''Tremella globispora'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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 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 ...

Tremellaceae. It produces

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 ...

, pustular, gelatinous

basidiocarps In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome, or basidioma () is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do no ...

(fruit bodies) and is

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The ent ...

on pyrenomycetous fungi (''

Diaporthe ''Diaporthe'' is a genus of endophytic filamentous fungal plant pathogens. ''Diaporthe'' species have been shown to transform the infection-inhibiting factors (+)-catechin and (−)-epicatechin into the 3,4-cis-dihydroxyflavan derivatives. Som ...

'' species) on dead herbaceous stems and wood. It was originally described from England.

Taxonomy

The species was formerly referred to ''Tremella tubercularia'', a

nomen novum In biological nomenclature, a ''nomen novum'' (Latin for "new name"), replacement name (or new replacement name, new substitute name, substitute name) is a replacement scientific name that is created when technical, nomenclatural reasons have mad ...

proposed 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 ...

when transferring his earlier ''Tubercularia albida'' to the genus ''Tremella'' (to avoid creating a

homonym In linguistics, homonyms are words which are either; '' homographs''—words that mean different things, but have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation), or '' homophones''—words that mean different things, but have the same pronunciat ...

of ''Tremella albida'' Huds.). In 1970, examination of Berkeley's original collections by English

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and ...

Derek Reid Derek Agutter Reid (2 September 1927 – 18 January 2006) was an English mycologist. Background and education Reid was born in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, the son of a picture-framer. He was educated at Cedars School and the University o ...

showed, however, that ''Tremella tubercularia'' is a gelatinous

ascomycete Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The def ...

, now known as '' Ascocoryne albida''. Reid therefore described ''Tremella globispora'' (as "T. globospora") to accommodate the genuine ''Tremella'' species that had previously and mistakenly been referred to ''T. tubercularia''. The type collection from Sussex was on

perithecia An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascoc ...

of ''

Diaporthe eres Diaporthe eres is a fungal plant pathogen, which is the type species of genus ''Diaporthe''. It causes canker disease in a wide variety of hosts. This species has a long history, having been described many times under various synonyms, for inst ...

'' on dead canes of bramble (''

Rubus fruticosus ''Rubus fruticosus'' L. is the ambiguous name of a European blackberry species in the genus ''Rubus'' (part of the rose family). The name has been interpreted in several ways: *The species represented by the type specimen of ''Rubus fruticosu ...

'').

Description

Fruit bodies are gelatinous, hyaline, pustular, up to 0.5 cm across, but sometimes becoming larger (up to 1 cm across) through confluence. They emerge from the perithecia of their host. Microscopically, the

basidia A basidium (: basidia) is a microscopic spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of reproductive bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main characteristic features of the group. These bodies are also ...

are tremelloid (ellipsoid, with oblique septa), 4-celled, 10 to 18 by 9 to 13

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

basidiospores A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are pr ...

are subglobose, smooth, 6 to 8 by 6 to 7 μm.

Similar species

In Europe, '' Tremella indecorata'', described from Norway, is morphologically very similar, though fruit bodies are said to darken when drying. The type collection was associated with pyrenomycetes ('' Nitschkia grevillei'' and a species of Valsaceae) on willow and said to have a spore range of 6.5 to 7.5 μm or 9.5 to 12 by 8.5 to 11 μm. It is not clear if the two species are distinct, though Scandinavian collections identified as ''T. indecorata'' are grey to date brown when mature and have larger spores (8.5 to 15 by 8 to 12.5 μm). '' Tremella karstenii'' is a similar species parasitic on '' Colpoma juniperi'' on juniper. '' Tremella colpomaticola'' parasitizes ''

Colpoma quercinum ''Colpoma'' is a genus of fungi within the Rhytismataceae family. The genus contains 14 species. Ecology and Habitat * Species within the genus are saprophytic or weakly pathogenic and are commonly found in temperate and subtropical regions. ...

'' on oak. '' Tremella subalpina'' was recently described from rhododendron in Russia. Outside Europe, Chen considered North American collections as "closely related" to but possibly not conspecific with ''Tremella globispora''. Chen also considered '' Tremella bambusina'', described from the Philippines, as a probable synonym, differing only in its brownish orange colour.

Habitat and distribution

''Tremella globispora'' is a parasite on ''Diaporthe'' species and possibly other ascomycetous hosts. It is found on dead, attached or fallen wood and on dead herbaceous stems. The species was described from England and has been widely reported in Europe. The species has also been reported from Canada and the USA (on '' Valsa'' and ''Diaporthe'' species) and from the Russian Far East.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10701815 globispora Fungi of Europe Fungi described in 1970 Fungus species Taxa named by Derek Reid