Specimen #20: Scleroderma areolatum

Collection #: 20

Scientific Name: Scleroderma areolatum

Phylum: Basidiomycetes

Order: Boletales

Family: Sclerodermataceae

Common Name: Common earth ball

Location: Hiram College Field Station

Habitat: Log covered with mosses

Date of collecting: October 8th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Cute looking, but poisoning

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Specimen top view

Fig.2 Specimen side view

Fig.3 Buds on the top under a dissecting scope

Fig.4 Spores under a microscope

Fig.5 Spore mass under a dissecting scope

Fig.6 The opening and inside view of the specimen

From the pictures above, it is pretty obvious for us to see that this is a puffball fungi. As a result of this, we can go directly to page 677 of the book for  puffballs.



The following steps is how I went through the keys:

Key to the Lycoperdales & Allies:
1. (B) Not as above (fruiting body may rupture in starlike fashion, but if so then there is no separate spore case within) (2) 
2. (B) Spore mass not containing peridioles, or if so then the peridioles considerable larger than grains of sand (usually appearing more like seeds) (4)
4. (B) Not as above; peridioles absent; spores produced in a single large chamber (the spore case) (5)
5. (A) Spore case typically hard or tough with a thick rindlike skin, at least when young; spore mass white when very young but soon darkening (usually purple-gray to black) while remaining firm, eventually becoming dark brown to blackish and powdery; basidia not borne in a hymenium; capillitium absent (Scleroderma, p.707)

Key to Scleroderma:
1. (B) Not as above; mature spores ornamented; found underground or above; common (2)
2. (B) Not as above; fruiting above the ground, or if underground then usually with an obvious base or point of attachment; peridium not marbled in cross-section; spores borne on basidia (3)
3. (B) Not as above; either peridium thinner (averaging 1-4 mm) or not rupturing into starlike lobes; fruiting body fairly small to medium-sized (rarely large) (4)
4. (B) Not as above ("stalk" if present shorter and/or habitat different) (5)
5. (A) Peridium (skin) covered with prominent inherent rosette-like scales (i.e., each scale often with a central wart); widespread, but especially common in forests (6)
6. (A) Peridium (skin) rather thin (typically less than 2 mm), usually rupturing in old age through a pore or slit at top; spores spiny (S. verrucosum & S. areolatum)

The species was decided after research on the picture of the two online.

Description of the species:

This widely distributed Scleroderma species probably requiresmicroscopic analysis for certain identification. Several similar species share most of its visible features: thin skin, small brownish scales over a yellowish background, a blackish interior, and a brownish to reddish reaction to KOH.

A look at the spores of Scleroderma areolatum, however, eliminates the other possibilities. The spores are densely spiny but not reticulate, measuring 11-15 µ, with spines up to 2 µ long.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods and conifers in moist, shady woods--but also possibly saprobic, since it is also found in open areas, gardens, and so on; growing gregariously or clustered (rarely alone); widely distributed in North America; summer and fall.

Fruiting Body: 1-5 cm across; round or shaped like an inverted pear; the surface smooth and bruising reddish when young, becoming scaly (especially near the apex) and by maturity acquiring a "leopard skin" appearance with small brownish scales over a yellowish base color; skin 1 mm thick or less; without a stem, or occasionally with a poorly defined pseudo-stem; with white rhizomorphs attached to the base; odor sweetish or not distinctive.

Spore Mass: Whitish and fleshy at first but soon dark purplish or olive brown, eventually powdery.

Chemical Reactions: Surface instantly yellowish brown or dark red with KOH.

Microscopic Features: Spores 11-15 µ; round or nearly so; densely spiny but not reticulate; with spines up to 2 µ long.

Collecting and keying story:

The Hiram College Field station field trip day

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scleroderma_areolatum

Keys cited from:
Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora (Second Edition).  This book was printed by Ten Speed Press with copyright @ 1979 and 1986.

Description cited from:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/scleroderma_areolatum.html

Specimen #19: Herzogiella striatella

Collection #: 19

Scientific Name: Herzogiella striatella

Phylum: Bryophyta; Bryopsida

Order: Hypinales

Family: Hypnaceae

Common Name: Tassel Moss

Location: Chagrin Falls Reservation

Habitat: On wood trunk

Date of collecting: September 17th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Branches look like little worms or sphagnum

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Group of the specimen

Fig.2 Tip of the plant under a dissecting scope

Fig.3 Stem leaf structure under a microscope

Fig.4 Branch leaf structure under a microscope

Fig. 5 Cell structure under a microscope

From both the picture of the plant (Fig.1) above, we could easily tell that this specimen is a plant with the pleurocarp growth form. From the leaf picture (Fig.3) we could see that this specimen is with ovate-shaped leaves, and the leaves do not have a midrib. By knowing these features, we could now go to the key: KEY IX: Pleurocarps with ovate leaves without midrib.

The following steps is how I went through the keys:
1. (B)  Branches not flattened; leaves appear to come off all around stem, more or less 3-dimensional. (12)
12. (B) Leaves mostly a single color; capsules either on stalks, or surrounding leaves not white-fringed. (13)
13. (B) Stem green to brown, not particularly contrasting with leaves; mosses of various sizes. (17)
17. (B) Plants of dry to very moist habitats, not submerged or kept constantly wet. (23)
23. (A) Branches appear fuzzy or bristly, wet or dry; leaves wide-spreading nearly at right angle to stem. (24)
24. (B) Plants midsized; leaves 1-2 mm long, tip flat. (25)
25. (B) Stem and branch leaves similar in shape; stem branching irregularly. (Herzogiella striatella, p.305)

Description of the specimen:
Appearance: Forms shiny, bright green or yellowish mats. The horizontally creeping stems divide irregularly into upright branches that are densely packed with leaves. In spite of the crowded leaves, wet shoots seem airy as the leaf tips flare outward up to 90 degrees from erect leaf bases. Dry leaves are drawn in closer, stand upright, and sometimes are slightly pleated; shoots can be gently flattened. 
Leaves: Oval, 1-2 mm long, abruptly tapered to a long narrow tip, cupped. Midrib is lacking. Edges are smooth. 
Capsules: Cylindrical, 1-2 mm long, horizontal, contracted below mouth and pleated when dry, with a short-beaked lid. Stalk is 9-2o mm long and reddish to light brown. 
Habitat: Forest floor, on soil, humus, base of trees, tree roots, rock, and logs in moist shady sites. 
Microscopic features: Upper half of leaf edge is toothed. Compared to other cells in the leaf, cells in basal outside corners of H. striatella are dramatically larger, transparent, and thin-walled. These corners run down onto the stem. Both of these characters are lacking in H. turfacea, whose corner cells are square and not inflated. Stems lack tiny projections beneath leaves. 

Collecting and keying story:

Honestly I don't really remember where did I found this specimen...and keying it out was not easy as well. It is hard to tell whether the leaves are widely spread from the branch or not, and the tip of each individual plant was difficult to observe as well. The conclusion for the keying process was ensured by going though all the possible results and compare them with the actual specimen.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HEST5

Keys cited from:

Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians by Karl B. McKnight, Joseph R. Rohrer, Kirsten McKnight Ward and Warren J. Perdrizet. This book is in the series of the Princeton Field Guides and was published by Princeton University Press with copyright @ 2013.

Specimen #18: Timmia megapolitana

Collection #: 18

Scientific Name: Timmia megapolitana

Phylum: Bryophyta; Bryopsida

Order: Timmiales

Family: Timmiaceae; Timmiidae

Common Name: Warrior Moss

Location: Chagrin Falls Reservation

Habitat: On soil

Date of collecting: September 17th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Small straight tree like plant

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Single plant with size

Fig.2 Group of plant with size

Fig.3 Leaf structure under microscope

Fig.4 Single plant under dissecting scope 

Fig.5 Cell structure under microscope

From both the group picture (Fig.2) and the picture of a single plant (Fig.1) above, we could easily tell that this specimen is a plant with the acrocarp growth form. From the leaf picture (Fig.3) we could see that this specimen is with lance-shaped leaves, and the leaves do have a midrib. By knowing these features, we could now go to the key: KEY II: Acrocarps with Lance-shaped Leaves.

The following steps is how I went through the keys:
1. (B) Plants darker green, yellow green, or brownish black, shoots loosely associated or if densely packed then not in domed mounds; leaves flat or folded but not tubular, with midrib usually visible at least at base of leaf. (See Fig.2 for this fact.) (3)
3. (B) Plants on soil, rocks, trees, or logs in dry areas, or if in wetter areas, not submerged in water; leaves not folded at base. (4)
4. (B) Leaf surface not rippled or wavy when wet. (9)
9. (A) Leaves mostly ≥4 mm long (some at base or tip of stem may be shorter). (10)
10. (A) Wet leaves flexible, thin, and translucent when held up to light; midrib obvious. (11)
11. (B) Leaf tips ending in tapered point; midrib apparent. (12)
12. (A) Leaf base sheathing stem, blade lance-shaped with parallel sides from the base to midleaf then tapering to the apex. (Timmia megapolitana, p.71)

Description of the specimen:
Appearance: Upright, unbranched, green to yellow-green plants standing 2-8 cm tall in loose tufts. When wet, the leaves spread widely from a sheathing base. Upon drying they draw doser to the stem, the edges roll inward, and the tips curl. Superficially the plants resemble an Atrichum but the capsules, which are nearly always present, are very different. 
Leaves: Lance-shaped, 4-8 mm long, gradually narrowed to a sharp point. Tiny teeth project from the edge and the midrib extends all the way to the tip.
Capsules: Oblong-cylindric, curved, 2-3 mm long, inclined to horizontal at the end of a 1-3 cm stalk. Lid is domed with a small nib. When the lid falls, revealing the teeth, they are a wonder to examine under the hand lens: each tooth has an erect thickened base and then bends inward at a right angle over the mouth of the capsule. The hood is tardily deciduous and often remains upright behind the capsule at the tip of the stalk, reminiscent of a single-feather Indian brave headdress. 
Habitat: On soil, humus, and rock in moist, shaded, calcareous sites.
Microscopic Features: Midleaf cells are rounded-hexagonal, green; basal cells are long-rectangular, yellow green to brown.

Collecting and keying story:

This specimen is very similar to my specimen #1 and #7 but smaller. After a long time not keying any mosses, I feel like I'm not familiar with them anymore... The teeth on the edge of the leaves of this specimen is really beautiful.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timmia

Keys cited from:
Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians by Karl B. McKnight, Joseph R. Rohrer, Kirsten McKnight Ward and Warren J. Perdrizet. This book is in the series of the Princeton Field Guides and was published by Princeton University Press with copyright @ 2013.

Specimen #17: Odontoschisma

Collection #: 17

Scientific Name: Odontoschisma

Phylum: Bryophyta; Jungermanniopsida

Order: Lophoziales

Family: Cephaloziaceae

Common Name: N/A

Location: Chagrin Falls Reservation

Habitat: On a wet rock by the trail

Date of collecting: September 17th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Small leafy liverwort

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Plant under a dissecting scope (1) 

Fig.2 Plant under a dissecting scope (2) 

Fig.3 Plant under a dissecting scope (3)

Fig.4 Cell structure under a microscope

Fig.5 Group of the plant

The following steps is how I went through the keys:
1. (B) Plant with stem and leaves; erect, ascending, prostrate, or hanging from trees (3)
3. (A) Leaves in 2 rows near upper side of stem, without midrib, and with cells isodiametric. Leaves very often notched at apex, or lobed, sometimes with a smaller lobe folded against a larger one. Sporophyte short-lived. Order jungermanniales (31)
31. (B) Leaves entire, or toothed, or divided at tip into 2, 3 or 4 lobes. (35)
35. (A) Leaves flat or curved, not sharply folded. (36)
36. (B) Leaves transversely attached, or succubous; attached obliquely so that the edge of the leaf on upper surface of stem is attached nearer the base of the stem than the lower edge; thus the leaf slopes toward the apex of the stem. (43)
43. (A) Leaves entire, not at all loved or toothed (bracts around the perianth are excluded) (44)
44. (C) Underleaves absent or minbute and lanceolate (45)
45. (A) Branches from under side of stem; leaves circular, rather rigid, tending to stand on edge facing one another; dioicous; antheridia on short branches. (Genus Odontoschisma)

Collecting and keying story:

This specimen was really hard to collect. It sticks to the surface of  a rock in a very stable way that I was not able to get it off without a knife. Moreover, liverworts are confusing. It's very hard to tell whether a leafy liverwort is incubous or succubous even under a dissecting scope.
Moreover, I was not able to find any specific description of the Genus. All the descriptions online were seem to be a specific species from this genus.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odontoschisma_denudatum

Keys cited from:
The mosses and liverworts by H. S. Conard

Specimen #16: Pediastrum boryanum var. cornutum

Collection #: 16

Scientific Name: Pediastrum boryanum var. cornutum

Phylum: Chlorophyta

Order: Chlorococcales

Family: Hydrodictyaceae

Common Name: N/A

Location: Hiram

Habitat: Small pond

Date of collecting: September 21st

Collector: Willa

Notes: Neat circular colony with tooth like cells 

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Colony under microscope

The following steps is how I went through the keys:
1. (B) Plants microscopic or if visible to the naked eye it is normallly because they are present as a mass - but still requiring microscopic observation to determine the more detailed morphology (3)
3. (B) Cells individual or in groups that may be regular or irregular in shape but not forming a filament, stand or ribbon (56)
56. (B) Cell pigments localized in chloroplast (68)
68. (A) Cells arranged in colonies of definite shape (69)
69. (B) Cells of colony without flagella, colony non-motile (76)
76. (B) Cells do not have silica walls. Main storage product starch (81)
81. (B) Cells not elongate like a cigar, often more spherical, cubical, crescent-shped or at the most short cylinders. Can form plate-like colonies. Stellate colonies are not formed. (82)
82. (B) Cells not within a definite mucilaginous envelope (91)
91. (A) Colonies either spherical, oval or a flat disc (92)
92. (A) Cells of colony form a flat disc (93)
93. (A) Colony free floating (Pediastrum)

Description of the species:
Pediastrum forms characteristics flat plate-like colonies which are common in lakes, ponds and slow flowing rivers that are nutrient-rich. The cell walls are often quite tough and persist for some time after the contents have disappeared. There are many species. Can, if present in large numbers, impart unwanted odour to drinking waters. Chlorophyta.
Colony consist of up to 32 cells; cells dimensions 5-27 x 4-24 µm, marginal cells slightly to deeply notched and with two projections lying almost parallel to each other, typically projections equal to or shorter than cells bearing them; inner cells polygonal, with triangular or lens-shaped intercellular spaces.

Collecting and keying story:

This specimen was found in the water sample provided by Willa. There were a ton of different types of algae in that water sample, and I picked this one because it looks cute. At first we thought the life form for this specimen was unicellular, but failed to key it out, so we decided that this is in a colony. After keyed to genus, a picture plate was provided by the book for us to key it to species.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
http://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=34691&-session=abv4:42F948D809f6b25045PhRI60E2F5

Keys cited from:
Freshwater Algae by Edward G. Bellinger and David C. Sigee

Description cited from:
Freshwater Algae by Edward G. Bellinger and David C. Sigee
http://dbmuseblade.colorado.edu/DiatomTwo/sbsac_site/species.php?g=Pediastrum&s=boryanum%20cornutum

Specimen #15: Lycoperdon pyriforme

Collection #: 15

Scientific Name:  Lycoperdon pyriforme

Phylum: Basidiomycota; Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Agaricaceae

Common Name: Pear-Shaped Puffball

Location: Hiram College Field Station

Habitat: Log surface

Date of collecting: October 8th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: A couple of these guys growing together; fleshy when fresh, and light and puff when dried out later.

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Specimen in habitat

   

Fig.2 Single fruiting body

Fig.3 Spore mass when cut open the fruiting body

Fig.4 White micellium at base under a dissecting scope

Fig.5 Spore mass under a dissecting scope

Fig.6 Spores under a microscope

From the pictures above, it is pretty obvious for us to see that this is a puffball fungi. As a result of this, we can go directly to page 677 of the book for  puffballs.



The following steps is how I went through the keys:

Key to the Lycoperdales & Allies:
1. (B) Not as above (fruiting body may rupture in starlike fashion, but if so then there is no separate spore case within) (2) 
2. (B) Spore mass not containing peridioles, or if so then the peridioles considerable larger than grains of sand (usually appearing more like seeds) (4)
4. (B) Not as above; peridioles absent; spores produced in a single large chamber (the spore case) (5)
5. (B) Not as above; skin (peridium) thick or thin; spore mass white when young and normally softening or becoming mushy as it darkens, then becoming powdery; basidia usually borne in a hymenium; capillitium usually present (6)
6. (B) Not as above (7)
7. (B) Not as above (8)
8. (A) Sterile base present, often as a narrowed stemlike base beneath the spore case (section fruiting body lengthwise if unsure) (9)
9. (B) Fruiting body small to medium-sized (usually smaller than a baseball), typically rupturing through an apical pore, slit, or large mouth; usually thin-skinned (Lycoperdon & Allies, P 690)

Key to Lycoperdon & Allies:
1. (B) Not as above; fruiting body not dark brown when young (but may be pale to medium brown when young and become dark brown in old age) (2)
2. (A) Growing on wood, sawdust, or lignin-rich humus (if in humus, then base with white mycelial threads or rhizomorphys (Fig.4) and spore case with inconspicuous spine if any) (3)
3. (B) Not as above; fruiting body never pitted, usually with white mycelial threads (rhizomorphs) at base or in surrounding substrate; sterile base well-developed; common and widespread (L. pyriforme & others, p.691)

Description of the species:
Fruiting body: pear-shaped to nearly round, but usually with a stemlike sterile base; 1.5-5 cm high and sometimes almost as broad in the widest part. Peridium(skin) whitish to pale brown when young, yellowish to dark rusty-brown in age; at first smooth or with a few small scattered spines on top, then becoming finely cracked to form small patches or minute granules or particles (making it rough to the touch), this rough outer layer slowly but eventually falling away to expose the smooth inner layer in which an apical pore or tear is very slow to form.
Sterile base: small or well-developed, spongy when fresh, occupying the stemlike base (if base is present); chambers very small, conspicuous white mycelial threads (rhizomorphs) usually radiating from the base and connected to others in the surrounding wood or humus. Spore mass: at first firm and white, then yellow to olive and finally deep olive-brown and powdery. Spores 3-4.5 microns, round, smooth.

Habitat: Scattered to densely gregarious or clustered on stumps, rotting logs, sawdust, and in lignin-rich humus; widely distributed and common, fruiting mostly in the fall and winter in our area but old bleached-out fruiting bodies can be found most any time. It sometimes forms dense clusters "as large as a loaf of bread "(to borrow a phrase from Alexander Smith).
Edibility:Edible when young, but only worth collecting when it occurs in quantity. In my fickle fungal opinion ir is one of the better puffballs, but is not as good as "a loaf of bread" and is apt to be bitter if not absolutely white and firm inside.
Comments: The tendency to grow on rotting wood is a distinctive feature of this pearshaped puffball, but it often appears to be terrestrial (when growing from buried wood or humus rich in lignin). The white rhizomorphsor“roots” that emanate from the base of the fruiting body plus the narrowed or stemlike base and absence of prominent spines are also good fieldmarks. It is one of the few Lycoperdons that occurs in sufficient quantity to merit collecting for the table. Other species: L.pedicellatum also grows on rotten wood, but has longer spines and ornamented spores.

Collecting and keying story:

Sean was the one who found this specimen. He grabbed the piece of log with the puffballs on it and bring it over to us so that we could each get a sample piece of the fruiting body. Puffballs are cute and puff. When I cut it open, I see this spore mass that looks like cute, soft dark colored cotton candy.

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycoperdon_pyriforme

Keys cited from:
Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora (Second Edition).  This book was printed by Ten Speed Press with copyright @ 1979 and 1986.

Specimen #14: Lycogala epidendrum

Collection #: 14

Scientific Name: Lycogala epidendrum

Phylum: Mycetozoa

Order: Liceales

Family: Tubiferaceae

Common Name: Wolf's milk

Location: South Chagrin Reservasion

Habitat: On a log with mosses

Date of collecting: September 17th

Collector: Cornelia

Notes: Pink (immature) when collected; Brown (mature) now.

How did I key this out:

Fig.1 Specimen in habitat (immature)                                  Fig.2 Spores under microscope

Fig.3 Specimen in collection box (mature)

Key to the orders of myxomycetes:
1. (B) Fruiting bodies not as above; spores occurring in a mass within the fruiting body and enclosed (at least during the early stages of development) by a peridium (2)
2. (A) True capillitium absent, pseudocapillitium composed of irregular elements sometimes present (Order Liceales)

Key to selected species within the order Liceales:
1. (A) Fruiting body an aethalium or pseudoaethalium (2)
2. (A) Pseudocapillitium present and usually rather evident, but not taking the form of a columella-like structure (3)
3. (A) Fruting body an aethalium, pulvinate to subglobose, with no evidence of individual sporangium-like units (4)
4. (A) Pseudocapillitium consisting of flattened hyaline tubules; spores pallid (Lycogala epidendrum)

Description of the species:
Lycogala epidendrum, commonly known as wolf's milk, groening's slime is a cosmopolitan species of plasmodial slime mould which is often mistaken for a fungus. The aethalia, or fruiting bodies, occur either scattered or in groups on damp rotten wood, especially on large logs, from June to November. These aethalia are small, pink to brown cushion-like globs. They may excrete a pink paste if the outer wall is broken before maturity. When mature, the colour tends to become more brownish. When not fruiting, single celled individuals move about as very small, red amoeba-like organisms calledplasmodia, masses of protoplasm that engulf bacteria, fungal and plant spores, protozoa, and particles of non-living organic matter through phagocytosis (see slime mould for more information).

During the plasmodial stage, individuals are reddish in color, but these are almost never seen. When conditions change, the individuals aggregate by means of chemical signaling to form an aethalium, or fruiting body. These appear as small cushion-like blobs measuring about 3–15 millimetres (0.12–0.59 in) in diameter. Colour is quite variable, ranging from pinkish-grey to yellowish-brown or greenish-black, with mature individuals tending towards the darker end. They may be either round or somewhat compressed with a warted or rough texture. While immature they are filled with a pink, paste-like fluid. With maturity the fluid becomes a powdery mass of minute gray spores. The spores measure 6 to 7.5 µm and are round in shape with a netted texture and appearing ochre to lavender in colour. The pseudocapillitia, sterile elements in the spore mass, are long, flattened, branching tubes with transverse wrinkles and folds.

Collecting and keying story:

I thought this was a mushroom when I first saw it... The specimen was cute, with a bright pinky orange color, and feels very soft and flexible when the fruiting body is immature. When mature, the spores exploded out when I touched it and made me thought that I killed it...

Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycogala_epidendrum

Keys cited from:
Myxomycetes--a handbook of slime molds by Steven L. Stephenson and Henry Stempen

Description cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycogala_epidendrum