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''Morchella sextelata'' is a species of Ascomycota, ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Described as new to science in 2012, it is found in North America (in Washington (state), Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Yukon Territory). It has also been found in China, although it is not known if this is a result of an accidental introduced species, introduction or natural biological dispersal, dispersion. The ascocarp, fruit bodies have a roughly conical pileus (mycology), cap up to tall and wide, with a surface of mostly vertically arranged pits. The cap is initially yellowish to brownish, but it darkens to become almost black in maturity. The stipe (mycology), stipe is white and hollow, measuring high by wide.
''Morchella sextelata'' is one of four species of wildfire-adapted morels in western North America, the others being ''Morchella capitata, M. capitata'', ''Morchella septimelata, M. septimelata'', and ''Morchella tomentosa, M. tomentosa''. ''M. sextelata'' cannot be reliably distinguished from ''M. septimelata'' without the use of DNA analysis.
The ascocarp (fungus), fruit bodies of ''Morchella sextelata'' are high with a conical pileus (mycology), cap that is high and wide at the widest point. The cap surface features pits and ridges, formed by the intersection of 12–20 primary vertical ridges and frequent shorter, secondary vertical ridges, with occasional sunken, horizontal ridges. The cap is attached to the stipe (mycology), stipe with a sinus (botany), sinus about 2–4 mm deep and 2–4 mm wide. The ridges are smooth or very finely tomentose (covered with densely matted filaments). They are initially colorless, becoming pale tan, then dark grayish brown in maturity, eventually darkening to nearly black. They are flattened when young but sometimes become sharpened or eroded in maturity. The pits are somewhat elongated vertically. They are smooth, brownish to yellowish tan to pinkish to buff.
The whitish to pale brownish Stipe (mycology), stipe is long by wide and is roughly equal in width throughout its length, or sometimes slightly club-shaped near the base. Its surface is either smooth or covered with whitish granules. The trama (mycology), flesh is whitish, measuring 1–2 mm thick in the hollow cap; it may become layered and chambered in the base of the stipe. The sterile inner surface of the cap is whitish and pubescent (botany), pubescent (covered with short, soft "hair").
The ascospores of ''M. sextelata'' are elliptical and smooth, typically measuring 18–25 by 10–16 micrometre, μm. Ascus, Asci (spore-bearing cells) are eight-spored, hyaline (translucent), cylindrical, and measure 200–325 by 5–25 μm. Paraphyses are cylindrical, septum, septate, and measure 175–300 by 2–15 μm. Their tips are variably shaped, from rounded, to club-shaped, to fuse-shaped. The contents of the paraphyses are hyaline (translucent) to faintly brownish in dilute potassium hydroxide (KOH). Hyphae on the sterile cap ridges are septate and measure 50–180 by 5–25 μm. The terminal cells are variably shaped (similar to the paraphyses), and have brownish contents in KOH.
North American ''Morchella'' are generally considered choice edible mushroom, edibles, but the edibility of ''M. sextelata'' was not mentioned in its original description.
''Morchella sextelata'' may be either saprobic or mycorrhizal at different times in its biological life cycle, life cycle. Its fruit bodies grow in partially burned coniferous forest, conifer forests, particularly those dominated by Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') and ponderosa pine (''Pinus ponderosa''). They tend to appear in great numbers the year immediately following fire and appear in decreasing frequency in successive years. Fruiting occurs from April through July, at elevations between . The distribution includes Washington (state), Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Yukon Territory. ''M. sextelata'' has also been found in China, but it remains unclear whether biological dispersal, dispersal between these distant locations occurred biological dispersal, naturally or through accidental introduced species, introduction by humans.
''Morchella sextelata'', identified as molecular phylogenetics, phylogenetic species "Mel-6", has been shown to colonize the non-native species ''Bromus tectorum'' (cheatgrass) as an endophyte, increasing the overall growth of the grass, as well as the abundance of seeds and their tolerance to extreme heat (). This has been hypothesized to be a contributing factor in the success of cheatgrass as an invasive species in western North America.
Taxonomy
''Morchella sextelata'' was originally identified as molecular phylogenetics, phylogenetic species "Mel-6" in the species-rich Elata clade (brown morels) elucidated by microbiologist Kerry O'Donnell and colleagues in a 2011 publication. The botanical name, specific epithet ''sextelata'' alludes to this preliminary name. Although ''M. sextelata'' is not distinguishable from ''Morchella septimelata'' on physical or ecological characteristics, they are clearly genetically distinct species, and can be differentiated by comparing DNA sequences or with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Allopatric speciation is thought to have been the driving evolutionary force that caused ''M. sextelata'' to genetic divergence, diverge from its ancestors roughly 25 million years ago. The original specimens collected were obtained as part of the Morel Data Collection Project, a research effort designed to improve the understanding of North American morels.Description
The ascocarp (fungus), fruit bodies of ''Morchella sextelata'' are high with a conical pileus (mycology), cap that is high and wide at the widest point. The cap surface features pits and ridges, formed by the intersection of 12–20 primary vertical ridges and frequent shorter, secondary vertical ridges, with occasional sunken, horizontal ridges. The cap is attached to the stipe (mycology), stipe with a sinus (botany), sinus about 2–4 mm deep and 2–4 mm wide. The ridges are smooth or very finely tomentose (covered with densely matted filaments). They are initially colorless, becoming pale tan, then dark grayish brown in maturity, eventually darkening to nearly black. They are flattened when young but sometimes become sharpened or eroded in maturity. The pits are somewhat elongated vertically. They are smooth, brownish to yellowish tan to pinkish to buff.
The whitish to pale brownish Stipe (mycology), stipe is long by wide and is roughly equal in width throughout its length, or sometimes slightly club-shaped near the base. Its surface is either smooth or covered with whitish granules. The trama (mycology), flesh is whitish, measuring 1–2 mm thick in the hollow cap; it may become layered and chambered in the base of the stipe. The sterile inner surface of the cap is whitish and pubescent (botany), pubescent (covered with short, soft "hair").
The ascospores of ''M. sextelata'' are elliptical and smooth, typically measuring 18–25 by 10–16 micrometre, μm. Ascus, Asci (spore-bearing cells) are eight-spored, hyaline (translucent), cylindrical, and measure 200–325 by 5–25 μm. Paraphyses are cylindrical, septum, septate, and measure 175–300 by 2–15 μm. Their tips are variably shaped, from rounded, to club-shaped, to fuse-shaped. The contents of the paraphyses are hyaline (translucent) to faintly brownish in dilute potassium hydroxide (KOH). Hyphae on the sterile cap ridges are septate and measure 50–180 by 5–25 μm. The terminal cells are variably shaped (similar to the paraphyses), and have brownish contents in KOH.
North American ''Morchella'' are generally considered choice edible mushroom, edibles, but the edibility of ''M. sextelata'' was not mentioned in its original description.
Similar species
''Morchella sextelata'' is morphology (biology), morphologically indistinguishable from several other morel species in the ''M. elata'' clade, including ''Morchella septimelata, M. septimelata'', ''Morchella brunnea, M. brunnea'', ''Morchella angusticeps, M. angusticeps'', and ''Morchella septentrionalis, M. septentrionalis''. ''M. septimelata'' can be distinguished from these latter three lookalikes by habitat or distribution: ''M. brunnea'' is found in non-burned forests of western North America; ''M. angusticeps'' is found east of the Rocky Mountains; and ''M. septentrionalis'' is restricted to a northern distribution (about 44°N northward) in eastern North America. ''M. septimelata'', however, also grows in burn sites and so is both morphologically and ecologically indistinguishable from ''M. sextelata''. Although there are subtle differences in the structure of the sterile ridges between the species, the authors were not confident that enough specimens had been examined to establish that these differences were consistent.Habitat, distribution, and ecology
''Morchella sextelata'' may be either saprobic or mycorrhizal at different times in its biological life cycle, life cycle. Its fruit bodies grow in partially burned coniferous forest, conifer forests, particularly those dominated by Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') and ponderosa pine (''Pinus ponderosa''). They tend to appear in great numbers the year immediately following fire and appear in decreasing frequency in successive years. Fruiting occurs from April through July, at elevations between . The distribution includes Washington (state), Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Yukon Territory. ''M. sextelata'' has also been found in China, but it remains unclear whether biological dispersal, dispersal between these distant locations occurred biological dispersal, naturally or through accidental introduced species, introduction by humans.
''Morchella sextelata'', identified as molecular phylogenetics, phylogenetic species "Mel-6", has been shown to colonize the non-native species ''Bromus tectorum'' (cheatgrass) as an endophyte, increasing the overall growth of the grass, as well as the abundance of seeds and their tolerance to extreme heat (). This has been hypothesized to be a contributing factor in the success of cheatgrass as an invasive species in western North America.
References
External links
* * {{Good article Morchella, sextelata Edible fungi Fungi described in 2012 Fungi of Asia Fungi of North America Fungus species