Notes on the Development of the Morel Ascocarp: Morchella esculenta

Author(s): R. Ower
Source: Mycologia , Jan. - Feb., 1982, Vol. 74, No. 1 (Jan. - Feb., 1982), pp. 142-144
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

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Mycologia, 74(1), 1982, pp. 142-168.
? 1982, by The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458

BRIEF ARTICLES

NOTES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOREL ASCOCARP:

MORCHELLA ESCULENTA

R. OWER

Herbarium, Department of Biology, San Francisco State University,

1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, California 94132

Morel cultural studies (Morchella spp.) by the writer have resulted in the
repetition of the life cycle of Morchella esculenta Fr. sensu Groves & Hoare.
The successful cultivation occurred in the mycology laboratories at San Francisco
State University and produced a typical ascocarp. Ascocarp development was
first detected on 14 December 1980, and ascospores were discharged on 11 Jan-
uary 1981. The mature ascocarp weighed 13.5 g and was 126 mm long.
Subsequent cultivations were successful and a total of 16 mature ascocarps
was obtained from 8 cultivations. The cultivations were conducted in a walk-in
growth chamber maintained at 15-18 C and 85% relative humidity, and light
exposure was limited to that required for daily observation. While all materials
were autoclaved prior to use at 15 pounds pressure for 1 h, axenic conditions
were not maintained after mycelia were established on a substrate of cooked
wheat berries, 50% moisture. All inocula were derived from the same specimen
by conventional axenic techniques. Both stipe tissue cultures and ascospore cul-
tures were effective. The subject cultivations have provided an unusual oppor-
tunity for observing the development of the morel form, thus the discussion below
traces the macroscopic development of the morel ascocarp as it occurred in the
laboratory.
Ascocarp development was preceded by vegetative hyphae, sclerotia and co-
nidia, Costantinella cristata Matruchot, much as related by Costantin (1936). The
earliest ascocarp primordium seen appeared as an aggregate, 1 mm diam, of
radially arrayed hyphae (FIG. 1) and arose from a single hypha. As development
continued, the tuft of mycelium produced a dense interwoven core, and adven-
titious hyphae extended from the lower surface of the primordial base. Shortly
thereafter (next day in this sequence) an apothecial fundament began protruding
from the surface of the spherical primordium (FIG. 2). This fundament became
more or less digitate and the base enlarged (FIG. 3). Both the fundament and base
had a differentiated, interwoven core with hymeniform cuticular cells early in
their development. As the developing ascocarp reached a length of approximately
3 mm, the base began to show furrows which became more pronounced as de-
velopment continued. The fundament continued to lengthen and on the fourth
day of development, typically 5 mm overall length, minute, vertical convolutions
began to appear from the tip to the mid-point of the fundament, thus delineating
pileus and stipe (FIG. 4). From this time through maturity the ratio of cap length
to stem length was more or less stable with a value of approximately 1. As the
cap continued to develop, the ridges with intervening depressions became more
pronounced. Initially, the sterile ridges were the largest and best developed fea-
ture of the pileus. Large cystidia-like terminal hyphal cells which cover the rib
tips of mature morel ascocarps became apparent at the first appearance of con-
volutions on the cap. The pileus margin at first was a smooth continuation of the
stipe but soon became incurved above a slightly flared stipe (FIG. 5).
Increase in ascocarp length accelerated for 8-10 da to 3-7 mm per da, where-

142

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 BRIEF ARTICLES 143

__ _.___

rr

FIGS. 1-6. Morchella esculenta. 1. Two primordia, day 1, x7. 2. First appearance of apothecial
fundament, day 2, x20. 3. Apothecial fundament, days 3 and 4, x7. 4. First appearance of convo-
lutions on pileus portion of fundament, days 4 and 5, x7. 5. Cap margin, day 7, x7. 6. Immature
specimen with light ribs and dark pits, day 21, x3/4.

after the rate became more or less constant. At 10-14 da, typically a length of
25-30 mm, the first darkening of the fertile areas began. This darkening continued
for several days and produced the characteristic pigmentation of the young as-
cocarp of Morchella deliciosa Fr. (FIG. 6). As noted by Groves and Hoare (1953)
in suggesting synonymy for M. deliciosa and M. esculenta, there was a subse-
quent color change which produced an overall golden cast to the ascocarp fol-
lowing substantial remission of the earlier dark olive grey pit coloration.
The form of mature pilei ranged from obtusely conic, nearly subglobose, to
elongate or columnar. The typical pileus outline was an apically tapering ellipse.
Height at maturity varied from 58 mm to 155 mm.
The writer wishes to thank Dr. Harry Thiers for his generous support. The
first mature specimen from these cultivations has been placed in the herbarium
of San Francisco State University as Ower #9.
Key Words: Morchella, ascocarp, culture, development.

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144 MYCOLOGIA

LITERATURE CITED

Costantin, J. 1936. La culture de la morille et sa forme conidienne. Ann. Sci.

111-129.
Groves, J. W., and S. C. Hoare. 1953. The Helvellaceae of the Ottawa District. Canad. Field-
Naturalist 67: 95-102.

AN UNUSUAL SOURCE FOR APOPHYSOMYCES ELEGANS AND

A METHOD FOR STIMULATING SPORULATION OF
SAKSENAEA VASIFORMIS

J. J. ELLIS

Northern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research, Science and Education Administration,
U.S. Department of Agriculture,1 Peoria, Illinois 61604

AND

L. AJELLO

Mycology Division, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control,
Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Atlanta, Georgia 30333

Recently, a zygomycete was isolated from bronchial washings of a patient. It

grew luxuriantly on several laboratory media commonly used for identifying
members of the Class Zygomycetes; however, no sporulation occurred on these
media. A procedure we have been using with some success in stimulating isolates
of Saksenaea vasiformis Saksena (2) to sporulate also was successful in stimu-
lating the isolate under study to produce a few sporangia and to allow its iden-
tification. This procedure consists of growing the nonsporulating S. vasiformis
isolate on a medium such as potato dextrose agar, malt extract agar, yeast phos-
phate soluble starch agar, or hay infusion agar for several da at 25 C. A small
block of agar permeated with hyphae is transferred into a Petri dish containing
sterilized distilled water (20 ml) and incubated at 25 C for a wk to 10 da. Often
S. vasiformis will form one to several fruiting structures that are adequate to
identify it with certainty. A modification of this technique was successful in the
present situation.
The nonsporulating isolate was grown at 32 C on a corn meal-sucrose-yeast
extract agar consisting of 17 g Difco corn meal agar, 2 g dextrose, 3 g sucrose,
and 1 g Difco yeast extract in I liter distilled water. After 7 da of incubation, a
small block (3 mm3) of agar, permeated with hyphae and the accompanying aerial
hyphae, was placed on the surface of sterilized and solidified 1% water agar in
a Petri dish. The inoculated water agar was incubated at 32 C for 5-7 da where-
upon abundant sporulation occurred identical to that described for Apophyso-
myces elegans Misra, Srivastava et Lata (1). Our isolate has been preserved by
lyophilization as NRRL 6573 in the Agricultural Research Culture Collection
(NRRL). It has been accessioned as B-3422 in the Center for Disease Control
culture collection. Insofar as we know, this is the third isolate for the species.

1 The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or rec-
ommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, by the Public Health Service, or by the U.S.
Department of Human and Health Services over other firms or similar products not mentioned.

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