Volume 44(1-2), 2004

The stipitate species of Hypocrea (Hypocreales, Hypocreaceae) including Podostroma
Holly L. Chamberlain, Amy Y. Rossman, Elwin L. Stewart, Tauno Ulvinen, Gary J. Samuels
Karstenia 44: 1-24.
Stipitate species of Hypocrea have traditionally been segregated as the genus Podostroma. The type species of Podostroma is P. leucopus for which P. alutaceum has been considered an earlier synonym. Study of the type and existing specimens suggests that these two taxa can be distinguished based on morphology and biology. Podostroma leucopus is herein recognized as Hypocrea leucopus (P. Karst.) H. Chamb., comb. nov., thus Podostroma is a synonym of Hypocrea. The genus Podocrea, long considered a synonym of Podostroma, is based on Sphaeria alutacea, a species that is recognized as H. alutacea. A neotype is designated for Sphaeria alutacea. Both H. alutacea and H. leucopus are redescribed and illustrated. The new species H. nybergiana T. Ulvinen & H. Chamb., spec. nov. is described and illustrated. In addition to H. leucopus, seven species of Podostroma are transferred to Hypocrea, viz. H. Africana (Boedijn) H. Chamb., comb. nov., H. cordyceps (Penz. & Sacc.) H. Chamb., comb. nov., H. daisenensis (Yoshim. Doi & Uchiy.) H. Chamb., comb. nov., H. eperuae (Rogerson & Samuels) H. Chamb., comb. nov., H. gigantea (Imai) H. Chamb., comb. nov., H. sumatrana (Boedijn) H. Chamb., comb. nov., and H. truncata (Imai) H. Chamb., comb. nov. A key to the 17 species of stipitate Hypocrea including Podostroma and Podocrea is presented

Notes on the taxonomy and occurrence of some species of Gyromitra in Finland
Seppo Huhtinen, Juhani Ruotsalainen
Karstenia 44: 25-34.
New finds of Gyromitra longipes Harmaja have revealed that this species is more variable than earlier realized. The material previously reported as Gyromitra splendid Raitv. from Finland is shown to be conspecific with G. longipes. Based on a study of a topotype from Estonia, G. splendida is shown to differ from Finnish material mainly by its clearly larger spores. The variability in the macromorphology of G. longipes is treated and illustrated. Both taxa are characterized by broadly folded pilei and subfusiform spores with prominent perisporium. The type of G. bubacii Velen. was studied and the taxon is recognized at the specific level. It is macroscopically close to typical G. esculenta (Pers. : Fr.) Fr. with clearly gyrose pilei. The variability of G. esculenta in its spore characteristics is also treated. Colour photographs of G. longipes and G. splendida are provided.

Polypores and associated beetles of the North Karelian Biosphere Reserve, eastern Finland
Dmitry S. Schigel, Tuomo Niemelä, Maarit Similä, Juha Kinnunen, Olli Manninen
Karstenia 44: 35-56.
Polypores (poroid Basidiomycota) and associated beetles were inventoried in the Koitajoki Natura 2000 area (Ilomantsi municipality) and the Kitsi forest fire area (Lieksa), both belonging to the North Karelian Biosphere Reserve of the EU. As a result 105 polypore species were collected; together with earlier reports by other authors, the amount of species totals 121. This is a high number, surpassed in Finland by a few first-rank nature reserves only. Of the species found, 29 are red listed: 2 endangered (EN: Antrodia crassa (P. Karst.) Ryvarden, Piloporia sajanensis (Parmasto) Niemelä), 11 vulnerable (VU), and 16 near-threatened (NT). Hyphodontia latitans (Bourd. & Galz.) E. Langer has been found in Finland only once from the same area; now it was recollected. The research area is in a way a meeting-point of some northerly species (e.g. Daedaleopsis septentrionalis (P. Karst.) Niemelä, Trichaptum laricinum (P. Karst.) Ryvarden), those with an eastern distribution in Fennoscandia (e.g. Trichaptum pargamenum (Fr.) G. Cunn.), and some southern ones (e.g. Pycnoporellus fulgens (Fr.) Donk). Remarkably numerous were some species which indicate old growth forests of high conservation value (e.g. Amylocystis lapponica (Romell) Singer, Antrodia albobrunnea (Romell) Ryvarden, A. crassa, Fomitopsis rosea (Alb. & Schwein. : Fr.) P. Karst., Phellinus nigrolimitatus (Romell) Bourd. & Galz., Skeletocutis stellae (Pilát) Jean Keller). Beetle imagines were collected from polypore basidiocarps, and their larvae from basidiocarps and underlying decay, and then reared into adults. Special attention was paid to beetles living on rare polypore species. The polypore-associated beetle fauna totals 115 species, including 24 previously unrecorded from the Reserve. Our paper includes beetle records from ca. 30 such polypore species of which no previous beetle finds have been reported in the literature. The ecology of beetles living on fungal basidiocarps is discussed. Polypores can be divided into different ecological groups according to which beetles they attract; a division into basidiocarp consistency classes is proposed to describe such groups. Furthermore, the freshness or decomposition of a basidiocarp determines the amounts of beetles and their larvae, and their species composition.

Hebeloma alvarense, a new species from Estonia
Jan Vesterholt, Jukka Vauras
Karstenia 44: 57-60.
Hebeloma alvarense Vesterh. & Vauras (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) is described as a new species from open alvar pine forest of Western Estonia. It belongs to the section Denudata (Fr.) Sacc., and it is characterized macroscopically by a cinnamon-coloured pileus and a very fragile, floccose stipe.

Notes on Polish polypores 4. Polyporus alveolaris
Marcin Pitek
Karstenia 44: 61-66.
Abundant recent collections of Polyporus alveolaris (DC. : Fr.) Bondartsev & Singer (Basidiomycota) help to outline the morphology, ecology and distribution of this rare, predominantly submediterranean polypore. The Polish localities are actually the northernmost ones in Europe, notably expanding the range of P. alveolaris. Eleven species of Polyporus are known in Poland

New and in North Europe rare polypore species (Basidiomycota) with annual, monomitic basidiocarps
Tuomo Niemelä, Yu-Cheng Dai, Juha Kinnunen, Dmitry S. Schigel
Karstenia 44: 67-77.
Two new species of polypores are described: Postia balsamina Niemelä & Y.C. Dai and P. persicina Niemelä & Y.C. Dai. They were collected on Picea abies in Northern boreal zone. Postia balsamina is white, fleshy and almost resupinate, monomitic, and bears rather thin-walled, acute cystidia with minute apical encrustation; cystidia are usually found in hymenium close to tube orifices and their amount increases by age. The species is reported from northern Finland and Sweden. It resembles P. balsamea (Peck) Jülich, which is pileate, more tough, with smaller spores and pores; P. balsamea occurs as rare in South Finland, and its distribution in Europe is southerly. P. persicina is beautifully orange-red, pileate, and its white pore surface turns yellow when drying. Externally it resembles Tyromyces kmetii (Bres.) Bondartsev & Singer, which grows on angiosperm trees and whose spores are much thicker. In addition to Finland, it was found once in Russian Karelia, growing on spruce. P. luteocaesia (A. David) Jülich is reported from Finland. It is compared to the closest related species, P. caesia (Fr.) P. Karst., P. subcaesia (A. David) Jülich, P. alni Niemelä & Vampola and its brief description is included.