science

List of fungi of South Africa

List of fungi of South Africa is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of fungi of South Africa rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of the lists of fungal taxa as recorded from South Africa. Names given are as provided by the source, but authorities and dates should be aligned with current practice where feasible.

Key takeaways

List of fungi of South Africa belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of fungi of South Africa to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of fungi of South Africa from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of the lists of fungal taxa as recorded from South Africa. Names given are as provided by the source, but authorities and dates should be aligned with current practice where feasible. Currently accepted names have been appended where the listed name is out of date. A fungus (plural: fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from the other eukaryotic kingdoms, those being Plantae, Animalia, Protozoa, and Chromista. A characteristic that places fungi in a different kingdom from plants, bacteria, and some protists is chitin in their cell walls. Fungi, like animals, are heterotrophs; they acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment. Fungi do not photosynthesize. Growth is their means of mobility, except for spores (a few of which are flagellated), which may travel through the air or water. Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems. These and other differences place fungi in a single group of related organisms, named the Eumycota (true fungi or Eumycetes), which share a common ancestor (from a monophyletic group), an interpretation that is also strongly supported by molecular phylogenetics. This fungal group is distinct from the structurally similar myxomycetes (slime molds) and oomycetes (water molds). The discipline of biology devoted to the study of fungi is known as mycology (from the Greek μύκης mykes, mushroom). In the past, mycology was regarded as a branch of botany, although it is now known fungi are genetically more closely related to animals than to plants. Abundant worldwide, most fungi are inconspicuous because of the small size of their structures, and their cryptic lifestyles in soil or on dead matter. Fungi include symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi and also parasites. They may become noticeable when fruiting, either as mushrooms or as molds. Fungi perform an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange in the environment. They have long been used as a direct source of human food, in the form of mushrooms and truffles; as a leavening agent for bread; and in the fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce. Since the 1940s, fungi have been used for the production of antibiotics, and, more recently, various enzymes produced by fungi are used industrially and in detergents. Fungi are also used as biological pesticides to control weeds, plant diseases and insect pests. Many species produce bioactive compounds called mycotoxins, such as alkaloids and polyketides, that are toxic to animals including humans. The fruiting structures of a few species contain psychotropic compounds and are consumed recreationally or in traditional spiritual ceremonies. Fungi can break down manufactured materials and buildings, and become significant pathogens of humans and other animals. Losses of crops due to fungal diseases (e.g., rice blast disease) or food spoilage can have a large impact on human food supplies and local economies. The fungus kingdom encompasses an enormous diversity of taxa with varied ecologies, life cycle strategies, and morphologies ranging from unicellular aquatic chytrids to large mushrooms. However, little is known of the true biodiversity of Kingdom Fungi, which has been estimated at 2.2 million to 3.8 million species. Of these, only about 148,000 have been described, with over 8,000 species known to be detrimental to plants and at least 300 that can be pathogenic to humans. Ever since the pioneering 18th and 19th century taxonomical works of Carl Linnaeus, Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, and Elias Magnus Fries, fungi have been classified according to their morphology (e.g., characteristics such as spore color or microscopic features) or physiology. Advances in molecular genetics have opened the way for DNA analysis to be incorporated into taxonomy, which has sometimes challenged the historical groupings based on morphology and other traits. Phylogenetic studies published in the first decade of the 21st century have helped reshape the classification within Kingdom Fungi, which is divided into one subkingdom, seven phyla, and ten subphyla.

Genus: Kalchbrennera Berk. 1876, accepted as Lysurus Fr., (1823)

Kalchbrennera corallocephala (Welw. & Curr.) Kalchbr. 1880 accepted as Lysurus corallocephalus Welw. & Curr., (1868) Kalchbrennera tuckii Berk. 1876 Kalchbrennera tuckii var. microcephala Pole Evans* Genus: Kloeckerospora*

Kloeckerospora uvarum Niehaus* Genus: Kretzschmaria Fr. 1849

Kretzschmaria cetrarioides (Welw. & Curr.) Sacc. 1883 Kretzschmaria knysnana Van der Byl 1932 Kretzschmaria micropus (Fr.) Sacc. 1882 Genus: Kuehneola Magnus 1898

Kuehneola albida (J.G.Kühn) Magnus (1898), accepted as Kuehneola uredinis (Link) Arthur (1906) Kuehneola fici (Castagne) E.J. Butler 1914 accepted as Cerotelium fici (Castagne) Arthur, (1917) Kuehneola uredinis (Link) Arthur (1906) recorded as Kuehneola albida (J.G.Kühn) Magnus (1898), Genus: Kupsura Lloyd 1924, accepted as Lysurus Fr., (1823)

Kupsura sphaerocephala Lloyd 1924

Genus: Naemacyclus Fuckel 1874

Naemacyclus niveus (Pers.) Fuckel ex Sacc. 1884 accepted as Cyclaneusma niveum (Pers.) DiCosmo, Peredo & Minter, (1983) Genus: Naevia Fr. 1824, accepted as Arthonia Ach., (1806)

Naevia rotundata Vain. 1901 Genus: Naucoria (Fr.) P.Kumm. (1871), accepted as Alnicola Kühner (1926)

Naucoria arenicola (Berk.) Sacc. 1887 accepted as Agrocybe pediades (Fr.) Fayod, (1889) Naucoria arvalis Quel. [sic] possibly (Fr.) Sacc. 1887, accepted as Agrocybe arvalis (Fr.) Singer, (1936) Naucoria furfuracea Quel. [sic] possibly (Pers.) P. Kumm. 1871, accepted as Tubaria furfuracea (Pers.) Gillet, [1878] Naucoria pediades Quel. [sic] possibly (Fr.) P. Kumm. 1871, accepted as Agrocybe pediades (Fr.) Fayod, (1889) Naucoria pediades var. obscuripes Fayod 1890 accepted as Agrocybe pediades (Fr.) Fayod, (1889) Naucoria pygmaea (Bull.) Gillet 1876 accepted as Psathyrella pygmaea (Bull.) Singer, (1951) Naucoria russa (Cooke & Massee) Sacc. 1887 Naucoria scolecina (Fr.) Quél. 1875 Naucoria semiorbicularis (Bull.) Quél. 1875 accepted as Agrocybe pediades (Fr.) Fayod, (1889) Naucoria undulosa (Fr.) Sacc. 1887 Genus: Nectria (Fr.) Fr. 1849

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of fungi of South Africa

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of fungi of South Africa claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of fungi of South Africa before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of fungi of South Africa ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of fungi of South Africa

In research: List of fungi of South Africa appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of fungi of South Africa in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of fungi of South Africa is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lists of fungi, South African biodiversity lists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of fungi of South Africa outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of fungi of South Africa in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is List of fungi of South Africa in simple terms?

This is a list of the lists of fungal taxa as recorded from South Africa. Names given are as provided by the source, but authorities and dates should be aligned with current practice where feasible.

Why does List of fungi of South Africa matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of fungi of South Africa?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of fungi of South Africa.