Geohypha terrestris (Fr.) Hennebert, comb. nov. Figs 22, 23

MycoBank number: MB 835629; Index Fungorum number: IF 835629; Facesoffungi number: FoF;

≡ Hyphelia terrestris Fr., Syst. Mycol. 3(1): 213, 1829, nom. sanct.

≡ Ostracoderma terrestre (Fr.) Nannf., Fungi. Exsicc. Suec., Fasc. 53–54, Schedae: 40, 1959.

≡ Chromelosporium terrestre (Fr.) M.B. Ellis, More Demat. Hyphom.: 154, 1976.

= Trichoderma tuberculatum Pers., Ann. Bot. (Usteri) 15: 12, 1795 [as “tuberculata”].

≡ Chromelosporium tuberculatum (Pers.) Hennebert, Persoonia 7: 198, 1973.

= Trichoderma laeve Pers., Observ. Mycol. 1: 12, 1796.

= Trichoderma varium Ehrenb., Sylv. Mycol. Berol.: 22, 1803.

= Trichoderma nemorosum Pers.,Traité Champ. Comest.: 131, 1818.

= Botrytis ceratioides Peck, Annual Rep.New York State Mus. Nat. Hist. 35: 139, 1884.

= Sporotrichum fossarum Fautrey, Rev. Mycol. (Toulouse) 17: 71, 1893.

≡ Ostracoderma fossarum (Fautrey) S. Hughes, Canad. J. Bot. 36: 792, 1958.

Type: Trichoderma laeve Pers.? [laeve Pers.? scratched off] varium m. [mei] ad Berol. in terra umbrosa humida, Thg. [Thiergarten] Berlin, 7/8 [Aug. 7] [scr. Erhenberg]. Herb. Ehrenberg (B, MBT 392413, here designated as lectotype; isolectotypes: [DAOM 83392, DAOM 83393, MUCL 2387, MUCL 2388]).

Colonies in small cushions, around 5 mm across, linked by a web-like mycelium, greyish yellow when fresh, brown when dried. Hyphae narrow, irregular in diameter, 2–4 µm, sometimes inflated to 6 µm before septa and constricted at septa, hyaline, thin-walled, with abundant lateral narrower branchlets, fertile. Conidiogenus cells either reduced to a conical to cylindrical lateral outgrowth of the hypha, 2–8 × 1–1.5 µm or (most often) developed into a long and narrow, sinuous, irregular, hypha, 8–50 × 1–1.5 µm, possibly ramified, producing ≤15–20 thallic conidia on lateral outgrowths and terminal ends. Conidia thallic, solitary, borne on each hyphal outgrowth, seceding schizolytically through a 1–1.5 µm wide septum, one-celled, globose or subglobose, 4.5–6(–6.5) µm, hyaline, with a thick wall, at first smooth, soon becoming verrucose, with 12–15 warts in median view.

Habitat: on bare soil after rain in forest.

Comments—The type and authentic specimens of the species cited in the nomenclator are microscopically characterized as having narrow, sinuous conidiogenous hyphae and verrucose conidia mixed with young smooth conidia, the relative abundance depending on maturity of the fungus. The size of the conidia obtained from each specimen drawn in Fig. 21 are T. laeve 4.5–5.5 (av. 5) µm, T. varium 4–6 (av. 5) µm, B. ceratioides 5–6(–6.8) (av. 5.7) µm, and S. fossarum 4–6.5 (av. 5) µm. In 1961, I sent slides of Trichoderma laeve and T. varium from Persoon’s herbarium to J.W. Carmichael for comparison with Chrysosporium species. He responded with photographs of the slides, and the opinion that the species were not congeneric with Chrysosporium. The type of Sporotrichum fossarum contains two packets, one wrapped in paper contains soil in powder form on a piece of blotting paper (MUCL 2486a) and the other, in an aluminium sheet, contains the same soil kept compact and bearing the fungus (MUCL 2486b). The same fungus was distributed in G. Roumeguère’s Fungi Selecti Exsiccati 6790 (MUCL 2394). The fungus has abundant vegetative hyphae that are often inflated before the septa and, when mature, verrucose conidia. Seeing the similarities with an Ostracoderma sp. sensu Juel, Hughes (1958) classified the species as Ostracoderma fossarum. Hennebert (1973) made it a synonym of Chromelosporium tuberculatum, an opinion later reported by Stalpers (1984). Revisiting the collection, I now assert that Sporotrichum fossarum is neither an Ostracoderma nor a Chromelosporium species but what is identified here as Geohypha terrestris.

Specimens examined

Type & authentic specimens: EUROPE: (3) Trichoderma laeve [scr. Persoon] Herb. Persoon (L 910.264.459) [MUCL 2462] (not L 910.264. 31, Trichoderma laeve? as written by Persoon). (4) Trichoderma nemorosum [scr. Persoon] Herb. Persoon (L 910.264-) [DAOM 83900, MUCL 2463]. (5) Trichoderma varium Ehbg. orig. [on soil] [scr. Ehrenberg] Herb. Schwaegrichen [stamped]” (STR) [DAOM 83898, MUCL 2441]. (6) “Trichoderma varium Ehrenb. [on soil, no locality, no date] [scr. Ehrenberg] (B) (DAOM 83394, MUCL 2389). France (7). Sporotrichum fossarum sp.n. Fautrey, sur la terre déjetée des fossés dans les bois humides. La Forêt de Clamecy. Eté 1894, Fautrey 212 (holotype) (UPS) [DAOM 83912, MUCL 2486- a, 2486-b]. (8) Sporotrichum fossarum n. sp. Fautrey, sur la terre rejetée des fossés dans les bois humides, été 1894. F. Fautrey (isotype). G. Roumeguère Fungi Selecti Exsiccati 6790 (Rev. Myc. 1895, p. 71, n.49) (G, NY) [MUCL 2394]. Germany (9) Botrytis epigaea Link, [var. alba] ad terram humidam, non raro, Aestate. Fuckel. Fungi Rhenani Fasc. II, 1863, n° 147 (BX 47111, GRO, S, K, FH) [MUCL 1798]. (Jahrb. Nassauischen Vereins. Naturk. 23: 363. 1870, p. 363 as, Hyphelia terrestris Fr. var. alba, nom. inval.). USA: New york (10) Botrytis ceratioides Peck, on decaying wood of Tsuga canadensis, Albany, June, leg. C.H. Peck. (holotype). See 35th Report p.139, 1884 (NYS) [MUCL 2467].

Other specimens: EUROPE: Italy (11) Botrytis epigaea Lk. f. cinerea, ad terram argillosam udam, Bosco Montello (Treviso), Sept. 1875. Saccardo Mycotheca Veneta 58 (K-M) [MUCL 2295]. France (12) Trichoderma nemorosum Pers. Autumno, ad terram, St Cloud, near Paris. Herb. de Candolle (G 005431) [DAOM 83992, MUCL 2392]. (13) Trichoderma nemorosum Pers. [on soil] Meudon, Augusto [no year] Herbier Léveillé in Herb. de Candolle (G 005432) [DAOM 83899, MUCL 2393]. Sweden (14) Hyphelia, on half buried birch branches in Sphagnum cushion, Gästrikland, NNW of Tolffors Swampy wood, Aug. 14 1950, J.A. Nannfeldt. Flora Suecica 11057 (UPS) [MUCL 2479a]. Netherlands (15) Hyphelia terrestris Fr. in terra argillacea, Lugd. Batava, 1844, Oudemans (GRO) [MUCL 2775]. Denmark (16) Hyphelia terrestris on bare soil, Saelland, Tisvilde Hegn., Oct. 4 1955, J.A. Nannfeldt. Flora Danica 14249 (UPS) [DAOM 84938a, MUCL 2495]. Belgium (17) Trichoderma laeve on bare soil, Lauzelle forest, Ottignies-LLN, Oct. 2017, G.L.H. (MUCL 56656).

NORTH AMERICA: USA: Nebraska (18) Botrytis ceratioides Peck [on leaves and mosses] Lincoln, 1200 ft, July 22 1890, T.A. Williams. Nebraska Flora 312 (BP) [MUCL 2423]. Canada: Ontario (19) Rhinotrichum carneum Ell. & Ev. on dead wood, Oct. 3 1896, Macoun, Ellis collection 185. (NY) [MUCL 2838]. (20) Trichoderma laeve Pers. on soil, Queen’s University Biological Station, near Chafey’s Lake, Ontario, July 12 1961, det. G.L. Hennebert (MUCL 2537).

Plicaria endocarpoides Hennebert (1973) suggested that Plicaria endocarpoides could have a Chromelosporium-like asexual morph in culture based on a strain from J.W. Paden. The strain DAOMC 199565 produced on malt agar a conidial state having no similarity with Chromelosporium as illustrated here.

Fig. 21. Isaria thyrsoidea Penzig & Sacc., Malpighia 15: 251, 1902

Fig. 22. Geohypha terrestris. A. Trichoderma laeve (MUCL 2462) conidiogenous cell with young conidia. B. Trichoderma varium (lectotype, MUCL 2387) with mature conidia. C. Sporotrichum fossarum (holotype, MUCL 2486b and isotype, MUCL 2394), conidia borne either solitary on hyphae, or numerous on tortuous conidiogenous hyphae. D. Botrytis ceratioides (holotype, MUCL 2467) conidiogenous cell, after release of some conidia. E. Mature conidia from these four specimens. Scale bar = 10 µm.

Fig. 23. A Trichoderma laeve Pers. (MUCL 2387). B. Trichoderma varium Ehrenb. (MUCL 2387) (Photos made by J.W. Carmichael, University of Alberta Mold Herbarium in 1961).