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October 29, 2009 : Macrotyphula juncea
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Plant Family / Families: Clavariaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Macrotyphula juncea (Fries) Berthier
Institution: David C. Lam Asian Garden, University of British Columbia Botanical Garden
Name Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
...and a thank you to Randal Mindell of UBC Botanical Garden, who wrote today's entry:
If anyone is wondering what the term gregarious means in a mycological context, Daniel's photographs today do a fairly good job of illustrating it. Macrotyphula juncea is a relatively widespread, yet under-reported fungus, documented across both hemispheres at diverse longitudinal gradients. According to David Aurora's Mushrooms Demystified, it is typically found on decaying leaf litter. Here in the garden, we found it atop maple leaves in late October.
This genus falls within the fungal phylum Basidiomycota, better known as the mushrooms. While Macrotyphula juncea does not look like a typical mushroom, what you are seeing in the corresponding photographs are above-ground "fruiting bodies" that bear the same characteristic spore-bearing structures (basidia) as all members of the phylum. The solitary, thread-like fruiting bodies of this species are less than a millimeter in diameter and are observed in our massive population to approach 10 centimeters in height. While their surfaces appear remarkably smooth to the naked eye, under the microscope, you can see that it is entirely covered by spore-bearing basidia.
Can you eat it? In David Aurora's infamous Mushrooms Demystified, the edibility of Macrotyphula juncea is described by the author as "utterly irrelevant--a couple hundred would be needed for a mouthful!".
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at October 29, 2009 2:44 PM
Comments
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Posted by: fm rinker charleston, sc usa at October 29, 2009 4:19 PM
So fascinating!
Posted by: Meg Bernstein at October 29, 2009 4:23 PM
I love it when you feature mushrooms! Puts me in the mood for Halloween!
Posted by: Melissa at October 29, 2009 4:23 PM
Wow! I have seen this in the Smokies! It was in a small pool of water overlaying leaf litter.
Posted by: Crystal Rogers at October 29, 2009 5:30 PM
After looking at the titles, as I scrolled down, I looked at the specific epithet for clues. Thought it might look like Juncus. I checked the family name - no help. And then the picture - still no idea what I'm looking at. But a mushroom. What fun!
Posted by: Deborah Lievens at October 29, 2009 7:23 PM
fungal phylum Basidiomycota, better known as the mushrooms....
he...he...yep the mushrooms..lol
phillip
Posted by: phillip at October 29, 2009 7:49 PM
does kinda looks like a juncus to me ... enough to justify the name anyway. Is that why it was so named?
Posted by: Hollis at October 29, 2009 7:53 PM
I think so, yes.
There's one little factoid I meant to add as one of the first comments. Gather a bunch of them in your hand, make sure they're in a pile, and inhale... the scent of apple pie!
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at October 29, 2009 8:06 PM
Interesting little fungus.
Also a bit scary like needles. But if it smells like apple pie then it's good stuff.
Posted by: Cambree at October 29, 2009 9:55 PM
woah. Thx!
Posted by: Er.We at October 29, 2009 11:45 PM
you want us to inhale apple pie
do you have any choclate cream pie growing
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at October 30, 2009 4:01 AM
Great write up and photography..Linda
Posted by: linda miller at October 30, 2009 5:58 AM
that is THE coolest! it almost looks like grass.
Posted by: kate at October 30, 2009 9:35 AM
Magnificent. Thank you for this posting. Most interesting!
Posted by: Heather at October 30, 2009 7:54 PM
Wow. At first, it looked like a 3D seismograph . . . or a collage of the EKGs of a team of lugers!
Posted by: Gary in Olympia at November 1, 2009 6:35 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Botany Photo of the Day and associated images by UBC Botanical Garden staff are licensed under a Creative Commons License. Images and text by non-UBC contributors are copyright the respective photographers / authors (but often have Creative Commons licenses if contributed via Flickr).
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
unusual and magical. in the right lighting, could be tiny candles - fun to see. will it flourish in high humidity?