Lab Demo

Question 1

• Introduced from Europe → US
• Host: Elm Tree
• Vector–> Bark Beetles (3 species)

Genus?

Answer 1

Dutch Elm Disease (Ophiostoma ulmi)

Question 2

• Very small pores, each lined with thousands of basidia
• Perennial fruiting body (may grow for many yrs – adding new layers of pores)
• Name: fresh specimen can be drawn on with sharp object and become art

Genus?

Answer 2

Artist’s conk (Ganoderma applanatum)

Question 3

• Reported to have medicinal benefits
• Fruiting bodies are common (look like they have been varnished)
• Produced on commercial basis

Genus?

Answer 3

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidium)

Question 4

• Can reach 2 ft+ in diameter
• When fruiting body matures, they crack open and spores dispersed by rain splash/pressure, then wind

Genus?

Answer 4

Puff Ball (Calvatia)

Question 5

• Grows on side of dead trees (good to eat, grown commercially)

Genus?

Answer 5

Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus)

Question 6

• Mushrooms (fleshy cap on a stalk) that produce pores known as boletes (basidia line the pores)

Answer 6

Boletus sp.

Question 7

• Primary Host: Cedar or Juniper Trees (Galls of cedar apple rust (cedar apples) on cedar)
• Alternate Host: Apple and Crabapple
• Fungal disease – requires 2 diff host species to complete lifecycle (both must grow in proximity)
• Disease: reddish/brown galls up to 2 in in diameter on host branches
• Spring: galls swell – covered with spikes → Later form gelatinous (yellow/orange) “spore horns” that discharge disease spores – wind dispersal (to infect alternate host where pale yellow/orange spots form on leaves/fruit & may develop into thread-like projections ~1/4 in long)

Answer 7

Cedar Apple Rust

Question 8

• Caused by true fungus
• Obligate Biotrophs (need living host for nutrients) and very host specific

Answer 8

Powdery Mildew of grape

• Powdery mildew on roses will not infect grapes and powdery mildew of grapes will not cause powdery mildew of blueberry
• Downy Mildew and Powdery Mildew of grape were both introduced from NA into Europe (19th century) – along with Phylloxera – 3 pests almost destroyed wine industry

Question 9

• Poisonous (but will not kill you) – causes extreme gastrointestinal upset if consumed
• Young – beige/green
• Mature – green
• Fungi made up of tubes called hyphae
• Fungi have radial growth – if spores land on suitable substrates, fungus will grow outward
• Radial growth – evident in fairy rings: where the fungus underground is not visible, but the fruiting bodies all emerge at the same time in a ring

Answer 9

Chlorophyllum molybdenum

• Fairy ring (only green-spored mushroom – chloro = green)

Question 10

•Unlike powdery, spores are usually produced on underside of leaves

Oomycete (NOT fungus)

Genus?

Answer 10

Downey Mildew (Plasmopara viticola)

Question 11

• Basidiospores stained red (develop basidia)

Answer 11

Coprinus Mushroom

Question 12

• Line the inside cup of fungi

Answer 12

Asci

• Ascospores inside asci – How many spores are inside each ascus? Eight

Question 13

• Infects corn kernel, transforms them into large purple tumors full of fungal spores
• Spores: thick walled, dark pigment – wind dispersal

Answer 13

Corn smut fungus

Question 14

• NOT true fungi
• Grow as large as plasmodia that engulf bacteria; fungal spores as they creep over logs and other substrates
• Fuligo “dog vomit fungus” (not really a fungus)

Answer 14

Slime Molds

Question 15

• Produce slimy masses of pores (smell attracts flies – dispersal)
• Phallus and Clathrus (Stinky Squid)
• Begin as eggs and emerge to reveal true stinky selves

Answer 15

Stink Horn

Question 16

• Some mushrooms produce gills; others produce pores (either way, they are lined with basidia that produce 4 basidiospores

Answer 16

Lactarius indigo

Question 17

• Primary Host: Wheat
• Alternate Host – Barberry (complete lifecycle)

Genus?

Answer 17

Wheat Stem Rust (Puccinia graminis)

Question 18

• Fruiting body looks like mini bird nest
• Egg-like structures dispersed by rain splash

Answer 18

Birds Nest fungus

Question 19

• Turned dominant forest species into a shrub
• Causes canker on branches/trucks – lead to tree girdling and death of trunk
• Does not kill roots
• Sexual Repro: by flask-shaped structures produced in bark (within structures, ascospores inside asci – sacs) – wind dispersal
• Asexual Repro: gooey matrix – produced in flask-shaped structures – rain splash dispersal

Genus?

Answer 19

Chestnut Blight (Cryphonectria parasitica)

Question 20

• Primary Host: Oak
• Alternate Host: Pine
• Primary/Alt host determined exclusively by which spore types are produces on which host
• Fungal disease deforms/kills pines (south) – 1950s-60s: damage slash/loblolly pine plantations (causes $mills/yr in damage)
• Two Hosts: Pine & Oak (to complete lifecycle)
• Cannot spread from pine to pine, young oaks are infected (spring) by wind dispersal from pine trees
• Fungus does minimal damage to oak leaves, but in spring: wind dispersed spores produced on young oak leaves infect new pine growth
• Fungus can weaken tree – causing branches to be easily broken

Answer 20

Fusiform Rust

Question 21

• Largest living organism in the world (estimated weight 100 tons & be 1,500 yrs old)
• First discovered in Michigan
• Can grow using root-like structures
• DNA fingerprint (like forensics) of many mushrooms scattered over 37 acres were identical – indicated that a single individual fungus was rotting the trees
• Later, found where people knew the honey mushroom to be plentiful, more mushrooms were collected & DNA fingerprinted and to date, the biggest one lives in Oregon forest (for over 2,400 yrs across 2,200 acres)
• Species is commonly known as honey mushroom (discovered when scientists collected honey mushrooms & DNA for research study)

Species?

Answer 21

Humongous Fungus (Armillaria)