Scleroderma Areolatum, Earthball

Day 336: It has been quite a while since I had a botanical puzzle which required breaking out the microscope, but with several look-alike Scleroderma species, the determining factor for an identification rested upon the spores. I've been watching the growth of some odd "puffballs" (clarification will come later in this post) under the contorted filbert for over a week now. They were much larger than any I'd ever seen, three inches or so in diameter. One finally developed a single apical pore (also diagnostic in making a correct ID), venting its spores through the opening. I settled in with my references, but found myself frustrated by the similarity of several species. One book specific to the Pacific Northwest suggested Scleroderma verrucosum, but checking for possible synonyms in a more reliable source told me that species does not occur here. I got out a bigger metaphorical "shovel," knowing that I'd have to do deeper digging if I was to solve this mycological mystery. In the end, I learned that the spores were key. If they were spiky like the covid virus, the "puffball" was Scleroderma areolatum. If they were smooth, I might as well give up. Fortunately, at 1000x magnification, the spikes were visible, and what I had was not a puffball, but an Earthball, somewhat unusual and not previously recorded in Pierce County. I love it when I find botanical mysteries in my own back yard!

Analysis

Day 46: A more detailed analysis of its spores under the microscope has caused me to revise my original identification of this mushroom as Cortinarius salor to C. iodeoides, a species known to occur in the area just south of me by a few miles. That it was a Cortinarius was never in doubt. Observe the spiderwebby cortina (veil) which in this young specimen is still attached to both cap and stipe. This characteristic is what gives Cortinarius its genus epithet. That said, the genus is one of the largest in Fungi with well over a thousand species. Some can be identified by sight, but others require microscopic examination or chemical testing (I also did a chem test to separate two possible candidates, C. iodes and C. iodeoides).

My first attempt to obtain a spore print flopped miserably. I am always hesitant to murder a mushroom, so picked up a previously detached cap from the ground where it was lying upside down. I didn't take into account the rain which had occurred only a few hours earlier until I thought about it retrospectively. Oh, yeah, okay...all the spores washed out. Nobody home. Since I had a fairly good colony of cute little lilac Cortinarius, I figured I could sacrifice one in the name of science. After a day, a nice collection of brown spores had accumulated in the paper-lined petri dish. Then it was time to transfer them to the microscope. If my kitchen sprouts Cortinarius at some point in the future, no one should be surprised. Under magnification, the spores revealed themselves to be oval to almond-shaped, which immediately ruled out C. salor. Its spores are round. Spores 7μ in length distinguished it from C. iodes at 10μ.

You may have noticed that the spores in the above photo appear on a black background. This is because I use a darkfield microscope to make them more visible. In fact, other than the stereoscope I use to more closely observe macro characteristics of lichens, the darkfield is my most commonly used 'scope. It lives on my dining table, hence the comment about culturing Cortinarius in the kitchen. Generations of naturalists before me had to do with much less optimal working conditions, and most of them survived.

Scoping Out Boletus Chrysenteron

Day 11: Not all identifications can be made with the naked eye. According to one field guide, "Boletus truncatus is a common species in conifer forests and can only be separated from B. chrysenteron by looking at the spores, which are truncate on one end." Right, and that's why I have a microscope...not that I'd be eating any blue-staining boletes. Some of the staining species are purportedly edible, but "may cause reactions in certain individuals," so I'm not taking any chances. Still, it's nice to be able to put names on the things you find growing in your yard, so when Boletus somethingorotherus popped up under my big Doug fir, I decided an analysis was in order. I fully expected my 'shrooms to be B. truncatus and studied images of the spores of both species while my sample was shedding onto a slide overnight. This morning, Mr. Boletus' true identity came to light when the 'scope revealed thousands upon thousands of perfectly non-truncate material. Boletus chrysenteron it is, spores at 1000x magnification.

Sectioning For Spores

Day 52: I am extremely grateful to Dr. Irwin Brodo (author of the forty-pound field guide, "Lichens of North America," and Ernie to his friends) for his patience in instructing me how to section lichen apothecia in order to reveal the spores. I can now do a much better imitation of a microtome than previously. We have not positively identified this specimen as of this writing, but evidence suggests that it is Alectoria sarmentosa, a common species often found growing on Douglas Fir. The sample on the left was scraped from the apothecial disk of a dry specimen; the one on the right is fresh material. My new microscope is proving to be a valuable tool in furthering my knowledge of lichens.

Growing Sporadically In Eatonville

Day 26: The best word-play is that which occurs accidentally, the speaker blithely going on, oblivious to what they've said. Such was the case many years ago when I remarked to my husband during a drive that I was observing clusters of mushrooms growing sporadically alongside the road. Now I am a fan of Tom Swifties, but I uttered those words without the slightest thought to making a joke. Bruce cracked up, and it took me a couple of minutes to figure out why he was laughing. Since then, I've repeated it, waiting to see which of my friends will catch on, but it will never, ever be as good as that first time.

In any event, that's how the Licorice Ferns grow in Eatonville: sporadically, and mostly in association with Big-leaf Maple. I've included a pair of views through the microscope to show you how "sporadic" Polypodium glycyrrhiza is. In fact, the largest of the spores measures roughly 4.5μ by 6μ. The righthand photo in the inset includes the spore capsule as well as a few dozen spores.