Monday, November 25, 1:10pm – 1:30pm, Zeis 123, via Zoom
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Daphne Homen
Dr. Jonathan Horton
Amanita bisporigera is a fungal species native to North America that produces deadly amatoxins capable of killing a human 5 – 8 days after ingestion. Amanita bisporigera is mycorrhizal with oaks and has many lookalikes that all feature a white fruiting body with a stipe, gills, and cap. There appears to me several cryptic species in the Amanita genus that appear similar to A. bisporigera. Molecular work on A. bisporigera and its lookalikes suggest that these species diverged or evolved parallel to each other, however, more data is needed for a complete understanding of their phylogenetic relationships. This study aims to add to our understanding of the diversity of this species cluster in western North Carolina. This study builds on a project started by the 2023 Mycology Class and showcases a total of 29 specimens collected in 2023 and 2024 that were all visually identified as A. bisporigera in the field. These 29 specimens were measured for key macro- and micromorphological characters, tested for amatoxins, measured, and molecularly identified through DNA barcoding. Molecularly identified specimens were organized into a preliminary phylogenetic tree by using the “tree” function Geneious Prime v2024.0.5 , and physical specimens were dried and stored in the UNCA Fungarium. Of the 29 specimens processed, 23 were identified to the Phalloideae section containing A. bisporigera and its deadly lookalikes, but 6 were identified to other sections within the Amanita genus. Taxa in the section Phalloideae are all toxic and possess a cap, gills, stipe, and occasionally a volva and annulus. Specimens from the section Validae also have a cap, stipe, and gills and are not always toxic and occasionally have characteristic colors associated with each species. This research is preliminary and requires additional specimens and a more thorough multi-locus phylogenetic analysis.