Phellinus portoricensis (Overh.) M.Fidalgo

  • Authority

    Fidalgo, Oswaldo & Fidalgo, Maria E. 1968. Polyporaceae from Venezuela. I. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 17 (2): 1--34.

  • Family

    Hymenochaetaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Phellinus portoricensis (Overh.) M.Fidalgo

  • Description

    Species Description - MACROSCOPIC CHARACTERS, sporophore: sessile applanate or somewhat effused-reflexed. pileus: applanate, 1.5-5(-6) cm long, 4-12 cm wide and 0.3-1.5 cm thick, abhymenial surface: distinctly concentrically zonate, narrowly sulcate, velutinate, reddish-brown, MP-15A12 (Burnt Umber), blackening with age. margin: entire, obtuse, yellowish-brown, MP-12K8 (Spruce Y), paler than the abhymenial surface, context: up to 5 mm thick, at first duplex, woody and somewhat fibrous below, yellowish- to reddish-brown, MP-13L8 (Buckthorn Br.), with some white mycelial strands, limited upward by a black hne over which starts a soft layer, up to 0.5 mm thick, much darker than the lower layer, MP-12K8 (Spruce Y), which forms the surface; context pseudo-homogeneous in old specimens by the disappearance of the upper layer which falls out; with KOH the trama turns black, tubes: in several distinct layers, separated by a black line or a fine stratum of hyphae, 3-5 (-8) mm long per season, MP-13G8, near Toast, much darker than the context, poroid surface: cinereous- to dark brown, MP-13G6 (Polo Tan) ; pores small to minute, subcircular to angular, 8-10 per mm, 93-123(-147) X 73-125 µ diam; dissepiments entire, thin to thick, acute or obtuse, 24.5-49 µ thick. MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERS, surface: a trichoderm formed by the soft upper layer of the context but the trichoderm falling out in old specimens and the surface becoming crustiform the black hne separating the two layers of the context constituting the surface, context: upper layer monomitic, without setal skeletal hyphae, but with generative hyphae subhyaline to yellow, thin-walled, at times somewhat thickened, simple crosswalls rather frequent, clamp-connections absent, 2.5-4(-6) µ diam, nearly straight, loosely interwoven and rarely branched with predominant anticlinal orientation; lower layer dimitic with generative hyphae subhyaline to yellowish, mostly thin-walled, simple crosswalls rare, clamp-connections absent, 1.5-3(-4) µ diam, mostly wavy to irregular, compactly interwoven and much-branched with no predominant orientation and setal skeletal hyphae, straight, ferruginous, with acute tips, unbranched, thick-walled to nearly solid, 7-12.5(-18) µ diam, up to 328 µ long, with periclinal orientation; black line 60-80 µ thick with agglutinated yellow generative hyphae, but without setal skeletal hyphae; white strands in the middle of the lower layer formed by hyaline generative hyphae only with simple crosswalls. dissepiments: dimitic, with yellow generative hyphae 1.5-3 µ diam and setal skeletal hyphae, ferruginous, acute, up to 270 µ long and frequently projecting into the lumen of the tubes. hymenium: hyphal pegs and cystidia not seen; hymenial setae obtuse to nearly acute with straight tips, yellow to ferruginous, nearly conical to subulate, 6-7.5 µ diam at the hymenium level and projecting 14.5-34 µ beyond the basidia, its entire size being 27-44 X 6-7.5 µ, basidia clavate, hyaline, 4-sterigmate, 7-11 X 4.5-6 µ; basidiospores small, subglobose or broadly ellipsoid, thin-walled, smooth, "yellow just from the beginning," nonamyloid, 3-4(-5) X 2.5-3.5(-4) µ.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Overholts (1926: 158) reported the species from Jalapa, Mexico (Murrill & Murrill 37, Dec 1909) and Puerto Rico (type locality) ; Lowe (1957: 31) mentioned it also from Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama and Java. With exception of the record from Java, which I regard to be P. pachyphloeus var tomentosum, I confirmed the presence of this species from all of these areas, as well as from Brazil (Rick 81, Lloyd 17794, BPI). Most collections seen were from Mexico. Phellinus portoricensis in the "pachyphloeus" group is the only one restricted to the American tropics. Habitat, Host and Economic Importance. No specific host is known for Phellinus portoricensis; the type of rot is also unknown.

  • Discussion

    Figs. 1-4, 53-59.

    Fomes portoricensis Overh. in Seaver & Chardon, Sci. Surv. Porto Rico & Virgin Is. 8(1): 158. 1926; Lowe, Mycologia 47(2): 223. 1955; Polyp. N. Amer. The Genus fomes 30-32. 1957.

    Mucronoporus mexicanus Ell. & Macbr. nomen nudum (herb, name at NY, BPI and FH - in Patouillard's collection).

    Pyropolyporus linteus auct. non (Berk. & Curt.) Murr.: Murrill, N. Amer. Fl. 9(2): 109. 1908.

    Fulvifomes linteus auct. non (Berk. & Curt.) Murr.: Murrill, Trop. Polyp. 84. 1915.

    Type. Holotype, Johnston 119, Nov. 30, 1911, Overh. herb. 9895 (NY; merotype, BPI).

    Type Locality. Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

    Basionym. Fomes portoricensis Overh., 1926.

    Illustrations. Lowe, Mycologia 44(2): fig. 1E. 1952; Polyp. N . Amer., The Genus Fomes, figs. 16a-d. 1957.

    Discussion. Phellinus portoricensis differs from all other species of the "pachyphloeus" group by being the only one with duplex context and with "basidiospores yellow from the beginning." From P. portoricensis, besides the indicated characters, P. lamaensis differs by having, at maturity, a clear crust up to 1.2 mm thick and yellow to pale ferruginous setal skeletal hyphae with obtuse tips, 4-7 µ diam; from P. pachyphloeus by the larger size of its sporophores, its thicker crust, the context and tubes nearly concolorous and setal skeletal hyphae of the context up to 850 µ long and up to 32 µ diam; from P. noxius by the hymenial layer transformed into a gelatinized layer with no hymenial setae, but with obtuse setal skeletal hyphae projecting into the lumen of the tubes; from P. melanodermus also by the absence of hymenial setae; and from P. magnosporus by having larger pores, 3-4 per mm and basidiospores up to 8 µ diam. According to Overholts (1926: 158), P. portoricensis has 7-8 pores per mm and setal skeletal hyphae up to 21 µ diam, whereas Lowe (1957: 31) gives 8-10 per m m , and setal skeletal hyphae up to 19 µ diam. I have found, respectively, 8-10 per m m and up to 18 µ diam. Murrill (1908a: 109; 1915: 84) mistook Phellinus portoricensis tor Polyporus linteus Berk, & Curt. The presence of cuspidate cystidia up to 120 X 20 µ, which appear also in the context, is a clear indication of his misinterpretation. Lowe (1957: 30) considered Fomes melanodermus (Pat.) Sacc. & Syd. var tomentosus Bres. to be a synonym of Phellinus portoricensis. I found the characteristics of this variety to be closer to those of P. pachyphloeus.