''Nidularia'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of nine species of

fungi 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 Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Agaricaceae The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and include the genus ''Agaricus'', as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. Taxonomy The family Agaricaceae was publishe ...

. Their

fruit bodies The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...

resemble tiny egg-filled bird nests. The name comes from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

meaning ''nest''. The related genus ''

Mycocalia ''Mycocalia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Nidulariaceae. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are minute (typically under 5 mm in diameter) and irregularly spherical. Each produces one or more peridioles which contain the spores and are released fr ...

'' was segregated from ''Nidularia'' in 1961 based on differences in the microscopic structure of the

peridium The peridium is the protective layer that encloses a mass of spores in fungi. This outer covering is a distinctive feature of gasteroid fungi. Description Depending on the species, the peridium may vary from being paper-thin to thick and rubb ...

Taxonomy

The name ''Nidularia'' first appeared in the scientific literature in 1790 when Pierre Bulliard published ''N. vernicosa'' and ''N. laevis''. This name, however, was not validly published, as it predated the starting point for naming of

gasteroid fungi The gasteroid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota. Species were formerly placed in the obsolete class Gasteromycetes Fr. (literally "stomach fungi"), or the equally obsolete order Gasteromycetales Rea, because they produce spores insid ...

(1801), and it lacked a generic description. Jean Bulliard gave a generic description in 1791 when he added ''N. striata''. ''N. striata'' and ''N. vernicosa'' are now placed in ''

Cyathus ''Cyathus'' is a genus of fungi in the Nidulariaceae, which is a family (biology), family collectively known as the bird's nest fungi. They are given this name as they resemble tiny bird's nests filled with "eggs"structures large enough to ...

'', while ''N. laevis'' is in '' Crucibulum''. Bulliard's concept of ''Nidularia'' is

synonymous 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 ...

with ''Cyathus''. ''Nidularia'' was again

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

in 1817 by Swedish mycologist

Elias Magnus Fries Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist. He is sometimes called the Mycology, "Linnaeus of Mycology". In his works he described and assigned botanical names to hundreds of fungus and li ...

and his student Johann Nordholm. ''N. radicata'', ''N. confluens'', ''N. deformis'', and ''N. denudata''. ''Nidularia farcta'' was given as the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

; today both this taxon as well as ''N. radicata'' are thought to be synonymous with '' Nidularia deformis''. ''N. denudata'' is now the type species of a related genus, ''

''. ''Granularia'', a genus erected by

Albrecht Wilhelm Roth Albrecht Wilhelm Roth (6 January 1757 – 16 October 1834) was a physician and botanist born in Dötlingen, Germany. He studied medicine at the Universities of University of Halle, Halle and University of Erlangen, Erlangen, where he received his ...

in 1791 to contain ''Granularia pisiformis'' (now ''Nidularia deformis''), is synonymous with ''Nidularia''. In 1961, J.T. Palmer separated ''Nidularia''

section Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

''Sorosia'' as a distinct genus, ''

'', combining ''Nidularia denudata'', ''N. castanea'', ''N. fusispora'', and ''N. reticulata'', and adding the new species '' Mycocalia minutissima''. In these species, the peridium comprises

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from , and . Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is named after its glassy appearance on fresh gross pathology. On light microscopy of H&E stained slides, the extracellula ...

, branched, septate hyphae with clamp connections. In contrast, the peridium of ''Nidularia'' have tinted, rigid, spiny, aseptate hyphae that continue into long threads. The peridium of ''Mycocalia'' species is thin, white and short-lasting, while in ''Nidularia'' it is somewhat darker in color and more robust. Formerly classified in the family

Nidulariaceae The Nidulariaceae ('nidulus' - small nest) are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Commonly known as the bird's nest fungi, their fruiting bodies resemble tiny egg-filled birds' nests. As they are saprobic, feeding on decomposing organ ...

, along with other bird's nest fungi genera (''

'', '' Crucibulum'', ''

Nidula ''Nidula'' is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Their fruit bodies resemble tiny egg-filled birds' nests, from which they derive their common name "bird's nest fungi". Originally described in 1902, the genus differs from the related gen ...

'', and ''Mycocalia''),

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

analysis has shown that these fungi belong in the family

Species

Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names (scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. As of 2015, the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and th ...

accepts nine species in the genus ''Nidularia'': *'' Nidularia bonaerensis'' Speg. 1880 *'' Nidularia campoi'' Speg. 1921 – South America *'' Nidularia castanea'' (Ellis & Everh. ex V.S.White) Sacc. & D.Sacc. 1905 *'' Nidularia deformis'' (Willd.) Fr. 1817 *'' Nidularia griseolazulina'' Lindsey & Gilb. 1975 – United States *'' Nidularia heribaudii'' Har. & Pat. 1904 *'' Nidularia heterospora'' Sosin 1960 *'' Nidularia microspora'' Velen. 1939 *'' Nidularia pulvinata'' (Schwein.) Fr. 1823

Description

Fruit bodies of species in this genus grow together in large groups, and have dimensions that are typically 0.5–6 mm in diameter by 0.5–3 mm tall. They may be somewhat irregular in shape, or have a well-formed cup that is thin and fragile. The

has a

tomentose Trichomes (; ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...

surface composed of irregular, spiny

hypha A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one o ...

e over a more compact wall that later breaks down to expose may brown peridioles within. Unlike other bird's-nest genera formerly classified in the family

, the peridioles of the ''Nidularia'' are not connected to the fruit body by a funicular cord, but rather lay clumped together in a gelatinous matrix. There may be over 100 peridioles embedded in the matrix. In ''Nidularia pulvinata'', they have an average size of 1.1 mm diameter by 0.5 mm thickness, with an average mass of 0.2 grams. This species has an estimated 7 million spores per peridiole.

Spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...

s are roughly elliptical in shape,

, and usually with dimensions of 5–10.5 by 4–5.5

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 ...

. '' Nidularia griseolazulina'', however, has larger spores than typical, measuring 14–18 by 10–14 μm.

Habitat and distribution

''Nidularia'' species are

saprophytic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ...

, and grow on rotting wood. The thin, fragile peridium is ruptured by falling raindrops, after which the impact of additional raindrops spreads the internal matrix and dislodges the peridioles within. The splash mechanism of ''Nidularia pulvinata'' discharges peridioles horizontally at speeds ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 meters per second, with ejection distances averaging .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1316092 Agaricaceae Agaricales genera

Taxonomy

Species

Description

Habitat and distribution

See also

References