Identification: Fungus in Paraguay

Discussion in 'Fungi, Lichens and Slime Molds' started by Vinke, Nov 21, 2005.

  1. Vinke

    Vinke Member

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    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
     
  2. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    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
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2005
  3. Vinke

    Vinke Member

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    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
     
  4. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    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
     
  5. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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  6. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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  7. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    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
     
  8. Vinke

    Vinke Member

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    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
     
  9. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    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
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2005
  10. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    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.
     
  11. Vinke

    Vinke Member

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    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
     
  12. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    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
     
  13. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    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...
     
  14. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I should also say I suspect something in the Coriolaceae, considering how much it resembles Hexagonia hydnoides (also the same family of Phaeotrametes decipiens)
     
  15. Vinke

    Vinke Member

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    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
     
  16. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    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
     
  17. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    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.
     

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