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Classification

Relationships that are and are not

Cyathus novae-zelandiae

In the majority of cases, similar macroscopic appearances indicate close relationships – but there are exceptions. It is clear that convergent evolution has led to fungi of different lineages producing fruiting bodies of similar form. In fact, nature can sometimes produce the same solution to the same problem in vastly different organisms. Here's an extreme example. The following photos show the fruiting body of the Bird's Nest Fungus Cyathus novae-zelandiae <<077>> and a sloping-sided structure (called a gemma cup) on a species of the liverwort genus Marchantia <<GET MARCHANTIA PIC>>. Liverworts have chlorophyll, produce simple sugars via photosynthesis and belong to the Plant Kingdom. Notice that the fungal fruiting body and the gemma cup both contain small "eggs". The sloping sides of both structures help raindrops splash the "eggs" out of the respective containers. Two organisms, from different kingdoms have produced the same solution to the problem of dispersing the "eggs". If you'd like to find out more about this, see the {{BIRDS NEST FUNGI SECTION}}.

We'll now look at a few examples where similarity does not mean a close relationship and where there is a relationship, despite dissimilar appearances.

PICTURE: COPRINUS COMATUS <<029, 030>> and SOME OTHER COPRINUS <<028>>; AGARICUS <<037>>

The generic name Coprinus used to be synonymous with the common name "Inkcap". Everybody knew that if you had an "Inkcap", that is a mushroom where the cap dissolved into an inky mess - from the bottom up - then you had a specimen of the genus Coprinus. DNA studies show that the Inkcaps are really a mix of evolutionary lines and that "inkiness" does not imply great closeness. In fact Coprinus comatus, commonly called the "Shaggy Inkcap" and probably the best known of the Inkcaps, is closer to the genus Agaricus (which includes the ordinary Field Mushrooms) than it is to many of the other "Coprinus" species.

<<Reference: "Bully for Coprinus - a story of manure, minutiae and molecules", SA Redhead, McIlvainea, 14(2000) 5-14 and, slightly corrected, in Field Mycology 2(2001) 118-126>>

Phylloporus (left) with blue stain on gills and bolete (right), blue when cut

Still, at least both Coprinus and Agaricus are mushrooms – but there are mushrooms which aren’t related to other mushrooms.

PHOTOS OF BLUING PHYLLOPORUS <<062>> AND BOLETE <<061>>

A few mushroom genera are very closely related to the boletes - rather than to other mushroom genera. Look at this Phylloporus and notice how it has stained blue where it has been bruised. That’s a bit like the bolete where the flesh turns blue when cut. In fact, if you look at the spores and tissue structure in Phylloporus you find close microscopic similarities with the boletes and Phylloporus is now classed with the boletes.

Lentinus sajor-caju <<043>> has a stem, cap and gills, much like a mushroom. Yet an examination of the spores and hyphae show that this fungus is more closely related to the polypores than it is to other mushrooms.

LACTARIUS <<003>> and ZELLEROMYCES <<087>> PHOTOS

Lactarius sp.

Zelleromyces sp. - enlarge to see bleeding

On the left is a species of Lactarius, a mushroom, that bleeds a white fluid when cut. On the right is a species of Zelleromyces, a basidiomycete truffle-like fungus, that bleeds a white fluid when cut. Coincidence? Not in this case. It turns out that the two genera are very closely related. There's more about the relationships of the truffle-like fungi in the {{TRUFFLE SECTION -- RELATIONSHIPS}}

PICTURE: CALOSTOMA <<070>>, SCLERODERMA <<068, 069>>, PISOLITHUS <<071, 072, 073>>

The fruiting bodies in the genus Calostoma consist of a spherical case, filled with powdery spores, atop a braided and initially somewhat gelatinous stalk. There has always been some argument about Calostoma's relatives, but the genus was mostly considered to be some sort of puffball 'relative', with Scleroderma and Pisolithus likely to be the closest genera, though one school of thought had it connected to the stinkhorns. Recent DNA evidence supports the closeness of Calostoma, Scleroderma and Pisolithus - but then puts these three much closer to the fleshy, mushroom-like (but spongy-pored) boletes than to any other powdery-spored 'puffball-type' fungi.

Calostoma fuscum

Scleroderma sp.

Pisolithus sp.

<<Reference: "Phylogeny of Calostoma, the gelatinous-stalked puffball, based on nuclear and mitochondrial ribosomal DNA sequences", BD Hughey et al, Mycologia 92(2000) 94-104 >>

Exidiopsis sp.

Tremella fuciformis

The corticioid fungi are mostly flat and often featureless - but they show a variety of evolutionary lineages. The basidia of most of the corticioid fungi lack septa. The genus Exidiopsis <<??112>>, with flat and featureless fruiting bodies, has septate basidia and is in fact more closely related to the convoluted jelly fungi (such as the genus Tremella <<one of 081, 082>>) than it is to the bulk of the corticioid fungi. Here are drawings of the basidia of both Exidiopsis and Tremella.

DRAWINGS OF BASIDIA