Sarcodon carbonarius Maas Geest. 1964
Details
Details
Nomenclature
Classification
Descriptions
Sarcodon carbonarius Maas Geest. 1964
The above description differs in many ephemeral characters from that of Cunningham (1958), and there seems little doubt that the type description was compiled from overmature, dried material as suggested by Maas Geesteranus (1964). The pileus and stipe of dried fructifications of 24599 are dull olive green while the spines have changed little in colour. In collection F485, which was slightly overmature when collected, blackening of the pileus and stipe is more advanced and the dull green colour is not so apparent. When mounted in 5% KOH solution, the context of the pileus and trama of the spines both stain bluish green. Microscopical examination shows that the large, dark coloured granules embedded among the hyphae have partially dissolved, releasing a bluish green pigment.
Maas Geesteranus (1964) emphasised that a redescription of this species from fresh material was required in order to distinguish it from an American species Sarcodon atroviridis (Morg.) Banker. The two species are closely related but S. carbonarius differs from Coker and Beer's (1951) description of S. atroviridis in the larger spores and magenta tints of the stipe and exposed context.
The genus Sarcodon P. Karst. was not recognised by Cunningham (1958) although the invalidly published Sarcodon Quel. was considered a synonym of "Hydnum L ex S.F. Gray". It is now almost universally accepted that Sarcodon is typified by Hydnum imbricatum, a species with brown tuberculate spores, and Hydnum L ex Fr. by //. Repandum, a species with hyaline, smooth spores (Donk, 1956). The acceptance of these species as the types necessitates alterations to the genera recognised by Cunningham. The genus Hydnum as interpreted by Cunningham becomes equivalent to Sarcodon and Dentinum a synonym of Hydnum L ex Fr.
