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Research Article
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A First Ascomycete Genus (Picoa sp.) Record for the Fungi Flora of Iran |
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Ali Ammarellou
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Jim M. Trappe
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ABSTRACT
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In this research, according to macroscopic and microscopic characteristics Picoa sp. a member of Ascomycete was recorded for the first time from Iran.
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INTRODUCTION Desert truffles (Fig. 1a) are mycorrhizal hypogeous fungi,
among which several species of the genera The appearance of desert truffle
Picoa sp. (A).
| Fig. 1: |
The morphology of Picoa sp. (B). Every ascus has 8
ascospores and ascus membrane disappeared after maturation. The ascus is
about 90-100 μm and ascospores is about 30 μm (C) Picoa,
Tuber, Tirmania and Terfezia are included. A specimen
of macrofungi collected in desert of Tarom region in Zanjan province of
Iran during 2006. The Tarom region is close to the cities of Foman and Manjil
in the north-west of Iran to the north of Zanjan and between Gilan and Zanjan
provinces. It is a particularly productive region and therefore it was chosen
as the main study area. |
The description of taxa: A brownish species of Iranian desert truffles
grows solitary or assembled of 2-5 ascocarps in the surface soil, is about the
size of a Hazel fruit and has white texture. This species forms 0.5-1 cm below
the soil surface and is brownish inside. The truffles that had been collected
from studied areas in Tarom region (Zanjan province) were investigated in laboratories.
The microscopic examination showed that each ascus contains 8 ascospores. Measure
the diameter of ascus is about 90-100 μm and ascospores is about 30 μm
(Fig. 1C). According to macroscopic and microscopic characteristics
and using literature on ascomycetous macrofungi (Breitenbach and Kranzlin, 1984;
Ershad, 1995; Philips, 1981) this fungi was identified as Picoa sp.
(Fig. 1B). This is first report from Iranian mycoflora (Ershad,
1995).
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REFERENCES |
1: Breitenbach, J. and F. Kranzlin, 1984. Fungi of Switzerland. Vol. 1, Verlag Mycologia, Luzern.
2: Ershad, D., 1995. Fungi of Iran. 2nd Edn., Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran, pp: 874-914.
3: Phillips, R., 1981. Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe. Pan Books Ltd., London.
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