Stropharia caerulea

Donnelly, D.P., and L. Boddy. 1997. Development of mycelial systems of Stropharia caerulea and Phane-rochaete velutina on soil Effect of temperature and water potential. Mycol. Res. 101 705-713. 

Figure 8.5 Digital images of mycelial systems of (a) Agrocybe gibberosa, (b) Phallus impudicus, (c) Stropharia caerulea, (d) Stropharia aeruginosa after 28 days, (e) Coprinus picaceus after 180 days (image courtesy of Alaa Alawi) and (f) Resinicium bicolour after 30 days (image courtesy of GM. Tordoff), extending from 4 cm beech wood resonrces onto non-sterile soil which has been compacted in 24 cm x 24 cm trays. White circles (a-d) are inert plastic caps I are inocula. Note the differences between the mass (Dbm) and snrface (Dbs) fractal dimensions of the species.

Water potential" (which determines ease or difficulty of obtaining water), temperature and pH all affect fractal structure of mycelial systems. Moreover, they exert interactive effects with each other and with other abiotic variables, e.g. sand content of soil [66, 68], Temperature effects on fractal dimensions of Stropharia caerulea were variable (Table 8.3) [69]. At 5°C, it took 9 days longer to achieve the Dgs values obtained at 10-20 °C, and 12 days longer to achieve the Dbm values for Stropharia caerulea. At 25 °C, both fractal dimensions of Stropharia caerulea were significantly lower than values of mycelial systems at 10-20 °C, until 26-29 days. There were also slight intraspecific differences between strains of Stropharia caerulea [69]. For Phanerochaete velutina, both fractal dimensions at 5 °C were significantly less than at 10-25 °C for the first 20 days and 14 days respectively. It is unclear what is mediating these temperature effects. 

Table 8.3 Effect of temperature on the fractal geometry of mycelial systems of Stropharia caerulea and Phanerochaete velutina, extending from beech (Fagus sylvatica) wood block inocula across soil after 30 days. Data from [69].

Phanerochaete velutina Stropharia caerulea was rapidly replaced Dbm and Dbs were significantly reduced Dbm was significantly reduced... 

Phallus impudicus Temporary defensive ridges produced by Stropharia caerulea, but these were breached in a few places and the fungus was replaced when Phallus impudicus reached the wood blocks Differences not usually significant No change in Dbm or Dbs... 

Donnelly, D.P. and Boddy, L. (1997). Resource acquisition by the myceUal-cord-foimer Stropharia caerulea effect of resource quantity and quality. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol., 23, 195-205. 

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