• Proposed
  • Under Assessment
  • DDPreliminary Assessed
  • 4Assessed
  • 5Published

Inocybe comatella (Peck) Sacc.

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Scientific name
Inocybe comatella
Author
(Peck) Sacc.
Common names
 
IUCN Specialist Group
Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Agaricales
Family
Inocybaceae
Assessment status
Preliminary Assessed
Preliminary Category
DD
Proposed by
Jean Berube
Assessors
Jean Berube
Comments etc.
Jean Berube, Anders Dahlberg

Assessment Notes

Data Deficient (DD).

Taxonomic notes


Why suggested for a Global Red List Assessment?

FLESH OUT THE BRIEF MOTIVATION WHY DD HERE.

Difficult to identify and very rare species with only 4 records in 80 years.


Geographic range

In USA and Canada.  Found only before 1957 before being rediscovered in Quebec.


Population and Trends

Four record in North America in 80 years
-Pennsyvania, in a state preserve 1933
-North Carolina 1917
-Michigan State park, 1957
-province of Quebec 2006


This species is not easy to recognize, hence vastly undersampled. With 4 localities worldwide in 80 years for a difficult to identify species, we believe it is often overlook during identification sessions. Thereofre the number of localities may be up to 100 times higher, so we estimate is to be found in 400 localities. This estimate corresponds to 800 genetically unique mycelia. The number of ramets are expected to be 10 times higher, so total number of individual worldwide is estimated to be 8000.  Technically we could propose Vulnerable (VU) C2(ai) if there was evidence of decline, but since there is not decline or threat reported, it must be rated DD to raise awareness on its existence.

Population Trend: Uncertain


Habitat and Ecology

Mycorrhizal species found under oak.
This species is a mycorrhizal fungus species so it is dependent on living host trees for population viability. This mutually beneficial symbiotic association between fungus and plant host roots conveys numerous critical advantages for plant host survival. Mycorrhizal fungi are essentially the uptake organs for many nutrients i.e., nitrogen, phosphorus, numerous micronutrients, i.e., boron, selenium, copper, and plays a major role in uptake of water. Both the fungus and the plant host does not exist in nature without each other.


Threats

Its oak habitat is under pressure to the urban development and has been greatly reduced in the last 50 years in Canada.


Conservation Actions


Research needed

New collections are needed to confirm identification since spore size is different from those collected by Peck.
In northeastern North America, where this species is found, there are numerous groups of amateur mycologists. Members of these groups can be recruited and instructed where to find and how to identify this species so they can target this species during forays. Data from amateur mycologists can be critical to define its population size, distribution and trends, as well as its ectomycorrhizal associations.


Use and Trade


Bibliography


Country occurrence

Regional Population and Trends

Country Trend Redlisted