Encoelia furfuracea
Encoelia furfuracea (Roth) P. Karst., Bidr. Känn. Finl. Nat. Folk 19: 218 (Karsten 1871), IF:202507
≡ Peziza furfuracea Roth, Catal. Bot. 1: 257 (1797)
≡ Phibalis furfuracea (Roth) Wallr., Flora Cryptogamica Germaniae (Norimbergae) 2: 447 (1833)
≡ Cenangium furfuraceum (Roth) De Not., Porp. Rettif. Profilo Discomyc.: 30 (1864)
= Peziza furfuracea var. caespitosa Alb. & Schwein., Consp. fung. (Leipzig): 343 (1805)
Apothecia ca. 5–20(−33) mm in diam., growing usually inscattered clusters of a few fruitbodies or rarely solitary, erumpent, arising from a wide stipe-like base, 2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, deeply immersed in bark, seated on wood below,sometimes with black stromatic tissue in wood. At first closed (cleistohymenial, opening in the mesohymenial phase when young asci already formed) and usually irregularly cushionshaped, sometimes elongated, outside strongly furfuraceousflaky, beige, light clay-pink to light cinnamon-brown; tough. After opening by an irregularly torn aperture which remains as a lacerate margin, the fruitbodies become ± cupulate or almost flat by curling outward the margin to expose the disc. In dry condition the margin is strongly inrolled and the disc closed, external surface hydrophilous, rapidly taking up water. Disc smooth, bright hazel- to dark chestnut brown, sometimes with greyish hue, darkening when dry. Ectal excipulum 80–200 μm thick, of reddish-brownish, loose t. globulosa, cells 7–15 μm in diam., with golden brown and partly refractive thick walls and brown, rough intercellular substance (exudate), the outermost layer "flaking" into c. 50–80 μm long pyramid-like pustules, sometimes terminally with sharply
pointed and branched, hyaline to brown hyphae, heavily incrusted with hyaline crystalloid matter that stains turquoise blue in CRB, KOH does not change or dissolve the pigment but ± dissolves the crystalloid matter (also MLZ). Medullary excipulum 200–1000 μm thick, in centre 2–4 mmthick, of t. intricata, hyphae (2–)4–7(−10) μm wide, thin- to very thickwalled, loosely interwoven, walls heavily incrusted with hyaline or light yellowish to brownish exudate, vesicular cells absent. Subhymenium ochraceous, 50 μm thick, of t. intricata, hyphae 3–4 μm wide. Asci narrowly clavate, tapered towards the base in a very long and relatively narrow stipe, *125–150 × (7.5–)8–8.5(−9.3) μm {2}, †90–115 × 5–7(−8) μm {5}; apex rounded, subtruncate or subconical, apical ring euamyloid, staining deep blue in IKI and MLZ, Calycina-like, spores * ± obliquely 2–3-seriate, pars sporifera * ~ 28–30 μm long, arising from croziers, partly with smallperforation {4}. Ascospores allantoid, slightly to strongly curved, hyaline, non-septate, *(8–)9–11(−12) × 2–2.5(−3) μm {4}, †6–10(−12) × (1.5–)2–2.6 μm, with 1–2 mediumsized and a few small guttules (LBs) near each end; in overmature apothecia sometimes producing subglobose to ovoid microconidia *2.2–3.2 × 1.8–2 μm directly at one end. Paraphyses slightly shorter than living asci, narrowly clavate, 2–3.5 μm thick in lower half, gradually widened near apex to *3.5–5(−6.5) μm, covered by a thin, hyaline to pale brown gel sheath, living terminal cell containing a refractive, ochraceous- to greenish-yellow vacuole *8–20 × 3–6 μm, staining turquoise-blue in CRB. Rhomboid crystals absent.
Habitat: on dead, still standing, corticated trunks and branches of Corylus spp., Alnus spp. and Carpinus betulus, 0.5–3 m above ground. Phenology: growing mostly in the cold season but can be found almost all year around.
Distribution: common in boreal and temperate regions of Europe and North America (Breitenbach and Kränzlin 1984, Hansen and Knudsen 2000, Beug et al. 2014).
Comments: This fungus is one of the few members of the Helotiales in the temperate and boreal humid zone that develops comparatively large apothecia that persist throughout the winter when the forest floor can be snow-covered. Based on our observations the whole fruitbody is drought-tolerant and can survive desiccation for at least a month. Morphologically, E. furfuracea most resembles Velutarina rufoolivacea, and these two species formed a strongly supported clade in the multigene phylogeny. Their morphological similarities are manifested in the composition of the ectal excipulum and its furfuraceous outer layer (Table S3). A striking difference was noted in regard to water uptake by the surface of the receptacle. Specifically, dry apothecia of E. furfuracea (and V. bertiscensis) are soaked rather rapidly after adding a drop of water on their surface, whereas V. rufoolivacea is water-repellent and absorbs water tardily (Baral and Perić 2014). Furthermore, Velutarina rufoolivacea is plurivorous,whereas E. furfuracea is restricted to species of Betulaceae. The distinctness of Encoelia furfuracea is manifested not only in morphology but also at a molecular level. A long branch distinguished E. furfuracea from other members of the Cenangiaceae in the multigene (Fig. 1) and ITS phylogeny (Fig. S1). In both trees its closest relatives included species of Velutarina, Cenangiopsis and Trochila. The most similar INSD ITS sequences were >13 % different and represented endophytic isolates from various plants. Intraspecific variation in ITS, however, was low, with the one North American specimen differing from the European specimens on various hosts at only one position.
Specimens examined CANADA, Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland Co, Humber village, Maple Ave 13, 48.98528°N 57.77°W, alt. 11 m, in broad-leaved wood, Alnus incana subsp. rugosa, on a dead trunk, 22 Mar 2010, leg. A. Voitk (TAAM 198454, KL 400); ibid., 25 Mar 2010 (TAAM 198456); near Blow-Me-Down hiking trail, 49.06° N 58.29189°W, alt. 240 m, Alnus sp., on dead trunk, 4 May 2015, A. & M. Voitk (TU 104533). ESTONIA, Jõgevamaa, Puurmani Comm., Kursi forestry sq. 95, 58.5333°N 26.275°E, alt. 43 m, on branches of deciduous tree, 8 Oct 1997, A. Raitviir (TAAM 137509, KL92); Raplamaa, Juuru Comm., Järlepa forestry sq. 41, 59.1383°N 24.983°E, alt. 75 m, on dead branches of Corylus avellana, 22 May 2004, K. Pärtel (TAAM 165978, KL106); Lääne-Virumaa, Kadrina Comm., near Pariisi, 59.266°N 26.15°E, alt. 117 m, C. avellana, on a dead branch, 13 May 2000, K. Pärtel (TAAM 165633, KL107); Rakvere, in oak forest, 59.33972°N 26.35138°E, alt. 107 m, C. avellana, on a dead branch, 30 Oct 2011, K. Põldmaa (TU 112918); Tartumaa, Nõo Comm., Vapramäe, 58.25°N 26.467°E, alt. 58 m, C. avellana, on a dead branch, 28 Jan. 2001, A. Raitviir (TAAM 165767, KL108); ibid., 58.25333°N 26.46167°E, alt. 54 m, C. avellana, on standing dead trunk, K. Pärtel, 28 Mar 2015 (TU 104527); Saaremaa, Lümanda Comm., Viidu,
Viidumäe Nature Reserve, 58.28277°N 22.12916°E, alt. 50 m, C. avellana, on dead trunks, 6 Apr 2011, V. Liiv (TU 118321); ibid. 58.2826°N 22.1294°E, 1 Apr 2015, V. Liiv (TU 104532). GERMANY, Baden-Württemberg, 7.5 km NWof Stuttgart, 1.3 km WSWof Weilimdorf, Fasanenwald, 48.812°N, 9.098°E, alt. 340 m, branch of Carpinus betulus, 11 Feb. 1990, O. Baral & H.O. Baral (H.B. 4010); 6 km NW of Stuttgart, 1 km S of Korntal, Tachensee, 48.821°N 9.124°E, alt. 320 m, branch of Corylus avellana, 27 Jan. 1974, H.O.
Baral & O. Baral (H.B. 1038); 8 km S of Böblingen, 3.5 km S of Holzgerlingen, Schleißenhau, 48.607°N, 9.022°E, alt. 500 m, trunk & branch of C. avellana, 18 Dec 1989, H.O. Baral (ø); Bayern, 8.5 km ESE of Sonthofen, 2.5 km SSE of Hindelang, E of Hornkapelle, SW of Bruck, 47.483° N 10.383°E, alt. 870 m, branch of C. avellana, 27 Mar 1977, H.O. Baral (H.B. 1783); 13.5 km ESE of Regensburg, 0.5 km E of Roith, Moosgraben, 48.982°N 12.28°E, alt. 340 m, branch of Alnus, 1 Feb. 1990, E. Weber & H.O. Baral (H.B.
3980). SWITZERLAND, Bern, Jura bernois, Tavannes, 47.22°N 7.194°E, alt. 800 m, Corylus avellana, on recently died branch, 1 Mar 2014, A. Ordynets (TU 104511); Thurgau, 4.5 km NWof Frauenfeld, 0.5 km S of Horben, Ittingerwald, 47.585° N 8.86°E, alt. 490 m, branch of Alnus, 15 Dec 1986, P. Blank (H.B. 3137).