Armillaria solidipes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Armillaria solidipes

Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Agaricales
Family:
Physalacriaceae
Genus:
Armillaria
Species:
A. solidipes
Binomial name
Armillaria solidipes
Peck (1900)

Synonyms
Agaricus congregatus Bolton 1791
Armillaria mellea var. obscura
Gillet 1874

Armillariella ostoyae Romagn. 1970

Armillariella solidipes (Peck)
T.J.Baroni 1981

Armillaria solidipes (formerly Armillaria ostoyae) is a species of fungus in the

Physalacriaceae family. It is the most common variant in the western U.S., of the group of
species that all used to share the name Armillaria mellea. Armillaria solidipes is quite
common on both hardwood and conifer wood in forests west of the Cascade crest. The
mycelium attacks the sapwood and is able to travel great distances under the bark or between
trees in the form of black rhizomorphs ("shoestrings").
In most areas of North America, Armillaria solidipes can be separated from other species by
its physical features. Its brown colors, fairly prominent scales featured on its cap, and the
well-developed ring on its stem sets it apart from any Armillaria. (Herink, 1973)
It is known to be one of the largest living organisms, where scientists have estimated a single
specimen found in Malheur National Forest in Oregon to have been growing for some 2,400
years, covering 3.4 square miles (8.4 km) and colloquially named the "Humongous
Fungus." Armillaria solidipes grows and spreads primarily underground and the bulk of the

organism lies in the ground, out of sight. Therefore, the organism is not visible to anyone
viewing from the surface. It is only in the autumn when this organism will bloom honey
mushrooms, visible evidence of the organism lying beneath. Low competition for land and
nutrients have allowed this organism to grow so huge; it possibly covers more geographical
area than any other living organism.[1]

Contents
[hide]

1 Taxonomy
2 Life cycle

3 Pathogenicity

4 Geography

5 Diagnosis

6 Treatment

7 Edibility

8 See also

9 References

10 External links

Taxonomy[edit]

Armillaria solidipes
The species was formerly known as Armillaria ostoyae Romagn., until a 2008 publication
revealed that the species had been described under the name Armillaria solidipes by Charles
Horton Peck in 1900,[2] long before Henri Romagnesi had described it in 1970.[3]

Life cycle[edit]
This fungus, like most parasitic fungi, reproduces sexually. The fungi begin their life as
spores, released into the environment by a mature mushroom. Armillaria solidipes has a
white spore print. There are two types of mating types for spores (not male and female but

similar in effect). The spores can be dispersed by environment factors such as wind or they
can be redeposited by an animal. Once the spores are in a resting state, the single spore must
come in contact with a spore of an opposite mating type and of the same species. If the single
spore isolates are from different species, the colonies will not fuse together and they will
remain separate. When two isolates of the same species but different mating types fuse
together, they soon form coalesced colonies which become dark brown and flat. With this
particular fungus it will produce mycelial cords also known as rhizomorphs.[4] These
rhizomorphs allow the fungus to obtain nutrients from long distances away. These are also the
main factors to its pathogenicity. As the fruiting body continues to grow and obtain nutrients,
it forms into a mature mushroom. Armillaria solidipes in particular grows a wide and thin
sheet-like plates radiating from the stem which is known as its gills. The gills hold the spores
of a mature mushroom. This is stained white when seen as a spore print. Once spore
formation is complete, this signifies a mature mushroom and now is able to spread its spores
to start a new generation.

Pathogenicity[edit]
The disease is of particular interest to forest managers, as the species is highly pathogenic to
a number of commercial softwoods, notably Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), true firs
(Abies spp.) and Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). A commonly prescribed treatment is
the clear cutting of an infected stand followed by planting with more resistant species such as
Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) or deciduous seedlings.
Pathogenicity is seen to differ among trees of varying age and location. Younger conifer trees
at age 10 and below are more susceptible to infection leading to mortality, with an increased
chance of survival against the fungus where mortality can become rare by age 20.[5] While
mortality among older conifers is less likely to occur, this does happen, however, in forests
with dryer climates.[6]
The pathogenicity of Armillaria solidipes appears to be more common in interior stands, but
its virulence is seen to be greater in coastal conifers. Although conifers along the coastal
regions show a lower rate of mortality against the root disease, infections can be much worse.
Despite differences in how infections occur between these two regions, infections are
generally established by rhizomorph strands, and pathogenicity is correlated to rhizomorph
production.

Geography[edit]
Armillaria solidipes is mostly common in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. In
North America, this fungus can be found on host coniferous trees located in the northwestern
forests of the continent in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. While Armillaria
solidipes is distributed throughout the different biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia, the
root disease causes the greatest amount of problem in the interior parts of the region in the
Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) biogeoclimatic zone.[7] It is both present in the interior where it
is more common as well as along the coastal lines.
A mushroom of this type in the Malheur National Forest in the Strawberry Mountains of
eastern Oregon, U.S. was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning 8.9
square kilometres (2,200 acres) of area. This organism is estimated to be 2,400 years old. The

fungus was written about in the April 2003 issue of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research.
While an accurate estimate has not been made, the total mass of the colony may be as much
as 605 tons. If this colony is considered a single organism, then it is the largest known
organism in the world by area, and rivals the aspen grove "Pando" as the known organism
with the highest living biomass. In 1992, a relative of the Strawberry Mountains clone was
discovered in southwest Washington state. It covers about 6 square kilometres (1,500 acres).
Another "humongous fungus" is a specimen of Armillaria gallica found at a site near Crystal
Falls, Michigan, which covered 0.15 square kilometres (37 acres).

Diagnosis[edit]
A tree is diagnosed with this parasitic fungus once the following characteristics are identified:

Resin flow from tree base

Crown thinning or changing color to yellow or red

Distress crop of cones

White mycelial fan under bark

Black rhizomorphs penetrating root surfaces

Honey-colored mushrooms near base of tree in fall

Affected trees often in groups or patches on the east side of the Cascades; usually
killed singly on the west side.

A. solidipes may be confused with Mottled rot (Pholiota limonella). It has similar
mushrooms, but only if mycelial fans are not present. Dead and diseased trees usually occur
in disease centers, which appear as openings in the canopy. GPS tracking can aid in the
monitoring of these areas. However, sometimes distinct centers will be absent and diseased
trees are scattered throughout the stand. [8]

Treatment[edit]
Armillaria can remain viable in stumps for 50 years. Chemical treatments do not eradicate the
fungus entirely, and they are not cost-effective. The most frequent and effective approach to
managing root disease problems is to attempt to control them at final harvest by replanting
site-suited tree species that are disease tolerant. In eastern Washington that typically means
replacing Douglas-fir or true fir stands with ponderosa pine, western larch, western white
pine, lodgepole pine, western red cedar, alder, or spruce. Species susceptibility varies
somewhat from location to location. All trees in the disease center as well as uninfected trees
within 50 feet should be cut. No tree from a highly susceptible species should be planted
within 100 feet of a disease center.
The use of another fungus, Hypholoma fasciculare has been shown in early experiments to
competitively exclude Armillaria solidipes in both field and laboratory conditions, but further
experimentation is required to establish the efficacy of this treatment.

Another more expensive alternative to changing species is to remove diseased stumps and
trees from the site by pushing them out with a bulldozer. The air will dry and kill the fungus.
And any small roots left underground will decay before they can reinfect the new seedlings,
so it is not necessary to burn the stumps. After stump removal, any species may be planted.
The removal of stumps (stumping) has been used to prevent contact between infected stumps
and newer growth resulting in lower infection rates. However, it is unknown if the lower
infection rates will persist as roots of young trees extend closer to the original inoculate from
the preceding stand.
The most important control measure after planting is to manage for reduced tree stress. This
includes regulating species composition, maintaining biological diversity, and reducing the
chances for insect pest buildup. Mixed-species forests are more resistant to insect defoliation,
and also slow the spread of species-specific pests such as dwarf mistletoe, which are both
predisposing agents for Armillaria.[9]

Edibility[edit]
Armillaria solidipes are considered edibles.[10]

See also[edit]
Fungi portal

Largest organisms
List of Armillaria species

List of bioluminescent fungi

References[edit]
1.
2.

Jump up ^ "Biggest Living Thing". Extreme Science. 1 Dec 2010.

Jump up ^ Peck, C. H. (1900). "New species of Fungi". Bulletin of the Torrey
Botanical Club 27 (12): 609613. doi:10.2307/2477998. JSTOR 2477998.

3.

Jump up ^ Burdsall, H. H.; Volk, T. J. (2008). "Armillaria solidipes, an older

name for the fungus called Armillaria ostoyae" (pdf). North American Fungi 3 (7):
261267. doi:10.2509/naf2008.003.00717.

4.

Jump up ^ Korhonen, K. (1978). "Interfertility and Clonal Size in Armillaria

mellea Complex". Karstenia 18: 3142.

5.

Jump up ^ Morrison, D. J.; Pellow, K. W. (2002). "Variation in Virulence

Among Isolates of Armillaria ostoyae". Forest Pathology 32 (2): 99107.
doi:10.1046/j.1439-0329.2002.00275.x.

6.

Jump up ^ Harington, T. C.; Wingfield, M. J. (2000). "19. Diseases and the

Ecology of Indigenous and Exotic Pines". In Richardson, D. M. Ecology and
Biogeography of Pinus. Cambridge University Press. p. 386. ISBN 9780521789103.

7.

Jump up ^ Cruickshank, M. G.; Morrison, D. J.; Lalumiere, A. (2009). "The

Interaction Between Competition in Douglas-fir Plantation and Disease Caused by
Armillaria ostoyae in British Columbia". Forest Ecology and Management 257 (2):
443452. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2008.09.013.

8.

Jump up ^ "CTD-Root Disease: Armillaria Root Disease". Forestry

Development. 19 March 2009. Retrieved 7 Dec 2010.

9.

Jump up ^ "Armillaria Root Rot, Shoestring Root Rot, Honey Mushroom".

Forest Health Notes. Washington State University - Department of Natural Resource
Science Extension. Retrieved 2013-06-11.

10.

Jump up ^ Oregon's monster mushroom is world's biggest living thing

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armillaria ostoyae.

Beale, B. (10 April 2003). "Humungous fungus: world's largest organism?". ABC
Online. Archived from the original on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 2 January 2007.
Amos, J. (7 August 2000). "Fantastic fungus find". BBC News.

Volk, T. (2002). "The Humongous Fungus - Ten Years Later". Inoculum 53 (2): 48.

"Armillaria Root Rot, Shoestring Root Rot, Honey Mushroom". Forest Health Notes.
Washington State University.

Morrison, D.; Mallett, K. (1996). "Silvicultural Management of Armillaria Root

Disease in Western Canadian Forests" (pdf). Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 18
(2): 194199. doi:10.1080/07060669609500645.

Chapman, B.; Xiao, G.; Myers, S. (2004). "Early Results from Field Trials Using
Hypholoma fasciculare to Reduce Armillaria ostoyae Root Disease". Canadian
Journal of Botany 82 (7): 962969. doi:10.1139/b04-078.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Armillaria_solidipes&oldid=630459197"
Categories:
Armillaria
Bioluminescent fungi

Fungi of Europe

Fungi of North America

Natural history of Oregon

Natural history of Washington (state)

Fungal tree pathogens and diseases

Fungi described in 1900

Hidden categories:
Use dmy dates from June 2012
Articles with 'species' microformats

Navigation menu
Personal tools

Create account
Log in

Namespaces

Article
Talk

Variants
Views

Read
Edit

View history

More
Search
Go

Navigation

Main page
Contents

Featured content

Current events

Random article

Donate to Wikipedia

Wikimedia Shop

Interaction

Help
About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page

Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book
Download as PDF

Printable version

Languages

Catal
Cebuano

Deutsch

Eesti

Espaol

Franais

Italiano

Magyar

Nederlands

Piemontis

Polski

Portugus

Simple English

/ srpski

Suomi

Svenska

Ting Vit

Walon

Winaray

Edit links
This page was last modified on 21 October 2014 at 02:05.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armillaria_solidipes