Subj: Request for Specimens
From: Tjakko Stijve
Date: 11 July 2000
Since my retirement I visit the Nestlé Research Centre about once a
month, because I have still some chemotaxonomic projects running. One of
my current activities concerns the genus Agaricus, which modern
DNA-sequence analysis places next to Lycoperdon & Calvatia.
This makes sense, because both groups have much in common: same spectrum
of metals and non-metals, some secondary metabolites, same ability to
convert arsenic to non-toxic arsenobetaine, etc.
However, in the phylogenetic tree we also observe the gastroid agarics
Podaxis pistillaris, Gyrophragmium
(Longula) texensis, and even Montagnea
arenarius.
I would like to analyse these bizarre mushrooms, but they are absent or
most rare in Europe. I assume that they are to be found in arid regions of
New Mexico. Could you provide me with any (herbarium) material of these
species or do you know some one who could? A literature search for the
chemical composition of any of these gastroid agarics yielded virtually
nothing, so there is still ground to cover.
To do something in return (for specimens) I could send some Swiss
chocolate.
Tjakko Stijve
Sentier de Clies no 12
CH-1806 St Légier /Switzerland
Phone (+41/21) 921 58 87
- Subsequent request for Podaxis pistillaris
- For illustrations and information on these species,
refer to pages 724-30 in the section on Gastroid Agarics in David Arora's
Mushrooms Demystified.
www.mycowest.org/requests/q00-0711.htm
dmw .
2004-09-13 (13p)