The Genus Clavariadelphus in North America

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Language: English

The genus Clavariadelphus is a group of clavarioid–cantharelloid fungi most commonly encountered in northern boreal, coniferous forests in the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, several taxa are known to extend southward into the mixed deciduous-coniferous forests of the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains and into the deciduous, mixed deciduous–coniferous or coniferous forests of the Appalachian Mountains. In addition, five taxa are reported from Mexico. Of the seventeen taxa of Clavariadelphus recognized from the study area, five were new to science, one was a stat. nov., and one was a comb. nov.

Data obtained through detailed morphological examinations of basidiocarps, macrochemical spot tests, and pistillarin chromatography were analyzed for their taxonomic value. Of these, morphological characters, both macroscopic and microscopic, and in certain taxa, macrochemical spot tests, were most important for an accurate circumscription of taxa. Pistillarin chromatography, while of little infrageneric significance, may provide additional taxonomic characters by which the subgenera and sections are delimited. In an attempt to clarify taxonomic concepts, micromorphological characters are illustrated and representative photographs of North America taxa are included.

To supplement the North American material examined, an attempt was made to examine all extant type specimens, including designation of neotypes or representative material when type specimens did not exist. Descriptions of these collections are presented. A preliminary key to the world taxa of Clavariadelphus is offered to facilitate further work on the genus and is accompanied by descriptions of extralimital taxa.
 

Contents

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural History 5
History of the Genus in North America 7
Clavariadelphus in Relation to Other Genera 8

MATERIALS AND METHODS 11
Taxonomic Studies 11
Macrochemical Spot Tests 13
Pistillarin Chromatography 14

TAXONOMIC CHARACTERS 17
Macromorphological 17
Macrochemical Spot Tests 2220
Micromorphological
Pistillarin Chromatography 28

NORTH AMERICAN TAXA 34
Clavariadelphus 34
Key to North American Species of Clavariadelphus 35
Key to the Subgenera of Clavariadelphus 35
Subg. Ligulus 3
Key to the Sections of Subg. Clavariadelphus 35
Sect. Cantharellopsis 36
Sect. Clavariadelphus 36
Clavariadelphus americanus 38
Clavariadelphus caespitosus 40
Clavariadelphus cokeri 42
Clavariadelphus fasciculatus 44
Clavariadelphus flavidus 46
Clavariadelphus lignicola 47
Clavariadelphus ligula 49
Clavariadelphus mucronatus 52
Clavariadelphus occidentalis 53
Clavariadelphus pallido-incarnatus 55
Clavariadelphus pistillaris 57
Clavariadelphus sachalinensis 60
Clavariadelphus sulfastigiatus 63
Clavariadelphus truncatus var. lovejoyae 64
Clavariadelphus truncatus var. truncatus 66
Clavariadelphus truncatus var. umbonatus 70
Clavariadelphus unicolor 73

EXTRALIMITAL TAXA 76
Preliminary Keys to World Taxa of Clavariadelphus 76
Subg. Ligulus 76
Subg. Clavariadelphus Sect. Cantharellopsis 76
Subg. Clavariadelphus Sect. Clavariadelphus 77
Clavariadelphus flavo-immaturus 80
Clavariadelphus helveticus 81
Clavariadelphus himalayensis 83
Clavariadelphus mirus 84
Clavariadelphus truncatus var. atrobrunneus 86
Clavariadelchus xanthocephalus 87
Clavariadelphus yunnanensis 89

EXCLUDED TAXA 91
Clavariadelphus clavulinoides 91
Clavaria fistulosa 91
Clavaria juncea 93
Clavaria maricola 94

TYPE STUDIES 95
Clavariadelphus pistillaris var. americanus 95
Clavariadelphus truncatus var. atrobrunneus 96
Clavariadelphus borealis 97
Clavariadelphus caespitosus 98
Clavariadelphus clavulinoides 99
Clavariadelphus cokeri 100
Craterellus corrugis 101
Clavariadelphus fasciculatus 102
Clavariadelphus flavidus 103
Clavariadelphus flavo-immaturus 103
Clavariadelphus helveticus 104
Clavariadelphus himalayensis 104
Clavariadelphus lignicola 104
Clavaria ligula 105
Clavariadelphus lovejoyee 107
Clavaria maricola 108
Clavaria mira 109
Clavariadelphus mucronatus 111
Clavariadelphus occidentalis 112
Clavariadelphus pallido-incarnatus 113
Clavaria pistillaris 115
Craterellus pistillaris 116
Clavaria sachalinensis 118
Clavariadelphus subfastigiatus 120
Clavaria truncate 121
Clavaria pistillaris umbonata 122
Craterellus unicolor 123
Clavariadelphus xanthocephalus 125
Clavariadelphus yunnanensis 125

SUMMARY 127
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 128
LITERATURE CITED 129

APPENDICES 137
A. SPECIMENS EXAMINED 137
B. ILLUSTRATIONS 175
C. PLATES 180

INDEX 187

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