A New Truffle in Beds of Cultivated Mushrooms

Abstract

The occurrence of an unknown fungous pest in mushroom beds was first called to our attention in May, 1929,. by a commercial mushroom grower at Ashtabula, Ohio. The complaint was made that it was filling his beds and completely stopping the production of mushrooms. Specimens of soil and manure were submitted which contained ascocarps of an undescribed truffle. The infested mushroom houses at Ashtabula were visited early in June to obtain fresh material of the fungus and to make first-hand observations of its growth habits and the damage caused. Later, similar infestations were observed at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in several mushroom houses in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Specimens which proved to be the same species have also been received from Rosendale, New York. Although its spores are smaller than those of any known truffle the structure of the fungus indicates its affinities to be among the Tuberales, ap? parently most closely related to Pseudobalsamia l Fischer or to Balsamia Vitt. Since it is quite different in certain respects from known species of these genera it seems proper to describe it as a new species.