Conservation Rankings and Status:
Global: G3
State:OR S2, WA Not ranked
Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC) List 2
(Ranks from ORBIC, http://orbic.pdx.edu accessed August 16, 2013)
Technical Description:Sporocarps are apothecia, subsessile to short stipitate, up to 20-30 mm tall.Apothecia bowl-shaped when young, spreading with age, regular from above to slightly compressed, to 40 mm in diameter at maturity.Hymenial surface brown to gray-brown. Abhymenial surface (outer surface of cup) becoming paler toward base, lacking extensive ridges.Stem up to 20 mm long, consisting of rounded ribs resembling soft folds, ivory to off-white.Asci8-spored, tips not reacting to Melzer’s reagent.Spores ellipsoid, 23-28 (-30) x 13-15 um, smooth.
Other fungi with cup-shaped apothecia include species of Peziza and a few other species of Hevella.Generally, stems in species of Peziza are either lacking or very reduced, and if the latter, are generally without distinct ribs or ridges.Among Hevella species with cup-shaped caps and shorter stems (< half the width of the cup), ribs occur on the lower portion of the cup as well as along the stem in H. acetabulum.H. leucomelanena, which most strongly resembles H. crassitunicatum, has smaller spores (20-24) x 10-14 um, and produces its sporocarps in late winter and early spring.
Life History:This elfin saddle appears to be mycorrhizal with species of Abies.Sporocarps occur scattered to gregarious, from August through October.
Range, Distribution and Abundance:Known globally from Alaska, British Columbia, and from within Oregon and Washington portions of the Northwest Forest Plan Area, including the Washington Eastern Cascades, Washington Western Cascades, Washington Olympic Peninsula, Oregon Eastern Cascades, Oregon Western Cascades and Oregon Klamath Physiographic Provinces.Within the Northwest Forest Plan Area known from approximately 30 sites.There were no detections of this species recorded during Random Grid CVS/FIA plot surveys.
FS/BLM lands in Oregon and Washington:Documented on Spokane BLM District.Documented on Deschutes, Gifford Pinchot, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Mt. Hood, Okanogan-Wenatchee and Willamette National Forests.
Although the map and BLM database show two sites on Medford BLM, there is some question as to the identification of the vouchers associated with these two sites.These locations are significantly lower than the other ~28 sites known in Oregon and Washington, were collected in the spring (when all others were found in the late summer/fall), and were the only sites found in Douglas fir plan associations.
Habitat Associations:On soil, especially along trails, in montane regions with Abies spp.Occurs in Mountain Hemlock (41%), Pacific Silver Fir (31%), Parklands (10%), Douglas Fir (7%), Rock (3%), Subalpine Fir-Engelmann Spruce (3%) and White Fir-Grand Fir (3%) vegetation zones at elevations of 1533-9673 feet.
Threats:As with mycorrhizal fungi in general, current literature suggests that threats to local occurrences of this species include events and/or activities that negatively impact either the fungal mycelium or the mycorrhizal hosts.Such impacts can be caused by moderate to severe fire, removal of a large percentage of host plants (and the attendant reduction in canopy cover and reduction in moisture content of upper soil layers), removal oflarge woody debris, and soil compaction.Such impacts can reduce both fungal biomass and species diversity within communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi for periods ranging from several years to multiple decades.
Conservation Considerations:Revisit known localities to confirm persistence and determine extent of populations.Conduct surveys to locate new populations.Consider buffering known sites from adjacent vegetation management activities.When conducting vegetation management activities in areas with good habitat potential, consider leaving scattered and clumped host trees and ample coarse woody debris, while minimizing soil compaction and burn severity of activity-related fires.
Other pertinent information (includes references to Survey Protocols, etc):The survey protocol for sensitive fungi is located on the ISSSSP website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/sfpnw/issssp/documents/inventories/inv-sp-fu-ver1-2008-12.pdf.
The survey protocol for Survey and Manage fungi is located on the Survey and Manage website: http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/surveyandmanage/protocols/
Prepared by:Rick Dewey, Deschutes NF
Date:April, 2013
Edited by:Rob Huff, BLM/FS Portland, Oregon
Date:January, 2014
