Hygrocybe collucera (an agaric fungus) - endangered species listing
The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list an agaric fungus Hygrocybe collucera A.M. Young, R. Kearney & E. Kearney as an ENDANGERED SPECIES in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. The listing of Endangered Species is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.
NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
The Scientific Committee has found that:
1. Hygrocybe collucera A.M. Young, R. Kearney & E. Kearney (Fungi, Basidiomycota, Agaricales, Hygrophoraceae) is a small, brightly-coloured red gilled fungus. It is described in Young et al. (2001) as: Pileus 8-20mm, scarlet-red (10A8 or brighter), conico-convex broadly convex, at first distinctly sticky (but not slippery or viscid) then soon dry, smooth but very finely and innately fibrillose at the centre to slightly velvety at the margins; margins striate, yellow (near 2A7) and even to sub-crenulate. Lamellae arcuate to deeply decurrent, brilliant yellow (near 2A8) but occasional basidiomes may show orange (near 4A4) tints, margins even and concolorous, veins present on pileus undersurface and on the upper face of the lamellae. Stipe 30-50x1.5-3.5 mm, brilliant scarlet but yellowish towards the base, cylindrical, dry, smooth or innately finely fibrillose. Spores 6-8(-9) x 3.5-5 m m, mean 7.4 x 4.2 m m, Q: 1.5-2.2 m m, mean Q: 1.76 ellipsoid to cylindrical, hyaline, thin-walled, a majority constricted. Basidia (29-)34-44 x 5.5-8 m m mean 36.9 x 8 m m, Q:4.7-7.0, mean Q:6.0,(2-) 4-spored, clamps present. Cystidia absent. Hymenophoral trama regular and composed of chains of ellipsoid or cylindrical elements that are hyaline, thin-walled 15-55 x 4-16 m m, clamps present; lactifers present as translucent, highly refractive, sometimes contorted hyphae 3-7 m m diameter. Pileipellis a very weak ixocutis or a cutis with some gelatinised hyphae, composed of repent to slightly interwoven hyphal elements that are thin-walled, hyaline 1.5-10 m m diameter, clamps present and usually abundant. Stipitipellis a very weak ixocutis or a cutis with some gelatinised hyphae, composed or repent, hyaline, thin-walled, septate, cylindrical hyphae 1.5-6 m m diameter, clamps present.
2. Hygrocybe collucerais known only from its type locality in the Lane Cove Bushland Park in the Lane Cove local government area in Sydney.
3. Surveys in potentially suitable habitats elsewhere in the Sydney Basin Bioregion have failed to find Hygrocybe collucera. The occurrence of Hygrocybe collucera in Lane Cove Bushland Park appears to be very limited. The species does not produce basidiomes (above-ground fruiting structures) all year, but non-reproductive hyphal structures occur below ground.
4. Hygrocybe collucera is likely to be threatened by water-borne pollutants. Industrial pollutants occur particularly in the upper reaches of Gore Creek in Lane Cove Bushland Park, and domestic contaminants arise from residential properties on the perimeter of the Park. The species is also likely to be at risk from encroachment by exotic weeds, dumping of rubbish and garden refuse, pedestrian traffic in areas where hyphae or basidiomes occur, and inappropriate bush regeneration measures that disturb the forest canopy and native understorey plants.
In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion Hygrocybe collucera A.M. Young, R. Kearney & E. Kearney is likely to become extinct in nature in New South Wales unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.
Proposed Gazettal date: 20/12/02
Exhibition period: 20/12/02 - 07/02/03
Reference
Young, A.M., Kearney, R. & Kearney, E. (2001). Additions to the Hygrophoraceae of Lane Cove Bushland Park. Australasian Mycologist 20, 79-86.