page_title: Spongiforma squarepantsii
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Spongiforma squarepantsii / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Scanning electron microscopy of the hymenium of the fungus Spongiforma squarepantsii Desjardin, Peay &amp; T.D.Bruns (2011). The specimen from which this was prepared was collected from Lambir Hills National Park, Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia. Comment at Mushroom Observer page: "This is Dennis’ scanning EM of the hymenium the warty spores with the prominent germ pore are mostly what is seen".
context_page_description: Spongiforma squarepantsii is a species of fungus in the family Boletaceae, genus Spongiforma. Found in Malaysia, it was described as new to science in 2011. It produces sponge-like, rubbery orange fruit bodies that have a fruity or musky odour. The fruit bodies reach dimensions of 10 cm wide by 7 cm tall. Like a sponge, they will resume their original shape if water is squeezed out. The spores, produced on the surfaces of the hollows of the sponge, are almond-shaped with rough surfaces, and measure 10‑12.5 μm by 6‑7 μm. The name of the fungus is derived from the Nickelodeon cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants from the show of the same name. S. squarepantsii is one of two species in Spongiforma; it differs from S. thailandica in its color, odour, and spore structure.
context_section_description: The fruit body of Spongiforma squarepantsii is bright orange coloured, roughly spherical to oval, and measures 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) wide by 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) tall. Although it lacks a stipe, it has a rudimentary columella—a small cord of sterile tissue that extends to the center of the fruit body. The surface of the fruit body has deep ridges and folds somewhat resembling a brain. It is sponge-like and rubbery—if water is squeezed out, it will resume its original shape. The surface has irregular, relatively large cavities (locules), lined with fertile (spore-producing) tissue. The locules are between 2 and 10 mm (0.1 and 0.4 in) in diameter. The ridges of the locules are pale orange or lighter and ciliate (having hairlike projections).  Fruit bodies have a strong odour described as "vaguely fruity or strongly musty". The mushroom tissue turns purple when a drop of 3% potassium hydroxide (KOH) is applied. In mass, the spores are a reddish-brown or deep mahogany colour. The edibility of the fruit body is unknown.
  The almond-shaped spores are typically 10–12.5 μm by 6–7 μm with thick walls measuring between 0.5–1.2 μm. They have a small central apiculus (a depressed area when the spore was once attached to the basidium via the sterigma). When mounted in distilled water, they have a coarsely warty surface and appear rusty brown in colour. When mounted in a 3% KOH solution, the spores are pale lilac grey, and the surface ornamentation forms swollen pustules that loosen and dissolve. Spores are dextrinoid (meaning they turn reddish-brown when stained with Melzer's reagent) and cyanophilic (red in acetocarmine). The basidia are club-shaped, and four-spored with sterigmata up to 9.5 μm long. The ridges of the locules comprise erect cystidia mixed with chains of erect cylindrical hyphae measuring 4–6 μm in diameter. The cystidia are roughly cylindrical, and have dimensions of 20–60 μm by 4–9 μm. There are no clamp connections present in the hyphae of the fungus.
caption: Scanning electron micrograph of the hymenium showing the warty spores with the prominent germ pore. Scale bar = 10 μm
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