Exidia saccharina is a species of fungus in the family Auriculariaceae. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are gelatinous, reddish brown, button-shaped at first then often coalescing and becoming irregularly effused. In the UK, it has the recommended English name of pine jelly.[1] It grows on dead branches of conifers and is known from Europe, North America, and northern Asia.
| Exidia saccharina | |
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| Exidia saccharina, Niederrhein, Germany [1] | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Auriculariales |
| Family: | Auriculariaceae |
| Genus: | Exidia |
| Species: | E. saccharina
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| Binomial name | |
| Exidia saccharina | |
| Synonyms | |
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![[1]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kandisbraune_Dr%C3%BCsling_%28Exidia_saccharina%29_-_hms%282%29.jpg){kind=link}
Taxonomy
editThe species was first described in 1805 from Germany as Tremella spiculosa var. saccharina by mycologists Johannes Baptista von Albertini and Lewis David de Schweinitz and raised to species level in Exidia by Elias Magnus Fries in 1822.[2] Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has shown that the species is distinct.[3] Exidia subrepanda, originally described from Finland on spruce (Picea), is considered a synonym.[4]
Description
editThe basidiocarps of E. saccharina are orange-brown, gelatinous, button-shaped at first but sometimes coalescing to form effused, irregular, often ridged masses up to 10 cm across.[3] They become leathery, dark, and shriveled when dry.[5]
Microscopic characters
editThe translucent hyphae are 0.5–2.5 μm in diameter, monomitic, branched, thin-walled, and form clamp connections. Hyphae frequently form anastomoses.[5] Basidia are typically 13 to 15.5 μm long, elliptical, and consist of four longitudinally septate cells. Basidiospores are allantoid (sausage shaped), 10 to 14 by 3 to 4.5 μm, with thin, smooth walls.[3]
Similar species
editFruit bodies of Exidia subsaccharina (known from France and England) also occur on conifers and are not distinguishable in the field, but have larger basidia and spores (12.5 to 17.5 by 4 to 5.5 μm).[3]
Distribution and habitat
editExidia saccharina is most common in Scandinavia, but can also be found elsewhere in Europe, in northern parts of Asia,[3] and in North America.[5]
Exidia saccharina grows only on dead conifers, including species of Abies, Larix, Picea, and most commonly Pinus.[6][7][8] It seems to grow most preferentially on Pinus strobus.[5][9] In its anamorphic (asexual) state, it has been found in association with bark beetles.[10]
Conservation status
editExidia saccharina is currently listed on the register of protected and endangered fungi of Poland.[9][11]
References
edit- ^ Holden L. (April 2022). "English names for fungi 2022". British Mycological Society. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ Fries, Elias (1822). Systema mycologicum : sistens fungorum ordines, genera et species, huc usque cognitas, quas ad normam methodi naturalis determinavit. Vol. 2. Lundae: Ex Officina Berlingiana. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ a b c d e Tohtirjap, Ablat; Hou, Shi-Xing; Rivoire, Bernard; Gates, Genevieve; Wu, Fang; Dai, Yu-Cheng (2023). "Two new species of Exidia sensu lato (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota) based on morphology and DNA sequences". Frontiers in Microbiology. 13. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.1080290. ISSN 1664-302X. PMC 9973447. PMID 36866163.
- ^ Spirin V, Malysheva V, Larsson KH. (2019). "On some forgotten species of Exidia and Myxarium (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota)". Nordic Journal of Botany. 36 (3). doi:10.1111/njb.01601. hdl:10138/326188.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Whelden, Roy M. (1935-01-01). "Cytological studies in the Tremellaceae II. Exidia". Mycologia. 27 (1): 41–57. doi:10.1080/00275514.1935.12017060. ISSN 0027-5514.
- ^ Wang, Shurong; Thorn, R. Greg (2021). "Exidia qinghaiensis, a new species from China". Mycoscience. 62 (3): 212–216. doi:10.47371/mycosci.2021.03.002. PMC 9157777. PMID 37091320.
- ^ Wojewoda, W. (1965). Grzyby (Mycota) (in Polish) (VIII ed.). Poland: Polska Akademia Nauk, Instytut Botaniki. pp. 137–163.
- ^ Govorova, O.K. (1998). "The genus Exidia (heterobasidiomycetes) from the Russian far east". Mikologiya i Fitopatologiya. 32 (2): 11–13 – via Researchgate.
- ^ a b Damszel, Marta; Piętka, Sławomir; Szczepkowski, Andrzej; Sierota, Zbigniew (2020). "Macrofungi on Three Nonnative Coniferous Species Introduced 130 Years Ago, Into Warmia, Poland". Acta Mycologica. 55 (2). doi:10.5586/am.55212. ISSN 2353-074X. S2CID 233841476.
- ^ Kirschner, R. (2010). "The synnematous anamorph of Exidia saccharina (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota): morphology, conidiogenesis and association with bark beetles". Polish Botanical Journal. 55 (2): 335–342 – via Researchgate.
- ^ Kujawa, Anna (2022). "Register of protected and endangered fungi of Poland (GREJ)". Polish Mycological Society. doi:10.15468/4a38vf.