''Barcheria'' is a fungal

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

in the family

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 ...

. This is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

genus, containing the single

sequestrate Sequestrate may refer to: *pertaining either to secotioid Secotioid fungi are an intermediate growth form between mushroom-like hymenomycetes and closed bag-shaped gasteromycetes, where an evolutionary process of gasteromycetation has started ...

(having underground fruiting bodies) species ''Barcheria willisiana'', found in western Australia.

Taxonomy

The type material was collected from mallee woodlands near

Norseman, Western Australia Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth and above sea level. It is also the starting point of the Eyre Highway, and the last major town in Weste ...

. The genus name ''Barcheria '' honours Barbara Archer, "an enthusiastic and versatile collector who has contributed much to the knowledge of the arid-land fungi of Western Australia". The specific epithet ''willisiana'' acknowledges the Jim Willis family of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Description

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 ...

of ''Barcheria'' are small, measuring by . They have a fragile texture, lack a stipe, and have purplish-brown scales on the outer skin (

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 rubbe ...

). The internal

gleba Gleba (, from Latin ''glaeba, glēba'', "lump") is the fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of certain fungi such as the puffball or stinkhorn. The gleba is a solid mass of spores, generated within an enclosed area within the sporocarp. The contin ...

changes colour from cream to pale after it is exposed to air.

Spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, ...

are thick walled and smooth, roughly spherical to broadly ellipsoid, and hyaline (translucent) when mounted in water or dilute

potassium hydroxide Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash. Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which exp ...

. They have dimensions of 10.5–16.5 by 8–12 µm.

Basidia A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is highly- ...

(spore-bearing cells) are two-spored and measure 28–39.5 by 5–10 µm;

cystidia A cystidium (plural cystidia) is a relatively large cell found on the sporocarp of a basidiomycete (for example, on the surface of a mushroom gill), often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that ar ...

are rare. The hyphae lack

clamp connection A clamp connection is a hook-like structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is a characteristic feature of Basidiomycetes fungi. It is created to ensure that each cell, or segment of hypha separated by septa (cross walls), rec ...

s. Other sequestrate fungi in the family Agaricaceae include ''

Montagnea ''Montagnea'' is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in subtropical dry areas, and contains six species. ''Montagnea'' was circumscribed by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries in 1836. The gen ...

'', '' Gyrophragmium'', '' Longula'', and ''

Endoptychum ''Endoptychum'' is a genus of secotioid fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Like the majority of secotioid taxa, the individual species of ''Endoptychum'' are thought to be recent mutations from agaricoid species, hence, ''Endoptychum'' is likely no ...

''. In contrast with these genera, ''Barcheria'' lacks a stipe, the gleba changes colour upon exposure, and its spores are hyaline.

Habitat and distribution

The fungus is known only from the type locality, where it was found fruiting from July to August in red clay loam at a roadside verge. Nearby vegetation included species of ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as e ...

'', ''

Allocasuarina ''Allocasuarina'' is a genus of trees in the flowering plant family Casuarinaceae. They are endemic to Australia, occurring primarily in the south. Like the closely related genus '' Casuarina'', they are commonly called sheoaks or she-oaks. ...

'', and '' Melaleuca''.

References

Agaricaceae Fungi of Australia Monotypic Agaricales genera Taxa named by Teresa Lebel {{agaricaceae-stub

Taxonomy

Description

Habitat and distribution

See also

References