Turk J Bot 27 (2003) 333-337 © TÜB‹TAK Research Note Four New Records of Myxomycetes from Turkey ‹jlal OCAK, ‹smet HASENEKO⁄LU Atatürk University, Kaz›m Karabekir Faculty of Education, Biology Education Department, Erzurum - TURKEY Received: 06.06.2002 Accepted: 13.01.2003 Abstract: Four species of myxomycetes are recorded for the first time from Turkey: Licea variabilis Schard., Licea synsporos Nann.Brem., Oligonema schweinitzii Martin, and Didymium iridis (Ditmar) Fries. Furthermore, Oligonema Rost. is a new genus record for Turkey. Key Words: Myxomycetes, Turkey, new records. Türkiyeden Dört Yeni Myxomycetes Kay›d› Özet: Dört myxomycetes türü Türkiye için ilk defa kaydedilmifltir: Licea variabilis Schard., Licea synsporos Nann.-Brem., Oligonema schweinitzii Martin, Didymium iridis (Ditmar) Fries. Ayr›ca Oligonema Rost. Türkiye için yeni myxomycete genus kayd›d›r. Anahtar Sözcükler: Myxomycetes, Türkiye, yeni kay›tlar Introduction The number of known myxomycete species in the world is about 750 (Stephenson & Stempen, 2000). However, the myxomycete flora of Turkey has not been fully explored. The first extensive studies in Turkey were carried out by Finnish scientists (Harkonen & Uotila, 1983; Harkonen, 1987). On the other hand, a major checklist of the myxomycetes of the Mediterranean region including Turkish records was published (Lado, 1994). So far, however, only 103 species have been reported in Turkey (Ergül & Dülger, 2000, 2002). Four species of myxomycetes are recorded here for the first time from Turkey: Licea variabilis Schard., Licea synsporos Nann.-Brem., Oligonema schweinitzii Martin, and Didymium iridis (Ditmar) Fries. Materials and Methods Between 1999 and 2000 the bark of living trees, as well as decaying bark, wood, leaves and litter were collected from Erzurum, Bayburt, Gümüflhane, Trabzon and Giresun provinces and cultured in moist chambers. Species grown on these materials were diagnosed and described. The material examined has been deposited in the herbarium of Kaz›m Karabekir Faculty of Education, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. Description of Taxa Liceales Liceaceae Licea variabilis Shard., Nov. Gen. Pl. 18. 1797. Syn: Licea flexuosa Pers., Syn. Fung. 197. 1801. Trichia variabilis (Schrad.) Poir., in Lam. Encyc. 8: 131. 1808. Tubulina flexuosa (Pers.) Poir., in Lam, Encyc. 8: 131. 1808. Licea alutacea Wallr., Fl. Crypt. Germ. 2: 344. 1833. Fructification mostly consists of branched and elongated plasmodiocarps, irregular pulvinate, 0.2-0.7 mm diameter, 0.2-2.2 mm long, yellowish brown or brown; peridium double, with the inner layer membranous, transparent and the outer layer thick, dark, opaque; dehiscence irregular; columella absent; capillitium absent; spores reddish brown in mass, pale yellow in transmitted light, globose, thick-walled, minutely spinulose, 13-14.5 µm diameter (Figures 1 a, b). 333 Four New Records of Myxomycetes from Turkey Specimens examined: Trabzon, Erikbeli plateau, Sazl›k and Gümüflhane, Kürtün district, on decaying wood of Picea orientalis L., alt. 1600 m, 24.8.2000, Ocak, 358, 394; Giresun, Kulakkaya plateau, Yaylak, on stump of Figure 1. Licea synsporos Nann.- Brem., Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch., Ser. C. 71: 42. 1968. Fructification sessile, scattered or gregarious, globose, shiny, black, dehiscence irregular, 0.5-1.5 mm diameter; peridium single, thin, pale brown; columella absent; capillitium absent; spores clustered, adhering together in regular groups of 10, spores black in mass, purple brownish in transmitted light, warted, subglobose, 10-12.2 x 9-10 µm diameter (Figures 2 a, b). a) Stereomicroscopic image of the sporangia of Licea variabilis Shard. b) Spores of Licea variabilis Shard.. Figure 2. Picea orientalis, alt. 1500 m, 27.8.1999, Ocak 226; Trabzon-Gümüflhane road, about 50 km from Trabzon, on bark of Pinus sylvestris L. alt. 1980 m, 28.8.1999, Ocak 286; Erzurum, Oltu district, Tafll›köy village fruit garden, on bark of Salix L. sp., alt. 1000 m, 2.7.2000, Ocak 550. Distribution: Europe; Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, west to Washington, Oregon; Arizona (Martin & Alexopoulos, 1969). 334 a) Stereomicroscopic image of the sporangia of Licea synsporos Nann.- Brem. b) Spores of Licea synsporos Nann.- Brem. Specimens examined: Trabzon, Maçka-Torul road, 20 km from Maçka, on dead wood of Picea orientalis, alt. 1100 m, 28.8.1999, Ocak 280, 282; Gümüflhane, Akçakale district, roadside, on bark of Salix sp., alt. 1457 m, 28.8.1999, Ocak 294. Distribution: Europe; Scotland, Northern Ireland (BMS). ‹. OCAK, ‹. HASENEKO⁄LU Trichiales Trichiaceae Oligonema schweinitzii (Berk.) Martin, Mycologia 39: 460. 1947. Syn: Trichia nitens Libert, Pl. Crypt. Ard. Fasc.3. 277. 1834. Physarum schweinitzii Berk.,Grevillea 2: 66. 1873. Oligonema nitens (Libert.) Rost., Mon. 291. 1875. Trichia kickxii Rost., Mon. App. 40. 1876. Trichia bavarica Thüm., Myc. Univ. 1497. 1879. Trichia pusilla Schroet., Krypt.-Fl. Schles. 3(1): 114. 1885. Oligonema bavaricum (Thüm) Balf. & Berl., in Sacc., Syll. Fung. 7: 437. 1888. Cornuvia nitens (Libert.) Rost., in Lister, Mycet. 173. 1894. Fructification sporangiate, sessile, densely aggregated, heaped, single sporangium globose, sometimes subglobose, bright deep yellow, single sporangium 0.3-0.5 mm diameter; peridium single, translucent, persistent, nearly smooth; elaters usually sparse, 3-4 µm in diameter, simple, with faint spiral markings, the tips apiculate, thick, short, pale yellow; spores deep yellow in mass, bright yellow in transmitted light, broad pitted incomplete reticulation, 15-17 µm diameter (Figures 3 a, b). Specimens examined: Erzurum-Karayaz› road, 40 km from Erzurum, on piece of branch under Hippophae rhomnoides L., alt. 1652 m, 08.06.2000, Ocak D-250. Distribution: Widely distributed in Europe; New England and southern Canada to Florida, Louisiana, Texas and California; North Africa (Martin & Alexopoulos, 1969). Physarales Didymiaceae Didymium iridis (Ditmar) Fries, Syst. Myc. 3: 120. 1829. Syn: Cionium iridis Ditmar in Sturm, Deust. Fl. Pilze 1: 13. 1813. Cionium xanthopus Ditmar in Sturm, Deust. Fl. Pilze 1: 87. 1816. Didymium xanthopus (Ditmar) Fries, Syst. Myc. 3: 120. 1829. Physarum xanthopus (Ditmar) Schw., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. II. 4: 257. 1832. Didymium pertusum Berk. in Smith, in Smith, Engl. Fl. 5(2): 313. 1836. Didymium proximum Berk. & Curt., Grevillea 2: 52. 1873. Didymium elegantissimum Massee, Mon. 234. 1892. Didymium nigripes var. xanthopus (Ditmar) A. Lister, Mycet. 98. 1894. Figure 3. a) Stereomicroscopic image of the sporangia of Oligonema schweinitzii (Berk.) Martin b) Spores and elater of Oligonema schweinitzii (Berk.) Martin. Fructification sporangiate, stalked, 0.7-0.8 mm length, sporangia gregarious, globose or some sporangia depressed, slightly umbilicate at base, white, 0.3-0.4 mm diameter; peridium single, thin, membranous, almost colourless but densely covered with white lime crystals; dehiscence irregular, columella turbinate, depressed globose; capillitium delicate, composed of pale brown, branched and anastomosed threads, hyaline at apices; spores brown in mass, pale violaceous in transmitted light, globose, fairly warted, 7-8 µm in diameter. Stalk 0.4-0.5 mm long, cylindrical, attenuate at apex, erect, longitudinally striated, yellowish brown, translucent; hypotallus confluent or rotate, concolorous (Figures 4 a, b). 335 Four New Records of Myxomycetes from Turkey Results and Discussion Licea variabilis can be distinguished from species of Perichaena Fries by its lack of a capillitium. It varies from other species of Licea Schrad by its larger, mostly plasmodiocarpous fruiting bodies with double peridia (Farr, 1983). Our samples show the same characteristics, but the fructification sizes are not up to 10 mm and the average size is 0.2-2.2 mm. Licea synsporos have clustered spores; Keller & Brooks (1977) stated that spores of this species adhere together in regular groups of 8-12. In our samples, the spores clustered together in regular groups of 10. Most species of Licea are corticolous (Stephenson & Stempen, 2000; Keller & Brooks, 1977). Some of our samples are also corticolous. However, some of them were found on decaying wood. Figure 4. a) Stereomicroscopic image of the sporangia of Didymium iridis (Ditmar) Fries b) Spores, lime crystals and capillitium of Didymium iridis (Ditmar) Fries. Specimens examined: Giresun, Old Trabzon road (Armelit Road), bark of Juglans L. sp., alt. 7-8 m at sea level, 07.07.1999, Ocak 26; about 25 km along KürtünTirebolu road, on fallen broad leaves, alt. 950 m, 24.08.2000, Ocak 400. Distribution: Cosmopolitan (Martin & Alexopoulos, 1969). The genus Oligonema and its species are not encountered frequently. However, Oligonema schweinitzii and O. flavidum (Peck) Peck are rather more widely distributed than other species of Oligonema (Martin et al., 1983). Oligonema schweinitzii is distinguished from O. flavidum by the small, irregular, shining, heaped sporangia and the bolder spore marking (Martin & Alexopoulos, 1969). We found only one specimen of this species in the research area. Oligonema schweinitzii is reported from high latitude regions such as Alaska (Stephenson & Stempen, 2000). We found this species in a rather temperate area. Martin & Alexopoulos (1969), Lakhanpal & Mukerji (1981) and Stephenson & Stempen (2000) pointed out that Didymium iridis is variable in the sporangium and spore sizes. In our specimens, the fructification sizes are smaller. This species is distinguished from Didymium nigripes (Link) Fries by its pale columella, paler capillitium and yellow stem (Martin & Alexopoulos, 1969). Most of our samples of Didymium iridis were found on litter (fallen broad leaves) as pointed out by Harkonen & Ukkola (2000) and Stephenson & Stempen (2000). However, some of our samples were also found on bark. References BMS. <http://194.131.255.3/bmspages/bmsfrd/bmsrecord.asp> (accessed on 15.10.2002). Ergül CC & Dülger B (2000). Myxomycetes of Turkey. Karstenia 40: 39-41. 336 Ergül CC & Dulger B (2002). A New Record for the Myxomycetes Flora of Turkey: Comatricha pulchella (C.Bab.) Rost. var. pulchella. Turk J Bot 26: 113-115 ‹. OCAK, ‹. HASENEKO⁄LU Farr ML (1981). True Slime Molds. Dubuque. Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Comp. Lado C (1994). A checklist of myxomycetes of Mediterranean Countries. Mycotaxon LII: 117-185. Harkonen M (1987). Some additions to the knowledge of Turkish Myxomycetes. Karstenia 27: 1-7. Lakhanpal TN & Mukerji KG (1981). Taxonomy of the Indian Myxomycetes. Germany: Hirschberg AR Gartner Verlag KG Press. Harkonen M & Ukkola T (2000). Conclusions on myxomycetes compiled over twenty-five years from 4793 moist chamber cultures. Stapfia 73, Zugleich Kataloge des OO. Landesmuseums, Neue Folge Nr. 155: 105-112. Martin GW & Alexopoulos CJ (1969). The Myxomycetes. Iowa City: Univ Iowa Press. Harkonen M & Uotila P (1983). Turkish Myxomycetes developed in moist chamber cultures. Karstenia 23:1-9. Martin GW, Alexopoulos CJ & Farr ML (1983). The Genera of Myxomycetes. Iowa City: Univ Iowa Press. Stephenson SL & Stempen H (2000). A Handbook of Slime Molds. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press Inc. Keller HW & Brooks TE (1977). Corticolous myxomycetes VII: Contribution toward a monograph of Licea, five new species. Mycologia 69: 667-684. 337