Polypores from Morro Santana , Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil

BSTRACT (Polypores from Morro Santana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). In the survey of polypores from Morro Santana, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, accomplished from March 2007 to March 2009, 44 species were identified. Identification keys and remarks about all the species are given. Full descriptions and illustrations of Datronia caperata, Junghuhnia polycystidifera, Oxyporus obducens, Phellinus umbrinellus, Phylloporia frutica and Tinctoporellus epimiltinus are presented. Tinctoporellus epimiltinus is a new records from Rio Grande do Sul.


Introduction
Most of the polypores belong to the orders Polyporales Gäum.and Hymenochaetales Oberw., subclass Agaricomycetidae Parmasto, class Basidiomycetes G. Winter, phylum Basidiomycota R.T. Moore (Kirk et al. 2008).They are characterized by presenting a tubular hymenophore and being predominantly xylophilous, but can also grow on soil or plant litter and therefore are extremely important in nutrients and energy cycling (Webster & Weber 2007).Wood-decay Basidiomycola are divided into two large groups: the white rot fungi decompose cellulose and lignin, while the brown rot ones decompose only cellulose.Such fungi may cause damages when they attack wood, reducing its commercial value, and when they parasite species of economic interest, causing a slump in productivity (Wright & Albertó 2006).
In polypores, both macro and microscopic characters are highly variable.Macroscopically, the basiodiomata can present two main habits: resupinate or pileate.However, there can also be transitions between both forms (Ryvarden 1991).Although these characters are greatly important in the characterization of the taxa, the polypores do not necessarily form a monophyletic group, and several cases of morphological convergence exist (Hibbett & Binder 2002).The hyphae can be of three types: generative, skeletal or binding.The hyphal system is classified as monomitic, when only generative hyphae are present, dimitic, when two types of hyphae are present, or trimitic, when the three types of hyphae are present (Teixeira 1995).The basidiospores have a great variety of shapes and can be hyaline or colored; they can have thick or thin, ornamented or smooth walls (Gilbertson & Ryvarden 1986).
Rick was the pioneer in the study of macroscopic fungi in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, having published several papers on polypores (Fidalgo 1962, Rick 1960).More recently, several other taxonomic works have been undertaken in the State on that group.Among them, the following can be highlighted: Silveira & Guerrero (1991), Groposo & Loguercio-Leite (2002), Reck & Silveira (2008), Coelho et al. (2005Coelho et al. ( , 2006)).
The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge about the polypores in Rio Grande do Sul and in Brazil.Besides, this was the first survey of fungi accomplished in the studied area.

Material and methods
The fungi were collected from March 2007 to March 2009 in Morro Santana (30°03'S and 51°07'W, 30 to 311 m above sea level), Porto Alegre.The area has approximately 1,000 hectares, 600 of which constituting the CU Refúgio da Vida Silvestre of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul.Morro Santana is one of the last natural remnants in the urban area of Porto Alegre, comprising great biological diversity (Mohr & Porto 1998).The climate in the region is humid subtropical, of the Cfa type, according to the Köppen Climate Classification, with rain well distributed along the year and hot summers, with an annual average temperature of 19,5 °C and rainfall of 1,348 mm (Moreno 1961).The forest formations are mainly located in the humid slopes turned to the south (Aguiar et al. 1986) and, according to the RADAM BRASIL classification, this is a Seasonal Semi-deciduous Forest (Leite 2002).
The collected basidiomata were dried in room temperature and later analyzed macro and microscopically.Other previously collected specimens were also examined.In the macroscopic analysis, characters such as color, size, consistence, number of pores per millimeter, and characteristics of the pileus surface and hymenophore were observed.For the microscopic analysis, freehand sections of the basidiomes were taken and mounted in a drop of 3% KOH solution and 1% phloxine solution.The sections were also mounted in Melzer's reagent to test for dextrinoid or amyloid reaction of the microscopic structures.At least 20 microstructures of each type were measured.Characterization of the hyphal system followed the definitions by Pegler (1996).The terms and codes applied to the colors follow Kornerup & Wanscher (1978).Specimens were identified using specialized bibliography, from which the following works can be highlighted: Gilbertson & Ryvarden (1986, 1987), Ryvarden (1991Ryvarden ( , 2004) ) and Silveira & Guerrero (1991).Abbreviations of the authors of the species were made according to Kirk and Ansell (1992).All the collections were deposited in the ICN-UFRGS Herbarium (Holmgren et al. 1990)

Results and Discussion
Forty-four species have been identified.Tinctoporellus epimiltinus (Polyporales) is recorded for the first time in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.The distribution of the species can be found in Baltazar & Gibertoni (2009), Dreschler-Santos et al. (2009) and Gomes-Silva & Gibertoni (2009).
Species characterized by fleshy, whitish basidiomata, flabeliform pileus and dimitic hyphal system with dominance of generative hyphae.Coelho et al. (2007) observed in fresh specimens the presence of dendrohyphidia and gloeopleurous hyphae in the trama and context.However these structures were not observed in our specimen.Previously recorded from Rio Grande do Sul by Coelho et al. (2007).Material examined: BRAZIL.Rio GRande do Sul: Porto Alegre, Morro Santana, 30-III-2007, M.C.Westphalen 001/07 (ICN).
P. umbrinellus is macroscopically similar to P. punctatus.However, the former presents thinner basidiomata (up to 4 mm thick) and smaller nondextrinoid basidiospores.Phellinus melleoporus is a very similar species, differing only in hyaline to pale yellow basidiospores.
Phylloporia chrysita is similar to P. frutica, from which it differs by the slightly smaller basidiospores (3-3.5 μm long) and pores (6-8 per mm), the lighter yellow to yellowish brown colored pore surface and by the presence of an evident black line in the context.Basidiomata annual, pileate, semicircular to almost round, soft and spongy, up to 4 cm thick and 2.5 cm wide, upper surface velutinous, golden brown (5D7 -5D8); pore surface yellowish brown (5E6 -5F7), pores mostly regular, round to angular, 5-6 per mm; tubes concolorous with the pore surface, up to 1 mm thick; context duplex, upper part loose and cottony, golden brown (5D7 -5D8), up to 3 cm thick, lower part compact and dense, dark brown (6F7), up to 0.5 mm thick.Hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae with simple septa, thin to thickwalled, hyaline to rusty brown, with 3-7.5 µm in diameter.Basidia not seen.Basidiospores subglobose to ellipsoid, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline to golden yellow, with 3-4.5 × 2.5-3.5 µm.
Phyllopopria frutica is similar to P. chrysita.However it differs by the slightly longer basidiospores and pores, the darker pore surface and by the context formed by a dense dark layer near the tubes and a soft and spongy upper layer.Generally found growing on lianas.This is the second record of this species from Brazil and Rio Grande do Sul.Previously recorded by Rick (1960) Parmasto & Hallenberg (2000).
Basidiomata white to cream, resupinate and with byssoid margins.Microscopically, it is characterized by the monomitic hyphal system with thin to thick walled hyphae with simple septa and ellipsoid basidiospores.The specimens studied presented dendrohyphidia in the dissepiments, a structure that has not been recorded before for this species.Amer.Fl. (New York) 9(2): 75.1908.Description: Gilbertson & Ryvarden (1986).
Datronia caperata differs from Trametes species by the dark color of the pileus and context.It is distinguished from Hexagonia by the smaller and deeper tubes.This species was previously recorded for Rio Grande do Sul by Rick (1960) Gilbertson & Ryvarden (1987) as Megasporoporia setulosa.
The basidiomata are variable, from effusereflexed to sessile.This species is macroscopically characterized by the reddish-pink color of the pore surface and microscopically by the monomitic hyphal system and the cylindrical to allantoid basidiospores.Material examined: BRAZIL.Rio GRande do Sul: Porto Alegre, Morro Santana, 30-III-2007, M.C.Westphalen 012/07 (ICN).
This species is characterized by the resupinate basdiomata with pinkish pore surface, the cylindrical basidiospores and the presence of dendrohyphidia in the dissepiments.This species is very similar to H. flavipora.However it presents irpicoid hymenophore and slightly larger basidiospores (5-6.5 × 3.5-4 µm).Junghuhnia polycystidifera (Rick) Rajchenb.
This species is macroscopically characterized by the beige colored basidiomata and the small pores.Microscopically, it can be identified by the presence of incrusted cystidia and by the small ellipsoid to subcylindrical basidiospores.This species was described and recorded for the first time from Rio Grande do Sul by Rick (1960), as Poria polycystidifera.Rajchenberg (1987), transferred this species to the genus Junghuhnia.Material examined: BRAZIL.Rio GRande do Sul: Porto Alegre, Morro Santana, 14-XII-2007, M.C.Westphalen 070/07 (ICN).Additional material examined: BRAZIL.Rio GRande do Sul: São Salvador, 4-IV-1944, J. Rick s.n.(holotype PACA18603 as Poria polycystidifera).
Species macroscopically characterized by the sessile and vinaceous brown basidiomata.Nigroporus vinosus may be confused with A. subflexibilis due to the similar coloration.However it differs by having hyaline, cylindrical to allantoid basidiospores and skeletal hyphae without ramifications.Oxyporus obducens (Pers.)Donk, Meddel.Bot.
This species presents large perennial basidiomata with dark brown upper surface and beige pore surface.Microscopically, it has dimitic hyphal system with dextrinoid hyphae and pip shaped or tapering basidiospores.According to Ryvarden & Johansen (1980), the presence of cystidia is more common in the African and Asian specimens than in the American ones.Cystidia were not observed in our specimen.Material examined: BRAZIL.Rio GRande do Sul: Porto Alegre, Morro Santana, 14-III-2008, M.C.Westphalen 093/08 (ICN).
This species is easily recognizable due to its cartilaginous consistency when fresh, the orange brown upper surface and the cream pore surface with large pores.Even though Ibañez (1998) reported this species for the first time form South America, it had been previously registered by Rick (1960) Gilbertson & Ryvarden (1987).
This species presents pileate, large, thick basidiomata (up to 6 cm thick) with cream colored upper surface and pinkish hymenophore.
This species is characterized by white, pileate and soft basidiomata, that becomes very light when dried, and by the small pores (5-8 per mm).Microscopically, it presents allantoid basidiospores and monomitic hyphal system with clamped hyphae.