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Leotia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leotia
Leotia lubrica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Leotiomycetes
Order: Leotiales
Family: Leotiaceae
Genus: Leotia
Pers. (1794)
Type species
Leotia lubrica
(Scop.) Pers. (1797)
Species

Leotia atrovirens
Leotia lubrica
Leotia viscosa

Leotia is a genus of cup fungi of the division Ascomycota. Leotia species are globally distributed, and are believed to be ectomycorrhizal.[1] They are commonly known as jelly babies because of the gelatinous texture of their fruiting bodies.

Biology

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Leotia species are characterized by their capitate ascocarps. Within the class Leotiomycetes, Leotia species produce large fruiting bodies; their long-stalked apothecia bear a fertile layer of asci that covers the upper surface of a mushroom-like cap.

Leotia is closely related to Microglossum,[2] another genus characterized by capitate ascocarps. The species of Leotia have traditionally been defined largely by the fresh color of the ascocarps (tan in L. lubrica, olive-green in L. atrovirens, and green-headed with a yellow stalk in L. viscosa). However, a molecular phylogenetic study[3] revealed that color is a poor predictor of species affiliation, suggesting further study is needed to develop new, more predictive species concepts.

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References

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  1. ^ Tedersoo, Leho; Smith, Matthew E. (2017). "Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Lineages: Detection of Four New Groups and Notes on Consistent Recognition of Ectomycorrhizal Taxa in High-Throughput Sequencing Studies". Biogeography of Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. 230. Springer International Publishing AG: 125–142. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-56363-3_6.
  2. ^ Wang Z, Binder M, Schoch CL, Johnston PR, Spatafora JW, Hibbett DS (November 2006). "Evolution of helotialean fungi (Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina): a nuclear rDNA phylogeny". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 41 (2): 295–312. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.031. PMID 16837216.
  3. ^ Zhong, Z; Pfister, DH. (2004). "Phylogenetic relationships among species of Leotia (Leotiales) based on ITS and RPB2 sequences". Mycological Progress. 3 (3): 237–246. doi:10.1007/s11557-006-0094-8. S2CID 20086665.
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