''Glutinoglossum'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of six species of earth-tongue

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Geoglossaceae Geoglossaceae is a family of fungi in the order Geoglossales, class Geoglossomycetes. These fungi are broadly known as earth tongues. The ascocarps of most species in the family Geoglossaceae are terrestrial and are generally small, dark in col ...

. The widespread

type species In 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 species that contains the biological type specimen ...

, '' G. glutinosum'', is commonly known as the "glutinous earth tongue". '' G. heptaseptatum'' is known only from the Czech Republic. Four additional species were described in 2015.

Taxonomy

The genus was circumscribed in 2013 to contain the

Glutinoglossum glutinosum ''Glutinoglossum glutinosum'', commonly known as the viscid black earth tongue or the glutinous earthtongue, is a species of fungus in the family Geoglossaceae (the earth tongues). Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, it has been found ...

'' (formerly known as ''Geoglossum glutinosum''), and a new species, '' G. heptaseptatum'', found in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioche ...

analysis showed that the two species form one of five well-defined

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

s in the Geoglossaceae. '' Sabuloglossum'' was another genus newly described as a result of this analysis. Although the ''Glutinoglossum'' species are not distinguishable by gross morphological features alone, they can be distinguished by their microscopic characteristics, and have an 8–10%

DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

dissimilarity in their

internal transcribed spacer Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) is the spacer DNA situated between the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and large-subunit rRNA genes in the chromosome or the corresponding transcribed region in the polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript. I ...

regions. The generic name ''Glutinoglossum'' (derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''glutinosus'', meaning "glutinous") refers to the sticky

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 ...

. ''G. glutinosum'' is commonly known as the "viscid black earth tongue".

Description

The club-shaped fruit bodies of ''Glutinoglossum'' species are sticky or gelatinous and black. The fertile

hymenium The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...

(spore-bearing surface) is at the upper portion, or "head". The gelatinous layer on the surface comprises a distinct layer of mostly straight

paraphyses Paraphyses are erect sterile filament-like support structures occurring among the reproductive apparatuses of fungi, ferns, bryophytes and some thallophytes. The singular form of the word is paraphysis. In certain fungi, they are part of the fe ...

. The

asci ASCI or Asci may refer to: * Advertising Standards Council of India * Asci, the plural of ascus, in fungal anatomy * Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative * American Society for Clinical Investigation * Argus Sour Crude Index * Association of ...

(spore-bearing cells) are club-shaped to cylindrical. The slow-maturing

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, f ...

are initially

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

(translucent) and lack

septa The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...

, but eventually turn brown and develop septation. Although the viscid ascocarp surface is a helpful field characteristic that can be used to distinguish ''Glutinoglossum'' species, the character is not strictly unique to this genus–''

Geoglossum difforme ''Geoglossum difforme'' is a species of earth tongue fungus in the family Geoglossaceae. It is found in Europe and North America. It is listed as critically endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinc ...

'' also has sticky fruit bodies, but it is a member of the ''Geoglossum'' clade.

Habitat and distribution

The fruit bodies of ''Glutinoglossum'' grow on the ground in moist areas. The type ''G. glutinosum'' is widely distributed, having been reported from Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and North America. European sightings are commonly associated with pastures and

dune slack An interdunal wetland, interdunal pond or dune slack is a water-filled depression between coastal sand dunes. It may be formed either by wind erosion or by dunal encroachment on an existing wetland. The wind erosion process involves wind scooping ...

s, while in North America the fungus is often reported with

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

trees. ''G. heptaseptatum'' is known only from the type locality—a protected experimental pasture in

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...

. Some literature suggests that the species, or one similar, may be present in Asia, Australia, and North America. Neither species of ''Glutinoglossum'' has been formally assessed for conservation purposes. New Zealand ''Glutinoglossum'' species have been parasitized by the fungus '' Hypomyces papulasporae'', which appears as a white, cottony

mycelium Mycelium (plural mycelia) is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in and on soil and many other substrate (biology), substrates. A typical single ...

that extends to the base of the stipe.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14916822 Geoglossaceae