Доклади на Българската академия на науките

Comptes rendus de l’Academie bulgare des Sciences

Tome 64, No 10, 2011

BIOLOGIE

Mycologie

AMANITA SINGERI (AMANITACEAE) – FIRST FIND INTHE BALKAN PENINSULA

Boris Assyov, Dimitar Stoykov

(Submitted by Corresponding Member B. Rossnev on May 26, 2011)

Abstract

Amanita singeri, a rare agaric known in Europe from a few Mediterraneanand Atlantic localities, is recorded for the first time for the mycota of the BalkanPeninsula and Bulgaria. The new finding is described and illustrated. It issuggested that A. singeri might occur in other neighbouring countries on thepeninsula.

Key words: Amanitaceae, Amanita section Lepidella, stirps Vittadiniae,

Balkan mycota, cryptogenic fungi

Introduction. Amanita singeri Bas was originally described on collectionsfrom Argentina [1] and first reported from Europe (Italy) nearly a decade laterin 1982 by F. Bellu [2]. In the following years new records emerged from otherEuropean localities, suggesting that the species might have wider distributionat least in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic region. This assumption wasconfirmed in 2009 with the discovery of this rare agaric in the south-western partof Bulgaria, close to the borders of Greece and FYR Macedonia.

Materials and methods. Air dried specimen of the fungus is preservedin the Mycological Collection at the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Re-search, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SOMF). The sample is documented withcolour photographs and appropriate field notes. Colour notations in the descrip-tion below follow the British Fungus Flora Colour Chart [3]. Microscopic features

The studies of the authors on the Bulgarian mycota were supported by the European So-cial Fund, within the Operational Programme ‘Development of the Human Resources’ (projectBG051PO001/07/3.3-02/70/17.06.2008).

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Fig. 1. Basidiomata of Amanita singeri in situFig. 2. Hyphae of the universal veil of Amanita

singeri. Scale bar = 10 µm

are observed in water and 3% KOH and measured in water. The amyloidity re-action of the spores was tested with Melzer’s solution (recipe after Kirk et al.[4]) and Lugol’s iodine. The measurement values for basidiospores are presentedin the following form: (min–) mean ±1σ (–max); for the rest of the microscopicstructures minimum and maximum values are noted.

Description of the species.

Amanita singeri Bas (Figs 1–2)

Pileus up to 6 cm in diam, initially hemispherical, later convex to flattened,dry, white or whitish, more greyish (ca BFF 34) with age; margin not sulcate,slightly appendiculate; universal veil present as felted-fibrillose scales, angularwarts or patchy remnants, concolorous with the pileus surface or slightly darker(pale vinaceous buff – ca BFF 31). Stipe up to 5 × 1.5 cm, central, dirty white,more or less cylindrical, often with abrupt or slightly tapering base, rooting; bulbabsent; partial veil whitish, membranous, pendent, tearing, remnants seen in theupper or the middle portion of the stipe; universal veil present as fine girdles in thelower parts of the stipe. Gills relatively thick, moderately crowded, pale cream(BFF 2) to cream (BFF 3, 4), darkening towards more yellowish (ca BFF 5) ondrying. Context white, slightly darker in the base of the stipe, unchanging. Odour

not distinctive. Taste not recorded. Basidiospores (8.5–) 10.2 ± 0.7 (–12.0) ×

(6.0–) 7.2 ± 0.6 (–8.5) µm, length/width ratio (1.3–) 1.4 ± 0.1 (–1.6) (n = 50),broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, amyloid in Melzer’s solution and Lugol’s iodine.Basidia clavate, 4-sterigmate, 34.5–49.0 × 9.0–13.0 µm (n = 20), with clamp-connexions. Context hyphae hyaline, thin-walled, septate; clamp-connexionspresent. Universal veil filamentous with abundant inflated cells with pale yel-lowish walls, the inflated cells 42.5–120.0 × 12.5–27.5 µm (n = 30), fusiform,broadly ovoid, subglobose, ampuloid or irregular; not inflated cells 3.0–5.5 µmwide; clamp-connexions present. Pileipellis poorly differentiated from the under-lying hyphae of the context.

1458 B. Assyov, D. Stoykov

Habitat. On poor and shallow sandy soils, in thermophilous disturbed grass-lands dominated mostly by Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., in an area influenced bysubmediterranean climate with primary vegetation cover of Quercus coccifera L.

Specimen examined. Bulgaria, Ograzhden Mt: Blagoevrad distr., Strumi-ani municipality, in disturbed grasslands at the track above the cemetery of Ka-menitsa village, close to clumps of Quercus coccifera, on sandy soil, 41◦38′58.5′′N,23◦09′55.2′′E, UTM: FN-81, alt. 190 m, 09 October 2009, leg. B. Assyov & I.Assyova (SOMF 27517).

Comments. Among the other European species of section Lepidella Basthis species is recognized by its relatively small size, the thick and moderatelycrouded cream-coloured gills, the microscopic characteristics of the universal veilwith abundant inflated cells, as well as its occurrence in more or less disturbedhabitats.

Amanita singeri is an uncommon species, in Europe so far known only fromFrance, Great Britain, Italy (mainland and Sardinia) and Spain [2, 5–14]. It is usu-ally considered to be a thermophilous species (see e.g. Neville and Poumarat

[11]), but the British findings likely oppose this consideration. The new localityis the easternmost so far known in the continent (Fig. 3). The Bulgarian encoun-ters suggest that the species may possibly occur also in other Balkan countries,especially Greece and FYR Macedonia as the new locality is situated close to theborders with those states. It should be further looked for also in Turkey where itmight be present in suitable habitats.

Desprez-Loustau [15] includes A. singeri on the list of alien fungi in Europe

Fig. 3. Map of the known European localities of Amanita singeri

Compt. rend. Acad. bulg. Sci., 64, No 10, 2011 1459

as cryptogenic, apparently due to the fact that the species was first collected anddescribed from South America. Considering the fact that the fungus appearsmore widespread in Europe than previously thought, further research will haveto examine the hypothesis that it might be native to Europe, a possibility alreadymentioned by Legon and Henrici [12].

Acknowledgements. The authors wish to thank to Hristo Pedashenko forhis kind assistance during the preparation of the map and to Miguel Torrejon forproviding Spanish literature on the species.

REFERENCES

[1] Bas C. Persoonia, 5, 1969, 285–579.[2] Bellu F. Boll. Gruppo Micol. ‘G. Bresadola’, 25, 1982, No 1–2, 15–19.[3] Anonymous. Flora of British Fungi. Colour Identification Chart. Edinburgh, Her

Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1969.[4] Kirk P. M., P. F. Canon, J. C. David, J. A. Stalpers. Dictionary of the fungi.

Ed. 9. Oxon, CAB International, 2001.[5] Priou J.P. Bull. Soc. Mycol. France, 101, 1985, No 4, 323–326.[6] Priou J.P. Cahiers Mycol. Nantais, 2, 1990, 12–15.[7] Migliozzi V., M. Coccia. Micol. Ital., 18, 1989, No 2, 49–63.[8] Moreno G., L. Romero de la Osa. Boll. Soc. Micol. Madrid, 22, 1997, 273–276.[9] Pacaud R. Doc. Mycol., 27, 1997, 1–6.

[10] Galli R. Le Amanite. Atlante pratico-monografico per la determinazione del GenereAmanita Pers. Milano, Edinatura, 2001.

[11] Neville P., S. Poumarat. Amaniteae. Amanita, Limacella & Torrendia. FungiEuropaei. Vol. 9. Alassio, Edizioni Candusso, 2004.

[12] Legon N. W., A. Henrici. Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota. Kew,Royal Botanic Gardens, 2005.

[13] Martın E. A. Los hongos en Extremadura. Merida, Junta de Etremadura, 2006.[14] Ortega A., J. Lorite, F. Valle. Nova Hedw., 91, 2010, No 1, 1–31.[15] Desprez-Loustau M.-L. Alien fungi of Europe. In: Handbook of Alien Species in

Europe. Invading Nature – Springer Series in Invasion Ecology (ed. J. A. Drake), 3,New York, Springer, 2009, 15–28+133.

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

2, Gagarin Str.

1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

e-mail: bassyoff@hotmail.com

1460 B. Assyov, D. Stoykov