Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 88. (Budapest 1996)

Szedlay, Gy., Jakucs, E. , Bóka, K. ; Boldizsár, I.: Macro- and micromorphological characteristics of Ganoderma lucidum Karsten strains isolated in Hungary

softwood. These groups can be distinguished by the size and cell wall structure of spores, the structure of pilocystidia, some cultural properties and interfertility tests. A Far Eastern team also tried to make distinctions by characterizing the mycelial cultures (WANG & HUA 1991). The macro- and micromorphology and enzymatic properties of 50 strains within 14 Ganoderma species had been investigated, partly with similar, partly with different results as ADASKAVEG & GiLBERTSON (1986). Former investigations suggested that macromorphological characteristics of the fruitbody are not suitable for identification of the species as these show great variability with the environment and sometimes no fruitbodies, only micelium is available. Consequently taxonomic research continued into two directions: on one hand microscopical markers had been searched (ADASKAVEG & GiLBERTSON 1988), on the other hand an attempt had been made to establish a commonly used uniform code-system for describing mycelial cultures (ADASKAVEG & GiLBERTSON 1986, WANG&HUA 1991). The main characteristics recently used for identification within the genus Ganoderma are as follows: 1. Host relationships. Some species grow on hardwoods while others on softwoods only. 2. Morphology of the fruitbody. Basidiocarp is stipitate or sessile. The position of the stipes can be central or excentric. Nevertheless, ADASKAVEG & GiLBERTSON (1986) found that isolates from sessile fruitbodies can also produce stipitate fruitbodies. 3. Morphology of the pilocystidia from the outer layer of the pileus. HADDOW (1931), FURTADO (1965), RYVARDEN (1976) and ADASKAVEG & GILBERTSON (1988) found only slight, but important differences in the shape of pilocystidia. 4. Shape and size of basidiospore. Basidiospores are mainly ovated with truncated apex, except for Ganoderma zonatum. The size of the spores is characteristic but ranges overlap, therefore spore biometrics are not suitable for distinction of the species (ADASKAVEG & GiLBERTSON 1988). 5. Structure of spore wall. The spore wall is composed of three layers. The middle interwall pillars vary in size and number within the genus, so the roughness of the outer spore-surface is also different (ADASKAVEG & GILBERTSON 1988, MIMS & SEABURY 1989). 6. Cultural characteristics. The optimal growth temperature, the speed of growth and some macroscopical and microscopical characteristics of the mycelial cultures are also suitable for identification of the species (NOBLES 1948, 1958, BAZZALO & WRIGHT 1982, ADASKAVEG & GILBERTSON 1986). The species Ganoderma lucidum itself is believed to grow on hardwoods only. The basidiocarp is stipitate, with a pileus more or less imbricate. The surface of the pileus is covered with a dark-red laccate layer, in the case of young fruitbodies with a non-laccate yellow to white margin. The shape of basidiospores is ovate with truncated apex. The basidiospores have numerous, narrow inter-wall pillars and "smooth" wall. The pilocystidia are medium long, clavate, amyloid, thick-walled, with abruptly tapering shafts (ocassionally branched) intermixed with branching non-swollen hyphae in the mature pilear surface tissue. Different authors describe different spore sizes: according to PEGLER &