Three rare lignicolous fungi from Sicily (S Italy)

Sarcodontia crocea (Schwein.) Kotl., Oligoporus mappa (Overh. & Lowe) Gilbn. & Ryvarden and Inonotus rickii (Pat.) D.A. Reid. are reported for the first time from Sicily (southern Italy). Ecological and distributive features on the three relevant species are also here provided

Amylosporus campbellii (Berk.) Ryvarden (Bondarzewiaceae, Basidiomycota), new record to Europe

[EN] The very interesting finding of a subtropical species, Amylosporus campbellii, is reported from Sicily, Italy. Macro-, microscopical characteristics, photographs, and comments on distributional patterns are given

Threats and state of conservation of aphyllophoroid fungi in the Mediterranean

Aphyllophoroid fungi is an artificial and diverse group of fungi, often little considered in mycological inventories, but very important in the forest dynamics. In this paper we summarize generally some of the most relevant and interesting habitats in the Mediterranean for this group of fungi, and briefly analyze the conservation problematics

Three rare lignicolous fungi from Sicily (S Italy)

Sarcodontia crocea (Schwein.) Kotl., Oligoporus mappa (Overh. & Lowe) Gilbn. & Ryvarden and Inonotus rickii (Pat.) D.A. Reid. are reported for the first time from Sicily (southern Italy). Ecological and distributive features on the three relevant species are also here provided

A phylogenetic analysis of Antrodia s.l. based on nrDNA ITS sequences, with emphasis on rhizomorphic European species

n/

<I>Antrodia sandaliae</I> (<I>Polyporales, Basidiomycota</I>), an interesting polypore collected in the Iberian Peninsula

L\u27espèce Antrodia sandaliae est reportée pour la première fois en Espagne, ce qui constitue la première observation hors de Sardaigne, localité typique. L\u27espèce est brièvement décrite et illustrée sur base des exemplaires ibériques. Arbutus unedo se confirme comme le substratum typique pour cette espèce méditerranéenne.Antrodia sandaliae is reported for the first in Spain, what constitutes the first record out of the type locality in Sardinia (Italy). A brief description and a line drawing of the species based on the Iberian specimen is given. Arbutus unedo is confirmed as the typical substrate for this wood-inhabiting Mediterranean species.</p

Lignicolous Fungi Collected in Northern Italy: Identification and Morphological Description of Isolates

In recent years, fungi, particularly lignicolous fungi, have been re-considered as a source for biotechnological and industrial applications. Lignicolous basidiomycetes are the most effective at degrading wood, particularly cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, which are among the most resistant biopolymers. This study aims to constitute a research collection of lignicolous fungal strains that are useful for further studies and applications in different production fields. The basidiomata used to isolate the strains in a pure culture were, firstly, identified through macroscopic and microscopic characteristics integrated with ecological data. To obtain pure cultures of dikaryotic mycelia, 96 different strains of Agaricomycetes belonging to 76 different species and related to 51 genera (18 families and 5 orders) were isolated using a malt extract agar (MEA) medium enriched with hydrogen peroxide. The identity of the isolated strains was then confirmed by molecular analysis through the sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal RNA gene cluster. All the strains are currently conserved using different methods, and their vitality is periodically tested

THE COLLECTION OF MEDICINAL MACROFUNGI OF PAVIA UNIVERSITY

In 2010 researchers of the University of Pavia began the collection of wood decay macrofungi strains, and among them various are medicinal mushrooms, able to develop their sporomata in the Italian environmental conditions. The culture collection, nowadays deposited at the Mycological Laboratory of DSTA of the same University, has been year after year implemented and enriched also thanks to the contribution of Bologna and Siena Universities. This action was driven by the necessity to protect fungal species having officinal properties from the threat of extensive picking, as well as to conserve ex situ rare taxa of particular interest (1). Indeed, culture collections play a key role in preservation and maintenance of fungal genetic resources and they are an important tool to get biological material for application purposes. Wood-inhabiting fungi were collected from Italian Alps, Apennines, plain woods and Mediterranean areas. Particular attention has been paid towards “polyporoid and corticioid” fungi. Pure culture isolation was mostly carried out from sporomata and in a few cases from basidiospores; always by experimental sterile conditions. During the last 5 years, 217 strains belonging to wood-decay macrofungi were obtained (Carolina Girometta, personal communication). Among these, about 50 are believed to have officinal properties, referred to scientific publications and observations from traditional medicines, mainly the Chinese one (MTC). It must be underlined the isolation of Fomitopsis officinalis (Vill.) Bondartsev & Singer (syn. Laricifomes officinalis), well known since I Century A.D. for its medicinal properties (2). Due to the past extensive collection, it became so rare to be supposed almost extinct in Europe (3). Consequently 8 European countries included it into the Red Lists of threatened species and it was added in 2014 to the Italian one too (Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare). Thanks to programs of habitat protection together with a specific census, F. officinalis spread out again on the Alps (4). Noteworthy also the recovering of Ganoderma pfeifferi Bres. from Teramo and Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. from Siena. The last one, under assessment by the Global Fungal Red List Initiative of IUCN, is a fungus rich in physiologically important components and studied for its properties also at Pavia University (5)