Syzygospora mycetophila

Description

Syzygospora mycetophila is considered parasitic on the cap, gills, or stem of Gymnopus dryophilus. The fruit bodies are composed of the infected mushroom’s tissue that looks like a jelly brain.

There are also other species of Syzygospora which parasitize and give galls on the same Collybia, such as S. effibulata, S. norvegica and S. tumefaciens. They are differentiated only by microscopy. Thus, S. mycetophila is a collective species.

S. tumefaciens has also been reported by Guzmán & Dávalos (1979) as a gall-forming parasite on Rhodocollybia butyracea in Mexico.

Common names: Collybia Jelly, Collybiagalzwam (Netherlands), Rôsolovka Hubomilná (Slovakia).

Mushroom Identification

1. Fruiting Body

   The carpel is 10–30 mm wide, cerebrally lobed, whitish, yellowish to ocher brown, often pinkish.

2. Flesh and Smell

   The flesh is soft jelly-like. The smell is indistinct.

3. Spore Print

   White.

4. Conidia

   Two types: a) subglobose to broadly ellipsoid blastoconidia, laterally arising or terminal on conidiophores, 2-4 x 1.5-2.5 µm; b) arthroconia 7-13 x 1.5-2 µm.

5. Habitat

   Parasitic on Gymnopus dryophilus, which grows in just about any kind of woods, at just about any time, and is widely distributed.

6. Microscopic Features

   Spores 6-9 x 1.5-2.3 µ; elliptical to cylindrical. Basidia 4-sterigmate. Clamp connections present.

Synonyms

1. Exobasidium mycetophila (Peck) Burt, Bull. Torrey bot. Club: 53 (1901)

2. Carcinomyces mycetophilus (Peck) Oberw. & Bandoni, Nordic Journal of Botany 2 (5): 509 (1982)

3. Christiansenia mycetophila (Peck) Ginns & Sunhede, Botaniska Notiser 131: 168 (1978)

4. Christiansenia mycetophila var. bispora F. Rath

5. Exobasidium mycetophila (Peck) Burt

6. Syzygospora mycetophila var. mycetophila (Peck) Ginns: 629 (1986)

7. Tremella mycetophila Peck

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Keith Seifert (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: Fluff Berger (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: Fluff Berger (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Keith Seifert (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 5 - Author: Fluff Berger (CC BY-SA 4.0)