Fungi, Lichens, and Liverworts

... at Fern Glade

I've spent a little time this month perambulating up and down the river bank at Fern Glade. With the cooler weather setting in, and plenty of rain, a variety of fungi has been popping up out of the ground, on rotting logs, and even on an animal carcass. Be aware that I am not an expert on fungi (or on anything else for that matter) so all identifications are tentative.

I'll get the the gruesome one out of the way first. Amidst a pile of bones and decomposing flesh at the side of the track, fungi was quietly working away helping to clean things up. Assuming my ID is correct this is the Ghoul fungus , Hebeloma aminophilum.

Ghoul fungus , Hebeloma aminophilum.

Several logs and stumps have had clumps of the Honey Fungus, Armillaria luteobubalina.

Honey Fungus, Armillaria luteobubalina.

The next one is definitely a new one for me. It’s the Shaggy Top Bolete. It is a beautiful yellow colour underneath.

Shaggy Top Bolete - Boletellus emodensis

I'm not sure what this next one is. Any suggestions?

Unknown

After 9 years of visiting Fern Glade I finally noticed there is another track that follows close to the road between the two reserve entries. It was along here we found a couple of specimens of this fungus with pinky purplish gills.

Next up is what I believe to be Plums and Custard, Tricholomopsis rutilans. This is said to be a 'probable' introduction to Australia and is usually associated with pines. This one was growing at the base of a Eucalypt.  Maybe my ID is wrong but it certainly looks like the one in Fuhrer's guide.

Plums and Custard, Tricholomopsis rutilans

This Earth Ball was growing deep in the shadows below some Tree Ferns.

Earth Ball – Pisolithus sp 

I have know idea on the next two. Any suggestions (or corrections for the above) would be much appreciated.

Unknown - about 25mm across

Unknown - Caps probably about 9mm across

This small one belongs, I think, to the genus Amanita.

Amanita sp

Lichens

In damper spots of the cutting at the side of the track are various mosses and lichens including a couple of examples of  Cladonia spp.

British Soldiers - Cladonia cristatella

Cladonia sp

Liverworts

The liverwort in the next shot was growing like moss over an old tree stump. An attempt at keying it out suggests it may belong to the genus Radula.  The thin stalks with little capsules on them are the sporophytes (or spore capsules). Mature capsules are black.

Liverwort - Radula sp

Liverwort - Radula sp  close up

To give a bit of context,  I'll end with of photo of the Emu River taken yesterday afternoon. It was dull, threatening rain, and very quiet. Fog was starting to form above the surface of the water.

The Emu River at Fern Glade

A Liverwort

.... Marchantia sp.

Yesterday I purchased some native plants for the back yard. Twenty six plants of sixteen species. Nearly all are Tasmanian natives. One exception is the West Australian Hakea elliptica. I didn't read the label. Looking at the leaves I thought I was buying the local species, Hop Bitter-pea, Daviesia latifolia. That may tell you something about my plant ID skills :-) Oh well - I guess the birds will like it.

In any case, I haven't planted them as yet as I've been more interested in what was growing in a couple of the pots alongside the plants. In fact, truth be known, I purchased two Melaleuca ericifoli simply because I was fascinated by the liverworts growing in the pots.

#1 - Liverworts in pot

If there are any ....ummm "liverwortologists" :~) out there, please feel free to set me straight my description below.

There are two main categories of liverworts - thalose and leafy. Mine is thalose.

The main leafy looking part of my liverwort is the gametophyte. Gametophytes come in different forms for different species. In this one it takes the form of a thallus. That is to say it has no arrangement of leaves and stems but consists simply of a flat spreading vegetative body.

The tiny white dots on the upper surface of the gametophyte, when examined under my little microscope are actually barrel shaped pores. Some species have simple holes on the surface but these more complex structures suggest my liverwort belongs to the genus Marchantia. The pores lead to little air chambers below the surface that allow for the gaseous exchange needed in photosynthesis.

#2 - Gametophyte, - Marchantia.sp.

The underside of the gametophyte is covered in a dense mass hairy looking stuff. These are the rhizoids and their function is to anchor the thallus to the soil.

#3 - Lateral view showing rhizoids

This liverwort has two means of reproduction, sexual, and asexual. The asexual is the simplest to explain. See the little nodules on the surface. These will develop into little cups (gemma cups) which contain green disc like objects of about half a millimetre in diameter known as gemmae (singular gemma) . If the gemmae are washed out by rain onto suitable soil, a new gametophyte will grow. You can see a gemma in the next photo. This one has been washed down to the underside of the liverwort.

#4 - A gemma which has been washed down among the rhizoids

Then there is sexual reproduction. These liverworts are dioceous (They have separate male and female plants) so some of those gametophytes will produce male parts and other will produce female parts.

The long stemmed umbrella like structure seen in photo #. are the archegoniophores (female).

#5 - Ventral view of an archegoniophore (female).

The shorter stalks with the star shapes tops are the antheridiophores (male).

#6 - Antheridiophores (male).

The female receptical (carpocephalum) are initially down near the surface and face up. It is not until after they are fertilised that the stems carry them up high. As the grow taller, sporophytes (where the spore capsules are produced) develop underneath each receptical. The umbrella shaped part grows wider and eventually fold under at the edges so the the spore capsules end up underneath (facing down)

The spores are released and the life cycle continues

Well if nothing else, that was a fascinating diversion from planting my newly acquired plants.

References

• Australian Bryophytes Web Site . 2008. - Australian National Botanic Gardens/Australian National Herbarium
• Biology 7th Edition - Villee, Claude. 1977. - Saunders

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