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Hypomyces lateritius

by Michael Kuo, 11 September 2023

This Hypomyces covers the gills of species of Lactarius in the Deliciosi section of the genus—a group of about a dozen milky caps that feature milk that is colored as exuded, and surfaces that often discolor dark green with age (see couplets 15–27 in the milky cap key). Hypomyces lateritius is white to buff throughout most of its development, but becomes brick red to reddish brown when very old. Under the microscope the species features spores that are not septate, although they frequently contain two oil droplets that can give the impression the spore is divided.

Description:

Ecology: Parasitic on species of Lactarius in the Deliciosi section of the genus (see above); summer and fall, or over winter in warm climates; originally described from Sweden (Fries 1823); widely distributed in Europe, and in North America throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The illustrated and described collections are from Illinois and Michigan.

Fruiting Body: A white to beige coating that spreads across the gills of the host mushroom, disfiguring them; with old age the white darkens to brick red or reddish brown.

Perithecia: Amber to reddish brown or darker; usually visible to the naked eye.

Chemical Reactions: KOH on surface negative or brownish.

Microscopic Features: Spores 16–19 x 4–5 µm; fusiform; finely verrucose; with tapered apiculi; hyaline in water and KOH; not septate, but often biguttulate. Asci 125–150 x 4–6 µm; cylindric; 8-spored. Subicular hyphae 3–6 µm wide, septate, smooth, hyaline in KOH; terminal cells clavate to sublageniform.

REFERENCES: (E. M. Fries, 1823) L. R. Tulasne & C. Tulasne, 1860. (Rogerson & Samuels, 1994; McNeil, 2006; Miller & Miller, 2006; Beug et al., 2014; Baroni, 2017; Elliott & Stephenson, 2018; Læssøe & Petersen, 2019.) Herb. Kuo 09111010, 10081804.

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Perithecia

Spores

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Kuo, M. (2023, September). Hypomyces lateritius. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hypomyces_lateritius.html