La micoflora marina della baia di Portofino

Abstract

Marine mycoflora of Portofino bay.—On a detrital limestone in Portofino bay, wood panels of Fraxinus ornus, Abies alba, Ochroma lagopus, Fagus sylvatica, Larix decidua, Pinus pinaster, Populus alba and Olea europaea have been laid as bait in different periods of the year to show the incidental seasonal influence on the installation of fungine species.

A different seasonal frequency has been noticed also concerning fouling organisms. The wooden bait has been fished out after a minimum time of 50 and a maximum of 283 days, and incubated in a moist chamber to foster growth and isolation of fungi.

Lulworthia medusa is one of the most frequent species and fructifies plentifully near corpses and holes of the isopod Limnoria tripunctata.

This ascomycete fructifies also on wood panels incubated in Petri dishes in contact with filter paper imbued with bacteria, whereas it does not fructify in culture if strips of the same paper are sterilized. It seems therefore that bacteria carry on an important role in the complex relations between isopod crustaceans and fungi; Limnoria carrying bacteria stimulated the forming of perithecia of Lulworthia. This lignicolous fungus has been isolated in two different species, according to the length of the mucillagineous appendages of the ascospora and on some physiological characters.

The presence of Trichocladium achrasporum for the Mediterranean, of Halosphaeria maritima for the Italian seas are reported for the first time; the presence of Nia vibrissa and of Humicola alopallonella is reported for the second time for Italy. Papulaspora halima has been isolated again, after protracted immersion and incubation. The partiality for temperate-cold temperatures of Cirrenalia macrocephala and of Corollospora maritima is confirmed. Other ubiquitous species are reported, and the hypothesis of Ceriosporiopsis halima flourishing in polluted water is renewed.