''Banksiamyces toomansis'' is a species of

fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

in the family

Helotiaceae The Helotiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Helotiales. The distribution of species in the family are widespread, and typically found in tropical areas. There are 117 genera and 826 species in the family. A question mark after the genu ...

. It was first described as ''Tympanis toomansis'' by

Miles Joseph Berkeley Miles Joseph Berkeley (1 April 1803 – 30 July 1889) was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology. Life Berkeley was born at Biggin Hall, Benefield, Northamptonshire, and educated at ...

and

Christopher Edmund Broome Christopher Edmund Broome (24 July 1812 – 15 November 1886) was a British mycologist. Background and education C.E. Broome was born in Berkhamsted, the son of a solicitor. He was privately schooled in Kensington and in 1832 was sent to read ...

in 1886, and transferred to the genus ''

Encoelia ''Encoelia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Sclerotiniaceae. Species *'' Encoelia aterrima'' *'' Encoelia carpini'' *'' Encoelia cubensis'' *''Encoelia dalongshanica'' *'' Encoelia deightonii'' *'' Encoelia eliassonii'' *'' Encoelia fascicul ...

'' in 1957 by R.W.G. Dennis. Gordon William Beaton transferred it to ''

Banksiamyces ''Banksiamyces'' is a genus of fungi in the order Helotiales, with a tentative placement in the family Helotiaceae. The genus contains four species, which grow on the seed follicles of the dead infructescences or "cones" of various species of '' ...

'' in 1982. The fungus grows on dead ''

Banksia ''Banksia'' is a genus of around 170 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and woody fruiting "cones" and head ...

'' cones, and has a distribution limited to Australia. The disc-shaped fruitbodies of the fungus have dimensions of about , and are light grey to dark charcoal grey. They are attached to the cones by stalks up to long. Its

ascospore In fungi, an ascospore is the sexual spore formed inside an ascus—the sac-like cell that defines the division Ascomycota, the largest and most diverse Division (botany), division of fungi. After two parental cell nucleus, nuclei fuse, the ascu ...

s can range in shape from elliptical to cylindrical, and have dimensions of 6–10 by 2.5–3

μm The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...

. The type collection of ''B. toomansis'' was found on a cone of ''

Banksia marginata ''Banksia marginata'', commonly known as the silver banksia, is a species of tree or shrub in the family Proteaceae found throughout much of southeastern Australia. It ranges from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia to north of Armidale, New ...

'' on the banks of the

Tooma River Tooma River, a perennial stream that has had some of its flow diverted as a result of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, is part of the Murray River, Murray catchment within the Murray–Darling basin and is located in the Australian Alps, Australian A ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. Unlike some other ''Banksiamyces'' species that are restricted to a single

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...

, ''B. toomansis'' has a wider host range. It has been recovered from a cone of '' Banksia sphaerocarpa'' from near

Busselton Busselton is a city in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of the States and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destin ...

in Western Australia, '' B. nutans'', '' B. pulchella'', '' B. speciosa'', and '' B. occidentalis'', all from Mount Merivale, east of Esperance, '' B. baxteri'' cultivated at

Cranbourne Botanic Gardens The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria at Cranbourne Gardens, is a division of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (the second division being the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, located in the centre of Melbourne). It is located in the suburb of ...

, ''B. integrifolia'' from the Blue Mountains, and ''B. marginata'' from

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...

Synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

include ''Tympanis toomansis'' Berk. & Br., and ''Encoelia toomansis'' (Berk. & Br.).

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q10426087 Fungi native to Australia Fungi described in 1886 Helotiales Taxa named by Miles Joseph Berkeley Taxa named by Christopher Edmund Broome Fungus species