Bolbitius – variicolor? or titubans?

[Lancashire Lad]

Found on Saturday 4th July.

Growing as a small group, (total of nine fruitbodies), on deep woodchip.

Initially at a loss as to what these were, but Bolbitius quickly became the only viable proposition.

Cap width of the only mature fruitbody (shown in photos) was 55mm.

Gills, free, crowded, pale brown(ish).

Stipe length 80mm. Floccose.

Keying out via Funga Nordica, gives B.titubans and B.variicolor as the two realistic options.

Although the mature specimen here is much more substantial than any B.titubans I’ve previously seen. (Always in grassland habitat).

Microscopically, the two species are almost identical. Their cheilocystidia have exactly the same parameters in both size range and lageniform shape.

And the spores: thick-walled, ellipsoid/ovoid ( average of 30 spores being 13.2 x 7.9µ in my sample) could easily be from either species.

The woodchip habitat, and yellow over almost entire length of stipe tends towards B.variicolor

But, there are only three records for B.variicolor on the FRDBI, as opposed to over 4000 for B.titubans.

Unfortunately, since yesterday evening when I did the microscopy, the sample has deteriorated quite markedly – becoming rather foul smelling and having to be removed to an outdoor location!

This would be a very good record if B.variicolor, but I definitely won’t be able to send any voucher material from my sample to Kew!

Any thoughts as to whether I’m being overly optimistic in thinking B.variicolor?

Click on images to view at full size.

[attachment=3]Bolbitius variicolor (a).jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=2]Bolbitius variicolor (b).jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1]Bolbitius variicolor (c).jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=0]Bolbitius variicolor (d) Spores x600 040715 measured.jpg[/attachment]

Regards,

Mike.

[roy betts]

In FAN6 (2005), Arnolds regards variicolor as a variety of titubans viz: Bolbitius titubans var. olivaceus.

[Lancashire Lad]

roy betts wrote:

In FAN6 (2005), Arnolds regards variicolor as a variety of titubans viz: Bolbitius titubans var. olivaceus.

Thanks Roy.

I went by what Funga Nordica said, as that, (the two volume version published in 2012), being the most recent literature I have, says: –

B. variicolor G.F. Atk. (B. vitellinus (Pers.: Fr.) Fr. var. olivaceus Gillet, B. titubans var. variicolor (G.F. Atk.) Krieglst., B. titubans s. auct. p.p., B. vitellinus s. auct. p.p.)

I had thought that being published in 2012, that book would be using the most up-to-date nomenclature.

I tried to check back with FRDBI and Species Fungorum.

FRDBI seems to be off-line at the moment, but Species Fungorum has it down as being synonymous: –

[attachment=0]Sp.Fung. B. variicolor info.JPG[/attachment]
Confusion reigns. 🙄

Regards,

Mike.

[Chris Yeates]

Lancashire Lad wrote:

I tried to check back with FRDBI and Species Fungorum.

FRDBI seems to be off-line at the moment, but Species Fungorum has it down as being synonymous: –
[attachment=0]Sp.Fung. B. variicolor info.JPG[/attachment]
Confusion reigns. 🙄

Regards,

Mike.

Beware that Species Fungorum unaccountably and regrettably has for the last year or so pointed nearly every infra-specific taxon at the parent binomial – e.g.: http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=156990” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=156990

Mycobank does not do this. Also these databases are just opinions in many cases and are not always (understandably) up to date with current taxonomic thought.

Chris

[Lancashire Lad]

Chris Yeates wrote:

. . . Beware that Species Fungorum unaccountably and regrettably has for the last year or so pointed nearly every infra-specific taxon at the parent binomial – e.g.: http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=156990” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=156990

Mycobank does not do this. Also these databases are just opinions in many cases and are not always (understandably) up to date with current taxonomic thought.

Chris

Thanks Chris.

With reference to your post, I’ve just looked on Mycobank, and that has B.variicolor as a valid current name: –

[attachment=0]Mycobank Bolbitius variicolor info.JPG[/attachment]
Can I safely assume that B.variicolor is a current name?

And perhaps, more to the point, if it is current, do you think my find has the necessary characteristics to be recorded under that name ? (Confusion still reigns. 😳 🙄 ).

Regards,

Mike.

[roy betts]

I’ve not ‘invested’ in Funga Nordica so it’s interesting that they maintain two species. FRDBI/CBIB follow Arnolds and call it a var. of titubans.

It’s another of the numerous instances where DNA analysis will eventually show if there is more than one species present.

FAN6 says the only definite difference is the cap colour, so I think you have good reason to call this var. olivaceus.

I try and stick to CBIB names although, understandingly, they can lag behind the most recent ideas. Of the new database (due soon to replace the FRDBI) David Harries writes: “The list of fungal names to be used by the new site will come from the Natural History Museum UKSI which is currently being brought into line with the GBCHKLST and IndexFungorum….”.

[Lancashire Lad]

Thanks once again Roy.

I’ll stick with what will (for the time being) remain applicable to the UK database, and record it as Bolbitius titubans var. olivaceus.

Regards,

Mike.

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