Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova (Syzygosporaceae, Heterobasidiomycetes) from Finland HEIKKI KOTIRANTA1 and OTTO MIETTINEN2 1Finnish Environment Institute, Research Department P.O. Box 140, FI 00251 Helsinki, heikki.kotiranta@ymparisto.fi 2Finnish Museum of Natural History, Botanical Museum, University of Helsinki P.O. Box 7, FI 00014, otto.miettinen@helsinki.fi K o t i r a n t a H., M i e t t i n e n O.: Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova (Syzygosporaceae, Heterobasidiomycetes) from Finland. Acta Mycol. 41 (1): 21 24, 2006. A new Syzygospora species from Finland, S. lapponica is described and illustrated. The hitherto collections derive from Finnish Lapland and the species is apparently a mycoparasite of the rare old growth forest dwelling polypore Antrodia infirma. The new species deviates from other species in the genus in having cylindrical, slightly bent spores and having a polypore as the host. Key words: Antrodia infirma, Lapland, old-growth forest, Syzygospora INTRODUCTION According to the Index Fungorum (2006) the genus Syzygospora G. W. Martin contains 15 species of which four have previously been reported from Finland: S. bachmannii Diederich & M. S. Christ., S. mycophaga (M. P. Christ.) Hauerslev, S. pallida (Hauerslev) Ginns and S. tumefaciens (Ginns & Sunhede) Ginns (K o t i - r a n t a , L a r s s o n 1990; K o t i r a n t a , S a a r e n o k s a 1993, 2000; K o t i r a n t a 2001; H a r m a j a 2003). According to e.g., G i n n s (1986), R o b e r t s and H a u e r s l e v (1997) or C h e n et al. (1998) none of the Syzygospora species is known to be a mycoparasite of poly- pores. Also the spores of most of the species are basically ellipsoid, thus differing from those seen in the new species. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty spores per specimen are measured, and the measurements are made in Cotton Blue (CB) or Melzer´s reagent (IKI). CB– means that the walls of the cells are not stained by Cotton Blue, and CB+ that they are stained, and IKI– that there is no reaction to Melzer´s reagent. ACTA MYCOLOGICA Vol. 41 (1): 21-24 2006 Dedicated to Professor Alina Skirgiełło on the occasion of her ninety fifth birthday 22 H. Kotiranta and O. Miettinen The following abbreviations are used: L* mean spore length, W* mean spore width, Q range of the variation in L/W ratio, Q* quotient of the mean spore length and width (L/W). None of the measurements derive from spore print. Biological provinces and collecting sites in Finland are indicated according to the Finnish national uniform grid system (27°E), as applied to biological material by H e i k i n h e i m o and R a a t i k a i n e n (1981). SYZYGOSPORA LAPPONICA MIETTINEN & KOTIR., SP. NOVA Holotype: Finland. Sompion Lappi: Sodankylä, Raitiojänkä, Mikkelinpuro, Kivi- Värriön kummut, pine dominated old-growth forest on poor soil, inside Antrodia infirma Renvall & Niemelä on decorticated, fairly advanced decayed, 25 cm thick Pinus sylvestris, 67°38´N, 27°20´E, (Grid 27°E:7505809:514633), 3 Oct 2005 Miet- tinen 10748 (H). Fructificatio invisibilis; systema hypharum monomiticum; hyphae fibulatae; cystidia desunt; basidia cylindracea vel sinuosa, tetrasterigmatica; conidia ellipsoi- dea vel cylindracea, 5–7 X 2.5–3 μm; sporae cylindraceae, 5–6 X 2 μm. Fig. 1. Syzygospora lapponica Miettinen & Kotir. (a b drawn from Miettinen 10748, type, c from Miettinen 10780): a section trough basidiocarp showing a hyphal peg, conidiophores, conidia, basidia and basidiospores; b spores; c spores. Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova (Syzygosporaceae, Heterobasidiomycetes) 23 Basidiocarp invisible. Hyphal system monomitic, hyphae clamped, in subiculum 2–3 μm wide, thin-walled, in subhymenium 3–4 μm wide, very thin-walled, CB–, IKI– . Cystidia none, but sterile, apically slightly widened hyphal ends form hyphal pegs which penetrate to the tubes of the host. No haustoria observed. Conidiophores abundant, clamped, 2–3 μm in diam., very thin-walled. Conidia born in the apices of conidiophores, ellipsoid or cylindrical, (4.2-)5-7(-7.3) X (2.3-)2.5-3(-3.7) μm, rela- tively thin-walled, CB–, IKI–. Basidia solitary between the conidiophores or form- ing a more or less continuous hymenium, cylindrical or sinuous, basally clamped, very thin-walled, (16-)20-30(-32) X 4-5 μm, with four, up to 4 μm long, very thin, needle-like sterigmata. Spores cylindrical, sometimes slightly bent, 5-6.3(-7) X (1.6-)1.8-2.1 μm, L* 5.7 μm, W* 1.9 μm, Q 2.5-3.7, Q* 3, (Miettinen 10780), 4.5-5.6(-6.2) X 1.7-2 μm, L* 5.1 μm, W* 1.9 μm, Q 2.4-3.3, Q* 2.7 (Miet- tinen 10748, type), with a negligible apiculus, very thin-walled, CB-, IKI-. Additional specimen examined: Finland. Sompion Lappi: Savukoski, Mukka- joenrovat, Välirova, dry pine dominated old-growth forest, inside Antrodia infirma on long time ago burned, heavily charred, decorticated, fairly advanced decayed, 32 cm thick Pinus sylvestris, 67°56´N, 28°20´E (Grid 27°E:7540124:555948), 4 Oct 2005 Miettinen 10780 (H). Material for this study was collected during inventories of unprotected, state- owned old-growth forests in Finnish Lapland. The two hitherto finds derive from pine dominated old-growth forests on poor soils, where they grew inside basidio- carps of the polypore Antrodia infirma. These forests with abundance of kelo pine trees (N i e m e l ä et al. 2002), dry microclimate and history of forest fires form a spe- cial kind of ecosystem that used to typify northeastern Fennoscandian forest land- scapes. They harbour a number of specialist species adapted to the harsh ecological conditions such as A. infirma and ecologically closely related A. primaeva Renvall & Niemelä. Tens of basidiocarps of both A. infirma and A. primaeva have been studied during these inventories, as well as specimens of A. crassa (P. Karst.) Ryvarden, A. serialis (Fr.) Donk, A. sinuosa (Fr.) P. Karst. and A. xantha (Fr.: Fr.) Ryvarden from the same area. With only two finds, it seems that Syzygospora lapponica is a rare species, and possibly restricted to A. infirma and the dry old-growth pine forests of the north. The host A. infirma itself is considered rare and classified as a vulnerable (VU) species in Finland (R a s s i et al. 2001). If A. infirma is the sole host species of S. lapponica, also it should be classified as a threatened species. Acknowledgements. We are grateful to Teuvo Ahti (Helsinki) who helped us with the Latin diagnosis. A research grant from the Ministry of Environment (YM131/5512/2002) helped us to carry out this study. REFERENCES C h e n C J., O b e r w i n k l e r F., C h e n Z C. 1998. Syzygospora nivalis sp. nov. from Taiwan. Mycotaxon 67: 217 226. G i n n s J. 1986. The genus Syzygospora (Heterobasidiomycetes: Syzygosporaceae). Mycologia 78: 619 636. H a r m a j a H. 2003. Syzygospora tumefaciens (Fungi: Tremellales) found in Finland. Memoranda Soc. Fauna Flora Fennica 79: 73 74. 24 H. Kotiranta and O. Miettinen H e i k i n h e i m o O., R a a t i k a i n e n M. 1981. Ruutukoordinaattien ja paikannimien käyttö Suomessa [Grid references and names of localities in the recording of biological finds in Finland]. Notul. En tomol. 61: 133 154. [In Finnish]. Index Fungorum 2006. 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Ministry of Environment and Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki. [In Finnish]. R o b e r t s P., H a u e r s l e v K. 1997. Syzygosporaceae Jülich. (In:) H a n s e n, L., K n u d s e n, H. (eds) Nordic Macromycetes 3. Heterobasidioid, Aphyllophoroid and Gastromycetoid Basidiomycetes. Nordsvamp, Copenhagen: 84 86. Syzygospora lapponica sp. nova (Syzygosporaceae, Heterobasidiomycetes) z Finlandii S t r e s z c z e n i e Nowy gatunek Syzygospora lapponica zosta opisany i zilustrowany. Kolekcja pochodzi z Fińskiej Laponii, gdzie grzyb ten występuje jako pasożyt na owocnikach Antrodia infiryna w starych lasach. Opisany gatunek różni się od innych z tego rodzaju zarodnikami w kształcie cylindrycznym, lekko wygiętymi oraz występowaniem na poliproidalnym gospodarzu. 2014-01-01T11:43:12+0100 Polish Botanical Society