Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 36-37.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.113
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Abstract:  A case of intoxication in Sweden caused by Gyromitra ambigua (Karst.) Harmaja (Ascomycetes: Pezizales), a species previously not known to be poisonous, is reported. The fresh fruit bodies were boiled but the boiling water was taken with the dish and eaten, too. Three other cases of poisoning, occurred in Alaska and Finland and caused by fruit bodies of G. infula (Fr.) Quél. coll. (i.e., either G. ambigua or G. infula) which were fresh prepared for dish without boiling and rinsing, are also discussed. On the other hand, two different cases are known when fruit bodies of G. ambigua kept in boiling water (the water not being used for the dish) did not cause any effects of intoxication. Dried or boiled and rinsed fruit bodies of G. infula coll. apparently have never been reported to have caused poisonings. The symptoms of the present cases are very similar to those known to occur in intoxications caused by the famous relative species, G. esculenta (Pers.) Fr. These facts suggest that the toxically effective substance of G. ambigua is the same as (or chemically closely related to) that in G. esculenta, i.e. gyromitrine. G. infula s. str. is apparently intoxical.

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 33-35.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.112
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Abstract:  The status of the genus Paradiscina Benedix (Pezizales) was studied by examining the holotype of the type species of that genus, Discina melaleuca Bres. The type specimen of that species has spores with four nuclei and a persistent strongly cyanophilic perisporium as well as excipulum of the Gyromitra type. It is concluded that Discina melaleuca (1) is a typical member of the family Helvellaceae Dum., (2) belongs to the genus Gyromitra Fr. sensu HARMAJA 1973 and (3) is a valid species. Consequently, Paradiscina becomes a synonym of the older generic name Gyromitra. The results of the study necessitate the transfer of D. melaleuca to Gyromitra, and the following new combination is made: Gyromitra melaleuca (Bres.) Harmaja. A note on the exc ipular anatomy of Gyro mitra is also given. The family Rhizinaceae Bon. is included in Helvellaceae.

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 29-32.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.111
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Abstract:  The following six new species of the Pezizales are described: Helvella pocillum Harmaja, Otidea tuomikoskii Harmaja, O. nannfeldtii Harmaja, O. papillata Harmaja, O. formicarum Harmaja and O. myosotis Harmaja. The following six new combinations are made: Gyromitra accumbens (Rahm) Harmaja, G. geogenia (Rahm) Harmaja, G. intermedia (Benedix) Harmaja, G. larryi (McKnight) Harmaja, Otidea microspora (Kanouse) Harmaja and O. propinquata (Karst.) Harmaja. The generic concept of Gyromitra Fr. is also discussed in brief, and a few new observations on characters of species of this genus are presented.

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 25-28.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.110
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Abstract:  The author has found the agarics Hygrophorus pacificus Smith & Hesler (one locality) and H. hyacinthinus Quél. (three localities) in Kuusamo, northern Finland. The former is new to Europe, the latter new to northern Europe. The characters of these species, especially those which separate them from their closest relatives, are presented and partly amended, and their habitat ecology and distribution are d iscussed. Both species are characterized especially through a strong fragrant odour. H. hyacinthinus occurs in forest on calcareous soil associated with Picea or Abies and possesses a boreal-montane distribution restricted to Europe. H. pacificus occurs in coniferous forest apparently always associated with Picea and has a boreal-montane distribution in North America with one locality in northern Europe.

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 23-24.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.109
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Abstract:  The author observed that the walls of the spores and basidia of all of those nine species (including the type) of the genus Tricholoma (Fr.) Staude (Agaricales) examined by him are weakly cyanophilic. In the litterature these structures have been considered cyanophobic.

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 19-22.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.108
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Abstract:  Clitocybe montana Harmaja (Agaricales) is known from subalpine grass-herb birch forest on calcareous soil in northern Norway. It is probably most closely related to C. lapponica Harmaja, from which it differs through the glabrous pileus surface, stronger odour, and different spores and basidia. Lactarius lapponicus Harmaja (Russulales) is not uncommon in grass-herb forests in northern Fennoscandia. It resembles L. mitissimus (Fr.) Fr. most, but is easily separated from that species by the rapidly and strongly yellowing milk and thicker pilocystidia.

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 16-18.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.107
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Abstract:  The holotypes of seven taxa, described under the generic name Clitocybe (Fr.) Staude (Agaricales) or considered as belonging to that genus, are scrutinized. All but one turned out to be referable to genera other than Clitocybe. Four of them are considered to be synonymous with other species of those genera while two are found valid. For the lastnamed species the following new combinations are therefore made: Calocybe aromatica (Murr.) Harmaja and Lyophyllum subnitens (Bigelow) Harmaja. In addition, the new combination Clitocybe dryadicola (Favre) Harmaja is made. Moreover, to the contrary of the author’s previous opinion, Agaricus clitocyboides Cooke & Massee is considered distinct from Singerella (Clitocybe) hydrogramma (Fr.) Harmaja and the resulting new combination is made: Singerella clitocyboides (Cooke & Massee) Harmaja. Notes on Pseudoclitocybe (Clitocybe) atra (Vel.) Harmaja are also presented. In addition, the carminophilic (siderophilic) granules, or vesicles connected with the endoplasmatic reticulum, of the basidia of Lyophyllum have been observed to be cyanophilic, too, a response not reported before.

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 13-15.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.106
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Abstract:  The genus Clitocybe (Fr.) Staude (Agaricales) is amended to comprise only species with cyanophobic spore wall. Species with cyanophilic spore wall and hitherto included in Clitocybe are transferred to Lepista (Fr.) W. G. Smith, which genus becomes amended as to include species with strongly or weakly cyanophilic spore wall, with collapsed or normal spore walls in mounts of dried lamellae, and with pinkish buff, deep yellow, very pale yellow or pure white spore deposit. C. fragrans (Fr.) Kumm. is reported to have warted spores. One new species is also described: Lepista polycephala Harmaja. The following fourteen new combinations are made: Lepista aeruginosa (Bigelow) Harmaja, L. agrestis (Harmaja) Harmaja, L. amarescens (Harmaja) Harmaja, L. diatreta (Fr.) Harmaja, L. fragrans (Fr.) Harmaja, L. harmajae (Lamoure) Harmaja, L. idahoensis (Bigelow) Harmaja, L. marginella (Harmaja) Harmaja, L. metachroa (Fr.) Harmaja, L. metachroides (Harmaja) Harmaja, L. odora (Fr.) Harmaja, L. phyllophila (Fr.) Harmaja, L. regularis (Peck) Harmaja and L. robusta (Peck) Harmaja.

Authors: Kahanpää, Asko
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 15 (1976), pages 5-12.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1976.105
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Abstract:  “Geotrichum candidum is a yeast-like filamentous fungus common in nature, which occasionally causes geotrichosis especially in the bronchopulmonary area. The basic material of this study consisted of fungal cultures on many different culture media, of 6801 morning sputa and 1289 other bronchopulmonary specimens from patients chiefly with pulmonary disease. For purpose of comparison fungal cultures were additionally made of 1495 upper respiratory tract and 1711 faeces and gastric juice samples. The mean incidences of occurrence of Geotrichum candidum were 0.5 % in bronchial secretion, 1.8 % in morning sputum, 2.5 % in the upper respiratory tract, 2.6 % in gastric juice and 13.2 % in faeces.
Because of its commonness, the isolation of Geotrichum candidum from faeces hardly permit any conclusions. On the other hand, repeated abundant isolations from morning sputum and particularly from bronchial secretion in the course of months impart information of much greater significance.
Geotrichosis apparently is a more common mycosis than the approximately 60 cases in the literature indicate. It generally has a chronic, benign course and occasionally it may even heal spontaneously. Nevertheless, it may cause considerable trouble when occurring as a secondary, opportunistic infection complicating some primary disease. The possibility of geotrichosis should therefore be held in mind better than heretofore has been the case.”

Authors: Harmaja, Harri
Journal: Karstenia, Volume 14 (1974), pages 138-142.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.29203/ka.1974.104
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Abstract:  The classical differences between Otidea (Pers.) Bon. and Tarzetta (Cooke) Lamb. (Pustulana auct.) are evpluated and shown to be of slight taxonomic value. The structure of the excipulum is found to be identical in the two genera. On the other hand, they are clearly differentiated by certain sporal and cytological characters, an essential part of which are presented for the first time. The Otidea and Tarzetta spores belong to different types on the basis of the existence versus absence of a cyanophilic perispore-periplasm coating in mature spores. Staining with cotton blue proved to be very helpful in the study. It is concluded that the two genera should be kept separate, as has generally been done up till now, although on different and uncertain grounds.