Rickenella

Rickenella
Rickenella swartzii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Hymenochaetales
Family:
Repetobasidiaceae
Genus:
Rickenella

Raithelh. (1973)
Type species
Rickenella fibula
(Bull.) Raithelh. (1973)
Species

R. alexandri
R. aulacomniophila
R. demissella
R. fibula
R. mellea
R. minuta
R. piquiniana
R. straminea
R. swartzii

Rickenella is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous (moss inhabiting) agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology.[1][2][3][4] They inhabit patches of moss that grow on soil, tree trunks and logs in temperate regions of the planet. Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Contumyces, Gyroflexus, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Blasiphalia, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera Muscinupta and Cotylidia.[5] and the clavarioid genus, Alloclavaria.[6]

Rickenella is most similar to Contumyces and Blasiphalia, from the former differing by having its cystidia on the cap, stipe, and hymenium solitary and scattered. The hair-like cystidia on the cap and stipe give the small mushrooms a fuzzy appearance when viewed through a magnifying glass or hand lens.[7][8] This helps to distinguish the genus from genera like Loreleia, which can be orange colored and inhabits similar sites, as well as other brightly pigmented omphalinoid genera. Rickenella does not produce massive clasping, hand-like appressoria on the rhizoids of its host, as does Blasiphalia. Instead, Rickenella produces a small appressorium or no appressoria and penetrates the rhizoids of its moss hosts, growing within the cells.[9][10][11]

The monotypic genus Blasiphalia is a recent molecular segregate of Rickenella.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Redhead 2002a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Redhead 2002b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Larsson 2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dentinger 2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Larsson 2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Dentinger, B.T.M. & McLaughlin, D.J.' (2006). "Reconstructing the Clavariaceae using nuclear large subunit rDNA sequences and a new genus segregated from Clavaria". Mycologia. 98 (5): 746–762. doi:10.3852/mycologia.98.5.746. PMID 17256578.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Norvell 1994 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kuyper 1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Redhead 1981 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kost 1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bresinsky 2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).