DICRANOPHORA FULVA, A RARE MUCROACEOUS FUNGUS GROWING ON BOLETES

Dicranophora fulva, a rare mucoraceous fungus growing on decaying bole tes, which has not been reported since 1935, is recorded from Austria where it grew on old fruit bodies of Suillus bovinus. Its morphologica l and cultural characters are reported in comparison with the literatu re and supplemented with illustrations. Developmental and ecological f eatures are discussed. It has a unique combination of characters withi n the Mucorales: sporangia and sporangiola, pronounced anisogamy and n ecrotrophic growth on Boletales. The controversy about the development of the sporangiola - columella v. apophysis - is clarified with the s porangiola having a typical columella. It is shown that both light and temperature play a prominent role in development and not only one of these factors, as previously thought in controversial literature.