SPECIES FACT SHEET
Common Name: Earth tongue
Scientific Name: Bryoglossum gracile (P. Karst.) Redhead
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Leotiomycetes
Order: Helotiales
Family: Helotiaceae
Technical Description: Sporocarp stipitate, apotheciate, 10-30 (-50) mm tall.
Apothecia irregular, varying from nearly flat to recurved to capitate, folded,
ovoid, or ellipsoid, 2-6 x 1.5-7 mm, the margin distinct or indistinct.
Hymenial surface rugose, smooth, or convoluted, bright orange to pale orange,
orange-tan or ochraceous. Abhymenial surface seldom visible unless margin
distinct. Stem terete, to 1 mm in diameter, creamy white to tinged with color
of hymenium but typically paler, invested with nearly hyaline minute scales
and hairs. Asci inoperculate, bluing at the tip in iodine. Paraphyses straight,
not or only slightly enlarged at the apex. Spores fusiform to cylindric but
tapered, (8-) 9-13 (-16) x 2-3 um, hyaline, aseptate to uniseptate (septum when
present transverse), minutely warty. Distinctive features: The combination
of bright orange apothecium, scaly stalk, autumnal fruiting and association
with mosses, is distinctive. Similar species: Mitrula (sensu stricto, i.e., M.
borealis, M. elegans, M. lunulatospora and M. paludosa)) differs in producing
sporocarps in the spring, on broad leaves and needles in very wet habitats (e.g.,
vernal pools, bogs) in subalpine to temperate regions; the stems lack scales.
Heyderia abietis (Fr.) Weinm. differs in being smaller and slighter, in having a
pale brown to pink buff, smooth head and pale to dark brown stem, and in
producing sporocarps on conifer needles in late summer and fall.
Life History: Sporocarps occur in scattered to gregarious groups from August
through October. Wind is presumably an important agent of spore dispersal in
earth tongues; animal (especially arthropod) dispersal is also possible.
Sporocarps typically occur in association with mosses, but it is not known
whether the nutritional mode of Bryoglossum gracile is principally that of
decomposer or parasite of mosses.
Range, Distribution, and Abundance: In Washington, Bryoglossum gracile is
known from four sites within Mt. Rainier National Park: Sunrise picnic area
(Pierce Co.), St. Andrews Creek (Pierce Co.), Narada Falls (Lewis Co.) and
Longmire (Lewis Co.). These sites were documented between 1948-1968. In
Oregon, Bryoglossum gracile is known from a single 2001 collection on the
Middle Fork Ranger District, Willamette National Forest, Lane Co. In North
America the species is also known from Alaska, Alberta, Labrador, Quebec,
Ontario, Colorado, Idaho and Montana. In Europe it is reported from Sweden,
the Carpathian Mountain range and the Alps; it is also reported from
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Greenland and Iceland. Based on the known distribution of this species in
Washington and Oregon, it is reasonable to suspect the presence of
Bryoglossum gracile on other western Cascade forests in these states.
Habitat Associations: Across its range, Bryoglossum gracile appears to occur
largely in either arctic or subalpine habitats, although the Oregon site is at an
elevation of about 1985 feet, and one of the Washington sites is at about 2750
feet. Analysis of mapped locations of Bryoglossum gracile in Mt. Rainier
National Park indicates that these sites occur in several forest types including
western hemlock, silver fir and mountain hemlock. The Oregon site appears to
be located within western hemlock forest.
Threats: It is reasonable to anticipate that any forest management actions at
known sites that directly disturb the moss layer on the forest floor, or promote
warming or drying of that moss layer should regarded as threats to the
persistence of this fungal species. It is reported that all four documented sites
within Mt. Rainier National Park have high recreational use, and in turn, likely
attendant ground disturbance. Fire, natural or prescribed, would be
destructive to the habitat and typical substrate of this species.
Conservation Considerations: At and around known sites consider
maintaining current habitat conditions, including microclimate, and
minimizing impacts from recreational activities; avoid disturbance to host
mosses and litter by actions such as logging, mowing or fire. Consider efforts
to better identify the species of mosses associated with Bryoglossum gracile,
and the nature of the ecological relationship between the fungus and mosses.
Conservation Rankings: G4; ORBIC S1, List 2; OR-SEN; not ranked by
WANHP.
Preparer: Rick Dewey
Date Completed: 6/26/2015
Edited by: Rob Huff
Date Completed: 8/5/2015
References:
Castellano, Michael and Thomas O’Dell. 1997. Management
Recommendations for Survey and Manage Fungi. Version 2.0, September
1997. USDA USFS, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Castellano, Michael, Jane Smith, Thom O’Dell, Efren Cazares, and Susan
Nugent. 1999. Handbook to Strategy 1 Fungal Species in the Northwest
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Forest Plan. USDA USFS, Pacific Northwest Research Station, General
Technical Report, PNW-GTR-476 October 1999.
http://www.mycobank.org (classification of Bryoglossum gracile;
nomenclatural authority for Heyderia abietis)
http://mycoportal.org (photographic image source for Bryoglossum gracile)
REDHEAD, S.A. 1977. The genus Mitrula in North America. Can. J. Bot. 5:307325.
USDA USFS Region 6 Natural Resource Manager Threatened, Endangered and
Sensitive Plants-Invasive Species (NRM TESP/IS) database accessed June
2015.
USDI BLM OR/WA Geographic Biotic Observations (GeoBOB) database
accessed June 2015.
Photo available at http://mycoportal.org (uncredited)
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