Dear all, after getting a good help with a lichen, we want to ask you for a identification of a fungus which we found in the dry forest in the Dry Chaco in Paraguay. With best regards Thomas & Sabine www.chaco-wildlife.org
Hi, The growth form is called a bracket fungi and is a polypore. I haven't seen anything that approaches the turned up edges locally, but that might be due to the dry habitat of the Chaco. If you can come up with a list of fungus species from Paraguay as you did with the lichen list, that might help narrow it down. There is one picture I found on line, of Phaeotrametes decipiens, but I don't think it's a match. It's at http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/mycogeography-distant.html and it is trully one of a type. The only species in its genus. But you never know. :) For a pretty comprehensive scientific treatise on polypores in general, see Tom Volks Polypore Primer page on the subject. http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/polypore.html It also has a list of genera on it, but probably only those found in USA. Harry
Hi! Unfortunately we cannot find an on-line list, but at least a printed source. The next library is 500 km from here, so we have no chance to look for it. Orlando F. Popoff and Jorge E. Wright (1998): Fungi of Paraguay. I. Preliminary check-list of wood-inhabiting polypores (Aphyllophorales, Basidiomycota). - MYCOTAXON 67: 323-340. Maybe one of you is closer ... Best regards Thomas & Sabine
That's a little far to walk to your local library. Maybe they deliver. :) So I take it the Chaco is in the 'boondocks' as we call it here, or more commonly 'the bush'. I'll keep looking and see what I can come up with. Maybe there is something on an Argentinian or Brazilian site that might be applicable. One of the sites I looked at tonight figured that the some of the polyspore species tended to be pretty specific to the host plant and hence pretty territorial though. We'll take a quick look. Harry
I'll see if I can find the paper. In the meantime, wrygrass's suggestion is a possibility - that species seems to be in Paraguay according to this paper: Novedades en Hongos y LÃquenes del Norte Argentino y Paraguay (PDF)
and so we know where we're at (since I didn't know until looking it up): Filadelfia and Filadelfia via Google Maps 1 + Filadelfia via Google Maps 2
Wasn't able to find anything applicable, Daniel seems to have had better luck. It would be great if that first species Phaeotrametes decipiens was the one as it seems to have some special characteristics. This is a little off topic. You keep mentioning an arid environment. Just out of curiosity, what is your average rainfall per year? Is there a rainy season? I know you said you haven't been there for a long time, but have you or anyone noticed any changes in your climate? And thanks, Daniel, for the map. Didn't think to look up where Filadelphia actually was. Harry
Rainfall is about 800 mm a year, but the last 5 years had been more dry! The most of it falls between middle or end of October and end of April, with peaks in November/December and March/April. A "good" rain has around 100 mm, ervything with less than 30 mm is no rain... The biggest problem in the last years is the unregular dispersal. There are regions that get nearly no rain. A kind of rule seems to be, if you get rain until November you are lucky, you will get rain every time you need it (or more). If you don't get it, you will get nearly no rain at the complete saison. This rainy season starts very nice at Filadelfia. We have now about 170 mm in November (our cisterns are full of beautiful drinking water!). But only 20 km west they have nothing until yet, there are no leaves on the trees, despite of Acacia aroma, they get green in spring, if it rains or not. No idea what kond of perpetuum mobile this is... At the moment it's getting dark again, probably we have to shut down the Computer very soon for the next thunderstorm. Best wishes S&T
Hi, One of the web pages on Acacia trees said that it dropped it leaves due to water stress, but for the most part was very well adapted to the dry. Uses very little water, has small leaves, were a couple of the adaptations to combat the dry. Deposits waste material in the heartwood which makes unpalatable to insects. Sounds like something that is pretty hard to kill off. Our rainfall amounts are similar, 10-20 inches, or 250-500mm. One of my books calls the area Arid Transition Timbered. Which means we are on the edge of what they call the great basin, that gets less than 250mm a year. Most of our moisture comes from the snowpack on nearby foothills to the Rocky Mountains; so in that respect we don't have to worry much about water. But what do you do when you're in one of those irregular patches, truck in water? Doesn't sound like it is an easy life. Does your full cistern last through the dry times? I have to get busy myself. Hope all is well in the Chaco. Harry
Unfortunately, UBC doesn't carry Mycotaxon as an ejournal, so we'll have to wait a bit until I get a copy of the paper article sent to me. I've ordered it, but this is the first time I've placed an order, so I've no idea how long it will take.
Dear Daniel, We will wait, with patience! Because we did not want to stop our re-newing project, we took Phaeotrametes decipiensas hypothesis. We still have not been at the place with the Animal stuffing Lichen, but we did not forget you... Best regards Thomas & Sabine
OK here is the list of fungi from the paper mentioned by Vinke above: STEREALES Hyphodermataceae *Schizopora paradoxa Meruliaceae Gloeoporus dichrous Sistotremataceae Trechispora regularis Steccherinaceae *Junghuhnia undigera GANODERMATALES Ganodermataceae Amauroderma auriscalpium Amauroderma pseudoboletus Ganoderma australe Ganoderma lipsiense Ganoderma lucidum Ganoderma oerstedii HYMENOCHAETALES Hymentochaetaceae Cyclomyces iodinus Phellinus calcitratus Phellinus conchatus Phellinus contiguus Phellinus fastuosus Phellinus gilvus Phellinus wahlbergii Phylloporia capucina PORIALES Coriolaceae *Antrodia ramentacea Ceriporia xylostromatoides Coriolopsis byrsina Coriolopsis floccosa Coriolopsis polyzona Daedalea aethalodes Daedalea quercina Datronia caperata *Diacanthodes novo-guineensis Echinoporia aculeifera Fomes fasciatus Fomitopsis feei Hexagonia hydnoides Hexagonia papyraceae Hydnopolyporus fimbriatus *Navisporus sulcatus *Oxyporus latemarginatus Perenniporia martiusii Perenniporia medulla-panis Perenniporia ohiensis Perenniporia tephropora Pycnoporus sanguineus Rigidoporus lineatus Rigidoporus ulmarius Tinctoporellus epimiltinus *Trametes cubensis Trametes elegans Trametes membranacea Trametes pavonia Trametes scabrosa Trametes sclerodepsis Trametes velutina Trametes versicolor Trametes villosa Trichaptum byssogenum Trichaptum fumoso-avellaneum Trichaptum perrottetii Trichaptum sector Grammotheleaceae Grammothele subargentea Polyporaceae Echinochaete brachyporus *Polyporus arcularius *Polyporus badius Polyporus blanchettianus Polyporus bresadolianus Polyporus ciliatus Polyporus dictyopus Polyporus guyanensis Polyporus repando-lobatus Polyporus spegazzinianus Polyporus tenuiculus Polyporus tricholoma Polyporus udus Polyporus virgatus Pseudoflavolus miquelii *Stiptophyllum erubescens SPECIES DUBIAE Favolus elegantissimus Favolus harioti Favolus velutipes Fomes loricatus Fomes orbiformis Polyporus formosissimus Polyporus hylocharis Polyporus lorentzianus Polyporus monachus Polyporus pachyotis Polyporus squamosus Polystictus decipiens Poria superficialis Trametes fibrosa NOMEN DUBIUM Cerimyces ferrugineus NOMEN INCERTA Chaetoporus jodinus Ganoderma loricatum Ganoderma ohiense Ganoderma orbiforme Hexagona versicolor Polyporus sclerodepsis Polyporus umbonatus
Thanks Eric for entering that. A few clarifications based on my interpretation (which may be wrong): SPECIES DUBIAE == species that the author of the paper is dubious as to whether they occur in Paraguay - may be based on incomplete records or observations without herbarium specimens NOMEN DUBIUM == a dubious name - the author of the paper wasn't able to track down a reference or authority for the name NOMEN INCERTA == an uncertain name - the author of the paper wasn't able to track down a modern reference or synonym for the name Now that we have the list, it's time to visit the search engines...
I should also say I suspect something in the Coriolaceae, considering how much it resembles Hexagonia hydnoides (also the same family of Phaeotrametes decipiens)
Hi, thank you very much for your efforts, but to be honest that's too difficult for us :-) But we still hope for your further help! Best wishes Thomas & Sabine
Hi, Not to worry. It's just a long list to work through. I'm sure others are looking too. Also, some of the species are hard to find photos of on the web and without the specimen in hand, it's hard to distinguish by just a description, especially for a neophyte in fungus id like myself. I'm sure if anyone comes up with a match, or even a close resemblence, they will respond. Harry
Yes, I need to find a spot of time I can dedicate to the task, but it is on my mind to go through the list.