Micromphale arbuticola

Micromphale arbuticola

Micromphale arbuticola is a tiny saprotrophic fungus known to grow on the bark and fallen branches of madrone (Arbutus menziesii). A native of North America, M. arbuticola colonizes decomposing woody debris and is an important micro-saprotroph. Although extremely small in size and seemingly inconspicuous, M. arbuticola is an interesting fungus in that its entire life cycle is spent on host-related decaying wood. As such, the fungus has developed a highly specialized ecological niche [1][2].

Growing inconspicuously on madrone bark, M. arbuticola forms tiny (under .5 mm) whitish fruiting bodies, the subtle camouflage of which can make it easily overlooked. The species is so small, in fact, that it often goes unnoticed on fallen madrone wood unless the rough, woody surface is closely examined. An important micro-saprotroph, M. arbuticola acts as a fine woody decomposer, recycling wood from the madrone tree in order to obtain trace nutrients [2][3]. Despite its minuscule size and seemingly indirect role in nutrient cycling, M. arbuticola directly affects soil fertility in the madrone ecosystem, influencing organic matter turnover as it decomposes fallen branches [3].

[1] Desjardin, Dennis E. “New Marasmioid Fungi from California.” Mycologia 77, no. 6 (1985): 894–902. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3793301

[2] MykoWeb. “California Fungi: Micromphale arbuticola.” https://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Micromphale_arbuticola.html

[3] PictureMushroom. “Micromphale arbuticola – Picture Mushroom.” https://picturemushroom.com/wiki/Micromphale_arbuticola.html