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*Psathyrella aquatica*
Mycological characteristics
Psathyrella aquatica Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex
	Hymenium is free
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is unknown

Psathyrella aquatica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Psathyrellaceae
Genus:	Psathyrella
Species:	P. aquatica
Binomial name
	Psathyrella aquatica; J.L.Frank, Coffan, & Southworth (2010)

Psathyrella aquatica is a species of fungus from Oregon, first described in the journal Mycologia in 2010.^[1] It represents the first ever report of a gilled basidiomycete fruiting underwater.

Discovery

It was found by Southern Oregon University professor Robert Coffan in the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon.^[1] Coffan and his colleagues, Darlene Southworth and Jonathan Frank, found the mushroom in 2005. The biology department at Southern Oregon University confirmed that the mushroom was a unique discovery.^[1] Once their research was published, it was named one of the most significant species discovered in 2010.^[2] They have so far been discovered in a 1 kilometer stretch of the river, and have an observed fruiting season of mid-June to late September^[3] Many scientists were skeptical about describing this mushroom as a new species because of the hundreds of similar looking species in the family Psathyrellaceae.^[2]^[4]

Less than 1% of aquatic fungi are assumed to be discovered yet, and many are assumed to be microscopic, with only a small fraction thought to produce fruiting bodies.^[5]

Description

The fruiting body consists of a small convex cap and a long stipe.^[1] Its cap is brown, convex, and has gills underneath.^[1] The young mushroom develops a veil, which is lost as the mushroom grows to maturity.^[1] The mushroom's stipe appears to be quite strong, and is anchored up to 1.6 feet (0.5 m) deep in sediment, in order to stand up to the fast-moving river currents where it is primarily found.^[1] The stipe is covered in thin hair like structures.^[1] Spores released by the gills stay in gas bubbles underneath the gills before floating to the top of the water to spread.^[1] Underwater gills and ballistospores suggest that its underwater adaption is a relatively recent one.^[1]

When synthetically grown, P. aquatica are known to only fruit (produce stipe and cap) underwater. A study done in 2014 by one of the original authors of the discovery paper showed that this species only produces sporocarps when completely submerged under cold water.^[6]

Habitat

The mushrooms are found growing out of water-logged wood, silt, and gravel, a fine volcanic substrate, and was observed growing from youth to maturity completely underwater over 11 weeks.^[1] The mushroom grows submerged under fast, cold, running water of the river.^[1] The water is spring fed, aerated, and contains lots of woody debris and is shallow in depth.^[1] They are found growing about a half a meter underneath the water.^[3] The mushroom is also found growing on land in either grassy banks, or on gravel or water-logged wood next to the river.^[3]

Ecosystem role

Though not enough is known about the species to consider it edible, scientist assume that it is a food source for small insects in the river.^[2] Though the river has low levels of nitrogen, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria near mushroom discovery sites suggests they might provide a source of nitrogen.^[7]

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the species is in reference to the habitat the mushroom is found in. Aquatica is a Latin word meaning water or watery (relating to water, aquatic).^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Frank, J. L.; Coffan, R. A.; Southworth, D. (July 2009). "Aquatic gilled mushrooms: Psathyrella fruiting in the Rogue River in southern Oregon". Mycologia. 102 (1): 93–107. doi:10.3852/07-190. PMID 20120233. S2CID 7175296.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The Only Aquatic Gilled Mushroom in the World and the Amazing Story of Its Discovery". Robert A. Coffan/OggiScienza. April 15, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Underwater_Mushroom – Mycological Society of America. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://msafungi.org/underwater_mushroom/
^ Mushrooms underwater. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://fishbio.com/field-notes/wildlife-ecology/mushrooms-underwater
^ Elkhateeb, W., Thomas, P., Zohri, A.-N., Daba, G., & Wen, T.-C. (2021). Highlights on aquatic fungi and mushrooms ecology and biotechnology, with description of the rarely isolated aquatic mushroom Psathyrella aquatic as a novel taxon. Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry., 10.
^ Frank, J. L. (2014). Psathyrella aquatica Fruiting in vitro. Northwest Science, 88(1), 44–48. doi:10.3955/046.088.0108
^ Southern Oregon University: College of Arts and Sciences. (2008, August 19). https://web.archive.org/web/20080819151450/http://www.sou.edu/cas/connections/connections0006.html
^ Latin Definition for: Aquaticus, aquatica, aquaticum (ID: 4328)—Latin Dictionary and Grammar Resources—Latdict. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from http://www.latin-dictionary.net/definition/4328/aquaticus-aquatica-aquaticum