Hypomyces lateritius

Species of edible parasitic fungus

Hypomyces lateritius, the ochre gillgobbler, is a parasitic ascomycete fungus that grows on certain species of Lactarius mushrooms, improving their flavor and densifying the flesh. Hosts include L. camphoratus, L. chelidonium, L. controversus, L. deliciosus, Lactarius indigo, L. rufus, L. salmonicolor, L. sanguifluus, L. semisanguifluus, L. tabidus, L. trivialis, and L. vinosus.^[1]

It is a microscopic fungus causing the formation of a macroscopic whitish subiculum over the hymenium of its host species, preventing gill formation.^[1] Presence of H. lateritius also often deforms the cap and stipe.^[1] Parasitization by H. lateritius does not prevent latex from forming when the flesh is cut.^[2]

Lactarius salmonicolor infected with Hypomyces lateritius

Distribution

Hypomyces lateritius can be found wherever Lactarius species can be found, in North America from Alaska to Mexico and in Europe from the Iberian peninsula to the Ukraine. In Asia in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Western Siberia. It has also been reported in New Zealand and South Africa.^{[citation needed]}

Synonyms

• Sphaeria lateritia Fries, Syst. Mycol. 2: 338. 1823.
• Hypocrea lateritia (Fr.) Fries, Summa Veg. Scand. 383.1849.
• Peckiella lateritia (Fr.) Maire, Ann. Mycol. 4: 331.1906.
• Byssonectria lateritia (Fr.) Petch, J. Bot. Lond. 75: 220.1937.
• Hypomyces volemi Peck, Bull. Torrey Club 27: 20. 1900.
• Peckiella hymenioides Peck, Bull. Torrey Club 34: 102.1907.
• Hypomyces camphorati Peck, New York State Bull. 205:23. 1905 (1906).
• Peckiella camphorati (Peck) Seaver, Mycologia 2: 68.1910.^[1]
• Hypomyces camphorati (syn. Peckiella camphorati) is sometimes treated as a separate species from H. lateritius.^[3] Subiculum of specimens with L. camphoratus host tends more yellowish, and displays slightly larger ascospores.^[1] More research is required to determine whether H. lateritius is a single species or a species complex.^[1]

References

1. Rogerson, Clark T.; Samuels, Gary J. (1994). "Agaricicolous Species of Hypomyces". Mycologia. 86 (6): 839–866. doi:10.2307/3760597. ISSN 0027-5514. JSTOR 3760597.
2. "Fichas micológicas - Hypomyces lateritius". Retrieved August 6, 2021.
3. "Peckiella camphorati". iNaturalist United Kingdom. Retrieved 2021-11-25.

External links

Media related to Hypomyces lateritius at Wikimedia Commons

[[Category:Fungi described in