboria aeruginosa, Emerald Elfcup fungus identification". www.first-nature.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ Seaver FJ. (1936). Photographs and descriptions of cup-fungi-XXIV. Chlorociboria. Mycologia 28: 390–394.
- ^ Seaver FJ. (1951). The North American Cup-Fungi (Inoperculates). New York. Pp. 1–428.
- ^ Dennis RWG. (1956). A revision of the British Helotiaceae in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with notes on related European species. Commonwealth Myc. Inst. Myc. Papers 62: 1–216.
- ^ Ramamurthi CS, Korf RP, Batra LR. (1957). A revision of the North American species of Chlorociboria (Sclerotiniaceae). Mycologia 49(6): 854–863.
- ^ Schmidt O. (1994). Holz- und Baumpilze. Biologie, Schiden, Schutz, Nutzen. Berlin/Heidelberg. pp 92–93.
- ^ Maeda M, Yamauchi T, Oshima K, Shimomura M, Miyauchis, Mukae K, Sakaki T, Shibata M, Wakamatsu K. (2003). Extraction of Xylindein from Chlorociboria aeruginosa complex and its biological characteristics. Technical report of the Technological University of Nagaoka 25: 105–111.
- ^ R. L. Edwards and N. Kale, Tetrahedron 1965, 21, 2095–2107
- ^ Saikawa Y, Watanabe T, Hashimoto K, Nakata M. (2000). Absolute configuration and tautomeric structure of xylindein, a blue–green pigment of Chlorociboria species. Phytochemistry 55(3): 237–240.
- ^ Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Ten Speed Press. pp. 959. ISBN 0-89815-169-4. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
Chlorociboria aeruginascens.
- ^ Wickens, G.E. (2004). Economic Botany: Principles and Practices. Springer. p. 566. ISBN 1-4020-2228-X. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ^ Blanchette RA, Wilmering AM, Baumeister M. (1992). The use of green-stained wood caused by the fungus Chlorociboria in intarsia masterpieces from the 15th century. Holzforschung 46(3): 225–232.
