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Oudemansiella mucida (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910

Oudemansiella mucida-Cambre1.jpg <i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910Thumbnails<i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910<i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910Thumbnails<i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910<i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910Thumbnails<i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910<i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910Thumbnails<i><b>Oudemansiella mucida</i></b> (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910

Oudemansiella mucida (Schrader : Fries) Höhnel, 1910
Family: Physalacriaceae
Common names: Porcelain Fungus, Beech Tuft, Poached Egg Fungus [En], Mucidule visqueuse [Fr], Porseleinzwam [Nl], Buchen-Schleimrübling [De]

Bruxelles, BRABANT ● Belgium

Description: The cap is 2–8cm across, convex then flattening, pale greyish when young becoming more white often with an ochraceous flush at the centre, semi-translucent, slimy. The gills are adnate, broad and very distant, the gills are translucent white at first, sometimes developing an ochre tint as the fruiting body ages. The stem is slender, with a substantial stem ring, the stems are 3 to 7mm in diameter, up to 8cm long, and often curved so as to bring the cap to the horizontal in situations where large tufts of Porcelain Mushrooms are attached to a small area of the host. Above the ring, the stem is white; below the ring it is slightly striate and greyish. The flesh is thin, white. Cystidia thin-walled cylindric or utriform. The spore prints are white.

Biology : Season late summer to late autumn.

Habitat: Trunks of beech, often high up and in large clusters.

Distribution: Europe.

Uses: Study of this fungus led to the development of a powerful anti-fungal agent commonly used to protect agricultural crops. Oudemansiella mucida and another fungus, Strobilurus tenacellus secrete substances that deter competing fungi. Study of these secretions led to the development of azoxystrobin a powerful anti-fungal used extensively by farmers, particularly for wheat production. Azoxystrobin possesses the broadest spectrum of activity of all presently known antifungals. It is considered to have low environmental risk because it has low toxicity for mammals, birds, bees, insects, and earthworms. It is highly toxic to some freshwater and marine animals, but the chemical breaks down in the soil and if runoff is monitored may be used relatively safely.

References:
Rogers Mushrooms
First Nature
UCB Botanical Garden



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