Cohort Pyrenomycetes
Family — Hypocreaceæ
Hypo´myces Fr
Gr—under; Gr—fungus.
Perithecia (the hollow narrow-mouthed cases which contain the spores) gregarious, with a cottony stroma in which they are more or less immersed. Mostly parasitic on various Hymenomycetes or Discomycetes; bright colored, with papilliform (nipple-shaped) or slightly elongated ostiola (apertures). Asci mostly cylindrical, 8-spored, without paraphyses. Sporidia oblong or fusoid, uniseptate, hyaline. Conidial stage represented by Asterophora, etc.
This parasite attacks several species of fungi, and so alters their structure and appearance that it is difficult to distinguish the host-plant. The attack is made in the extreme youth of the plant. The writer is fully satisfied from his own observation that H. lactifluorum and H. purpurea infest Lactarius piperatus. The milk cells are so changed by H. lactifluorum that they yield no milk. When attacked by H. purpurea the milk is a beautiful purple. In both cases the pepperiness of the host-plant is destroyed. I have seen the same host plant attacked by both forms of the Hypomyces. After the host-plant of Hypomyces lactifluorum is fully grown, and infested, it is frequently attacked by Hypomyces purpureus. Purple spots appear, which gradually spread until the entire plant is covered. This Hypomyces seems to affect the milk cells. A beautiful, profuse, purple fluid results.
The parasite is proving itself an enemy to fungi, but a friend to man. Upon L. piperatus and upon Amanita rubescens it very much adds to the weight of the plants, and improves the texture and edible qualities. The same may be said of L. volemus, but not to such a degree. Prof. M.W. Easton in August, 1899, found this species at Mt. Gretna, Pa., attacked by a parasitic fungus in such a manner as to destroy its milk-giving quality and completely transform its gills into a corrugated, granular surface.
Professor Peck, to whom I submitted the parasite, thinks it a new species and calls it H. volemi.
Further study of Hypomyces and its effect upon fungi, and of the particular host-plants is desirable.
H. lac´tifluorum (Schw.) Tulasne—lac, milk; fluorum, flowing. (Plate CXXXVI, fig. 5, p. 508.) Asci long and slender, sporidia in one row, spindle-shaped, straight or slightly curved, rough, hyaline, uniseptate, cuspidate-pointed at the ends, 30–38×6–8µ.
The general appearance is much the same as that of H. aurantius (Pers.) Tul., but the sporidia are larger, rough and warted, and the felt-like mycelium is wanting.
In the affected species of Lactarius the gills are entirely obliterated, so that the hymenium of the agaric presents an even, orange-colored surface on which the subglobose perithecia are thickly bedded, with only their slightly prominent reddish ostiola visible. In decay the color changes to a purplish-red.
On Lactarius, especially L. piperatus.
New Jersey, Ellis; Alabama, U. and E.; Minnesota, Arthur; Nova Scotia, Dr. Somers; on various species of Lactarius, 1895, Ala. Bull.; South Carolina, Ravenel; Pennsylvania, Everhart.
West Virginia, 1881–1882; Haddonfield, N.J., Mt. Gretna, Pa., August to October. McIlvaine.
This fungus puzzled me for many years. August, 1896, I sent several specimens to Professor Peck of different colors—orange, red, whitish and purple.
Professor Peck kindly identified the specimens and wrote: “In one the matrix of the host-plant has not been so completely changed or transformed as in the other. It would be interesting to know what species of Lactarius it is that Hypomyces attacks. I have never been able to ascertain, and have sometimes thought it might be Cantharellus cibarius, but this specimen of yours indicates, rather, a Lactarius.”
Of the purple specimen he wrote: “This is a beautiful thing, and as I find nothing like it described I have given it a name—Hypomyces purpureus Peck.”
Well cooked, in small pieces, it is one of the very best.
H. purpu´reus Pk.—purpureus, purple. Subiculum effused, purple, permeating, transforming and discoloring the matrix; perithecia minute, sunk in the subiculum, the ostiola emergent, black; asci cylindrical; spores fusiform, uniseptate, purple, with a cusp-like point at each end, 35–40µ long, 7.5µ broad, oozing out and forming beautiful purple masses or patches on the surface of the matrix.
Pennsylvania. August. Charles McIlvaine.
The species is similar in all respects to H. lactifluorum, except in color. It is apparently parasitic on some species of Lactarius, but the host plant is so transformed and discolored that the species is not recognizable. Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 25, No. 6.
H. purpureus Pk. was sent by the writer to Professor Peck in August, 1897, who wrote: “This is a beautiful thing and as I find nothing like it described, I have given it a name.”
Of itself H. purpureus is a minute parasitic fungus as above described. But it possesses the power of so altering the structure—changing form, shape and appearance—of the fungus upon which it has taken its abode that the host-plant, be it Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus cantharellus or one of the Lactari, or whatever the species, becomes difficult to recognize, so that it is not yet certain upon which species it is parasitic. It may be upon many.
The present plant seems to be parasitic upon one of the Lactarii. It therefore becomes necessary to describe the host as it appears when possessed by the parasite. The plant is variable in shape from an irregular nodule to a distorted-capped, short-stemmed mass, 2–4 in. across, 1–3 in. high, hard, brittle, coarse in appearance and rough to the touch; deep orange, wholly or in part stained with a beautiful purple. The purple juice exudes and dyes everything with which it comes in contact. The growth is very heavy for its size.
To all appearances it is the same host as is attacked by Hypomyces lactifluorum, resembling it in every particular excepting in the purple stain and juice.
It is frequent in open oak and chestnut woods, but prefers oak. It grows from among leaves or from grassy spots. August to October.
While it is beautiful in its coloring it is not inviting in appearance as an edible. Yet sliced, cut small and stewed for twenty minutes it is one of the very best fungi I have eaten.
H. vole´mi Pk. Subiculum very thin, whitish or isabelline; perithecia minute, brown, nestling in the subiculum; asci very slender, 100–125µ long, sporiferous part 4µ broad. Spores oblong-fusiform, 12–15µ long, 4µ broad, commonly binucleate.
Parasitic on the hymenium of Lactarius volemus. Pennsylvania. Charles McIlvaine.
The hymenium of the host plant is changed in appearance by the parasite, but the stem and upper surface of the pileus remain unchanged. Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, 27, January, 1900.
The edible qualities are in nowise affected by the parasite.
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