| Mycena | |
|---|---|
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| Mycena amicta | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Mycenaceae |
| Genus: | Mycena (Pers.)Roussel (1806) |
| Type species | |
| Mycena galericulata | |
Mycena is agenus of about 500 species offungi.
Rarely more than a few centimeters in width, the mushrooms are characterized by a small conical or bell-shapedcap and a thin fragilestem. Most are grey or brown, but a few species have brighter colours. Most have a translucent and striate cap, which rarely has an incurved margin. Thegills are attached and usually havecystidia. Some species, likeM. haematopus, exude alatex when the stem is broken, and many species have achlorine or radish-like odour. They produce a whitespore print.
The species aresaprotrophic. Theiredibility varies, with some members containing toxins.
Mycena is a rich genus, considered one of the most abundant genera of mushrooms within theAgaricales and with species distributed across the world.[1]
Alexander Smith's 1947Mycenamonograph identified 232 species; the genus is now known to include about 500 species worldwide.[2]Maas Geesteranus divided the genus into 38sections in 1992, providing keys to each for all the species of theNorthern Hemisphere.
Many new species have since been discovered, and four new sections have been proposed. Thetaxonomy is complex, as most sections are not truly homogeneous, and the keys fail for some species, especially those that satisfy some criteria for only part of theirlife cycle. Some sections contain only one species.
The nameMycena comes from theAncient Greekμύκηςmykes, meaning "fungus".[6] Species in the genusMycena (and inHemimycena) arecommonly known asbonnets.[7]
Mycena sp. | |
|---|---|
 | Gills onhymenium |
 | Cap isconical |
 | Hymenium isadnate |
 | Stipe isbare |
 | Spore print iswhite |
 | Ecology issaprotrophic |
 | Edibility isunknown |
Mycenas are hard to identify to species and some are distinguishable only by microscopic features such as the shape of the cystidia.In terms of morphology,Mycena mushrooms are notably minute in their size (anywhere from 0.5 to ~15 cm in cap-size). Pileate-stipitate in form, there can exist a wide range in both the anatomical characteristics and color of thebasidiocarps—though most often basidiocarps are grey or brown.[1] Veils and volva presence in the morphology is not observed. The hymenium is most often either lamellate or poroid, dependent upon the species.[8] Spores are smooth and can be amyloid or non-amyloid, also dependent upon the species. Some species also secrete a latex-like fluid when damaged at the base of the stem.[1]
Over 58 species are known to bebioluminescent,[9][10] creating a glow known asfoxfire. These species are divided among 16 lineages, leading to evolutionary uncertainty in whether the luminescence developed once and was lost among many species, or evolved in parallel by several species. One advantage of bioluminescence may lie in its potential to attract insects that can disperse the mushroom's spores.[11]
Bioluminescence in the genus occurs as a reaction between oxygen andluciferin molecules catalyzed by the enzyme luciferase.[12] In recent years, mycologists have conducted research examining the development of bioluminescence within fungi, investigating the origin of the genes coding for luciferase enzymes that cause these fantastic visible traits. So far, the literature suggests 3 separate origins of bioluminescence within Agaricales, occurring within the familiesOmphalotaceae,Physalacriaceae, andMycenaceae.[8]
Traditionally, the group has been thought to play a purely saprotrophic role in the environment, mostly occurring on hardwoods and producingwhite rots—though it should be mentioned that some plant pathogens have also been discovered.[8] Additionally, it is also worth noting that, in a more recent study, Thoen et al. challenges the traditional view that the genus is saprobic ecological role, suggesting instead that the ability ofMycena to form plant root interactions in vitro may indicate the capability to establishectomycorrhizal relationships with a host.[13]
Recent discoveries show thatMycena can not only grow from a rotting wood, but also from a living plant root and a living frog.[14][15]
Some species areedible, while others contain toxins, but the edibility of most is not known, as they are likely too small to be useful in cooking.Mycena pura andM. rosea contain themycotoxinmuscarine, but the medical significance of this is unknown.
