Chlorociboria aeruginascens

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***Chlorociboria aeruginascens*** is a saprobic species of mushroom, commonly known as the **green elfcup** or the **green wood cup** because of its characteristic small, green, saucer-shaped fruit bodies. Although the actual fruit bodies are infrequently seen, the green staining of wood caused by the fungus is more prevalent.

## Taxonomy

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin roots *aerug*- ("blue-green") and *ascens* ("becoming"). Some authors have used a variant spelling of the specific epithet, *aeruginescens*.

## Description

 File:Chlorociboria aeruginascens stained.jpg
 File:Chlorociboria aeruginascens 1M.jpg
This species has apothecia (cup-shaped ascocarps) that are usually attached laterally, often less than 0.5 cm in diameter, collapsing laterally and becoming rolled inwards when dry. The outer tissue layer of the apothecium, known as the ectal excipulum, has a delicate tomentose surface composed of hair-like, straight or sometimes coiled, smooth hyphae. The stipe is typically less than 3 mm long, with a central or eccentric attachment to the apothecia. Spores are roughly spindle-shaped (fusiform), smooth, and 5–8 by 0.7–2.8 µm. Apothecia grow on bark-free wood, especially oak, part of which at least is stained greenish by the mycelium. The abundant paraphyses, which may be entwined, are 55–95 by 1.5–2 µm, filiform, and septate with an unswollen, unbent apex that often extends beyond the level of the asci tips.

The species is distinguished from the closely related *C. aeruginosum* by having smaller spores. Although some authors have in the past failed to recognize any appreciable differences between the two species, Ramamurthi and colleagues note that not only are the spore sizes different, but *C. aeruginascens* have smooth tomentum hyphae, in contrast with the roughened hyphae of *C. aeruginosum*.

## "Green oak"

 File:Cheb relief intarsia - Allegories of months 3.jpg
 File:Chlorociboria-wood-Coatings-07-00188-g001.png
This species contains a quinone pigment called xylindein, a dimeric naphthoquinone derivative, whose structure was determined by spectroscopic means in the 1960s  and later confirmed by X-ray crystallography. It is this compound that is responsible for the characteristic bluish-green stain of wood infected by this species, used today in decorative woodworking such as Tunbridge ware and parquetry. The use of this wood, known as "green oak", goes back to 15th century Italy, where it was used in intarsia panels made by Fra Giovanni da Veroni.
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## References

1. ↑ Rogers Mushrooms | Mushroom Pictures & Mushroom Reference. Retrieved on December 8, 2008.
2. ↑ Borescope-*Chlorociboria aeruginascens*. Retrieved on December 9, 2008.
3. ↑ *Chlorociboria aeruginascens*. Retrieved on December 9, 2008.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Seaver FJ. (1936). Photographs and descriptions of cup-fungi-XXIV. *Chlorociboria*. *Mycologia* **28**: 390–394.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Seaver FJ. (1951). *The North American Cup-Fungi (Inoperculates)*. New York. Pp. 1–428.
6. ↑ Velenovský J. (1934). *Monographia Discomycetum Bohemiae*. 1: 1–436. 2: pl. 1–31. Prague.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ramamurthi CS, Korf RP, Batra LR. (1957). A revision of the North American species of *Chlorociboria* (Sclerotiniaceae). *Mycologia* **49**(6): 854–863.
8. ↑ Template:Cite book
9. ↑ Dennis RWG. (1956). A revision of the British Helotiaceae in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with notes on related European species. *Commonwealth Myc. Inst. Myc. Papers* **62**: 1–216.
10. ↑ Schmidt O. (1994). *Holz- und Baumpilze. Biologie, Schiden, Schutz, Nutzen*. Berlin/Heidelberg. pp 92–93.
11. ↑ Maeda M, Yamauchi T, Oshima K, Shimomura M, Miyauchis, Mukae K, Sakaki T, Shibata M, Wakamatsu K. (2003). Extraction of Xylindein from *Chlorociboria aeruginosa* complex and its biological characteristics. *Technical report of the Technological University of Nagaoka* **25**: 105–111.
12. ↑ R. L. Edwards and N. Kale, *Tetrahedron* 1965, *21*, 2095–2107
13. ↑ Saikawa Y, Watanabe T, Hashimoto K, Nakata M. (2000). Absolute configuration and tautomeric structure of xylindein, a blue–green pigment of *Chlorociboria* species. Phytochemistry ***55**(3): 237–240.*
14. ↑ Template:Cite book
15. ↑ Template:Cite book
16. ↑ Blanchette RA, Wilmering AM, Baumeister M. (1992). The use of green-stained wood caused by the fungus *Chlorociboria* in intarsia masterpieces from the 15th century. *Holzforschung* **46**(3): 225–232.

## External links

* Index Fungorum
* Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month, July 2008
* Mushroom Expert

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