De La Salle University

D A S M A R I Ñ A S

College of Science and Computer Studies - Graduate Studies

Mycology

Different Species of Philippine Fungi

Gerald B. Gamboa
Master of Science in Biology
Email: ggb0113@dlsud.edu.ph

Macro- and microfungi from the Philippines

Macrofungi

Among the country’s fungal species, only about 4,698 species belonging to 1,031 genera are
currently known or described (Quimio, 2002). Majority of the related taxonomic works for macrofungi in
the Philippines focused on the general descriptions of the Basidiomycetes (Musngi et al. 2005). Recent
publications by Tadiosa et al. (2007, 2011) on the macrofungi collected from different decaying woods
from Mt. Cuenca in Batangas and Bazal – Bauso Watershed in Aurora updated the estimated list of 3,956
species and 818 genera of different fungal diversity in the Philippines. Furthermore, nine species of
Tricholomataceae, three species of Coprinaceae, two species of Pluteaceae and one species of
Auriculariaceae were documented by Daep & Cajuday (2003) in Mt. Malinao, Albay. Also, Biadnes &
Tangonan (2003) assessed thebasidiomycetous fungi in Mt. Apo in Mindanao and noted a total of 87
species representing 25 genera. In Mt. Makiling, Laguna, Quimio (1996) surveyed the Agaricales. Musngi
et al. (2005) also described four species of Auricularia from the campus of Central Luzon State University
in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. In addition, Sibounnavong et al. (2008) reported 8 species of macrofungi in
Puncan, Carranglan.

Similar studies on the uses of mushrooms are beginning to manifest in the country. An
ethnomycological study conducted by de Leon et al. (2012) on the macrofungi utilized by the Aeta
communities of Central Luzon explained that certain macrofungi influenced practices in the community,
either through medicine, consumption, religion and art. In the study of Tayamen et al. (2004), six edible
mushrooms were also recognized by the Aeta communities in Mount Nagpale in Abucay, Bataan.
However, many of the traditional knowledge of our indigenous people remained undocumented,
particularly on their utilization and social beliefs pertaining to mushrooms.

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Microfungi

The emergence of infectious disease associated with chytrids is getting more attention nowadays.
Chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease caused by the microfungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd),
is directly linked to the rapid extinction of anurans and is proposed to be a severe threat to Philippine
amphibian biodiversity (Swei et al. 2011). Similar to other chytridiomycota, Bd is characterized to have
an aquatic zoosporic stage that infects the keratinized tissues of amphibians and then encyst going to
asexual reproduction which eventually releases more spores into the water. This natural history of the
fungus makes amphibians with aquatic lifestyle to be susceptible to the pathogen. In a paper of Brown et
al. (2012), they highlighted the occurrence of chytrid fungi and proposed the development of a national
strategy for documenting, studying and hopefully mitigating the effects of the disease in the country since
several critically endangered frog species are becoming more common.

Fungi in association with other organisms

Fungal endophytes

In the Philippines, fungi were first reported in the marine environment by Gacutan and Uyenco in
1983. They listed 7 species of marine fungi from Batan, Aklan. Jones et al. (1988) then reported 31 marine
fungi from driftwoods collected in the Philippines. Alias et al. (1999) also studied the intertidal fungi from
substrates collected from Pagbilao, Quezon and from Taklong Island and Boracay in Panay and reported
50 intertidal fungi, 21 of which were new records for the Philippines. But drawing more attention
nowadays are fungiassociated with mangroves, a tropical and subtropical halophytes that have the ability
to withstand extreme conditions, such as fluctuating temperatures and salinity. The Philippines is home to
about 40 of the 65 species of mangroves known worldwide (Primavera, 2000). Included in the list of
commonly observed mangroves are those belonging to the genera Rhizophora, Avicennia, Bruguiera,
Sonneratia, and Nypa (Calumpong & Meñez, 1996). Despite the richness in mangrove species in the
Philippines, only a total of 103 marine fungi were listed and reported from Philippine mangroves (Gacutan
& Uyenco, 1983; Jones et al., 1988; Alias et al., 1999; Besitulo et al., 2010). Moreover, this list only
included marine fungi from mangrove woods. The most frequently collected fungi were Periconia
prolifica, Savoryella lignicola, Verruculina enalia, and Lignincola laevis.

Lichens

Lichens are composite organisms consisting mainly of a fungal partner (the mycobiont) and one
or more photosynthetic partners (the photobiont). About 18,500 species of lichens have been described all
over the world. However, in the Philippines, despite their ecological and economic importance, very few
studies were done on lichens. In fact, only about 790 species of lichens were so far reported in the country
(Tacio, 2004). The number of lichens studied in the Philippines is thus low as compared to other countries
in the tropics. For example, in 2006, Gruezo revised the lichen genus Lobaria of the Philippines based on
intensive field and herbarium specimens. Among the fruticose lichens particularly those of the genus
Usnea, Wainio (1909) identified nine species of Usnea in the island of Luzon: Usnea florida, U.
perplexans, U. australis, U. pycnoclada, U. philippina, U. trichodea, U. squarrosa, U. longissima and U.
furcata. Herre (1963) listed 25 different species of Usnea and can be considered as the most extensive
enumeration of this genus in the country. These included Usnea baileyi, U. chrysopoda, U. elmeri, U.

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erecta, U. eumitroides, U. flexilis, U. hossei, U. humilis, U. implicita, U. insignis, U. levata, U. longgisma,
U. marivelensis, U. mearnsi, U. montagnei, U. philippina, U. pycnoclada, U. ramosi, U. roseola, U.
rubicunda, U. rubicunda var. rosea, U. rubescens var. rubrotincta, U. schadenbergiana, U. squarrosa, and
U. squarrosa var. misamisensis. Sevilla - Santos (1979) also identified and classified the lichen Usnea
montagnei, locally known as “lumot niyog”. Moreover, Bawingan et al. (2000) reported three species of
Usnea in the province of Benguet: U. dimorpha, U. rubicunda and U. subscabrosa. Interestingly, the only
species reported to be of medicinal use was that of the study of Quisumbing (1951). He reported in his
book “Medicinal Plants of the Philippines” that Usnea philippina can cure stomach pain. It was, however,
observed that Usnea species also exhibited antibiotic activities as earlier reported by Santos et al. (1964).
Recently, Santiago et al. (2010) reported the antibacterial activities of the lichenacids extracted from
fruticose lichens collected in selected sites in Luzon. Included in the study was Usnea baileyi. They have
found out that the crude lichen extracts were active against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus
and Bacillus subtilis). In another research study, a total of 27 fruticose lichens belonging to the genus
Usnea were again collected and identified from 12 sites within five provinces of Luzon. Several of these
Usnea exhibited antimicrobial activities (Santiago et al. 2013).

Fungus-like protists: myxomycetes (slime molds) and dictyostelids of the Philippines

One interesting but less explored group of microorganisms commonly found in terrestrial forest
habitats are the fungus-like protists, the plasmodial slime molds (myxomycetes) and cellular slime molds
(dictyostelids). However, in spite of their importance in basic scientific research and their abundance and
widespread occurrence, ecological studies on plasmodial myxomycetes and dictyostelids are generally
lacking. Tropical countries like the Philippines could be ideal site for exploring and studying slime mold
biodiversity and ecology. Earlier report on myxoycetes was that of Uyengco (1973) who reported 18
species belonging to 10 genera from her collection (1961-1973) of 341 specimens from various places in
Luzon, Zamboanga and Basilan. Dogma (1975) later updated the list to 46 species with 20 genera.
Reynolds (1981) presented an annotated list of 107 species of Philippine myxomycetes based on published
and unpublished records. Included in the list of 107 species were species of Arcyria (8), Badhamia (1),
Ceratiomyxa (1), Clastoderma (1), Comatricha (5), Craterium (3), Cribaria (5), Diachea (4), Dictydium
(1), Diderma (4), Didymium (10), Echinostelium (1), Fuligo (1), Hemitrichia (4), Lamproderma (3), Licea
(1), Lycogala (2), Metatrichia (1), Perichaena (5), Physarella (1), Physarum (26), Stemonitis (6), Trichia
(5) and Tubifera (3). Most of these myxomycetes were collected from substrates obtained from 11 sites in
Luzon, 5 sites in the Visayas and 6 sites in Mindanao. At the University of the Philippines Los Baños -
Museum of Natural History (UPLB-MNH) Mycological Herbarium, the country’s premier depository of
fungal collections, about 416 myxomycete specimens were recorded (dela Cruz et al., 2009). Deposited
mainly by Reynolds, Dogma and Quimio in the 1970’s and 1980’s, only 128 specimens were identified
up to species level. Majority of the deposited specimens (282) were identified only up to the genus level
(dela Cruz et al., 2009). Myxomycetes found mainly belong to the genera Arcyria, Diachea, Dictydium,
Hemitrichia, Lamproderma, Physarum, Stemonitis, and Trichia under the taxonomic Orders Liceales,
Stemonitales, Trichiales and Physarales. The estimated number can be considered small, indicating that
still many more myxomycete species remained undiscovered. Recently, interest on plasmodial
myxomycetes gained momentum. At the UST Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences –
Fungal Biodiversity and Systematics Group, research studies on the biodiversity of plasmodial
myxomycetes from selected highlands and islands of Luzon were conducted. Dagamac et al. (2011) and

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Macabago et al. (2012) reported eleven new records for the Philippines from Mt. Arayat National Park,
Pampanga and Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro, respectively. Dagamac et al. (2010) also included five
new records of corticolous myxomycetes associated with Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr. in the Philippines.
Moreno et al. (2009) reported one new species, Craterium retisporum, from a specimen collected in Anda
Island, Pangasinan. Interestingly, 21 species were new records for the country. These new records were
as follows: Arcyria afroalpina, A. globosa, Collaria arcyrionema, C. rubens, Comatricha robusta,
Clastoderma microcarpum, Craterium atrolucens, C. concinnum, Dianema harveyi, Diderma
subasteroides, Elaeomyxa miyazakensis, Enerthenema pappilatum, Lepidoderma tigrinum, Lamproderma
cacographicum, Licea biforis, Oligonema schweinitzii, Perichaena microspora, P. pedata, Physarum
decipiens, P. leucophaeum, and Stemonitis pallida. This brings now the total number of myxomycete
species recorded in the Philippines to 129. It is interesting to note also that in just 2 years, many species
were noted as new records for the country. This confirms that many species of myxomycetes awaits
discovery in many of our less-explored habitats and areas.

Cellular slime molds or dictyostelids are known to have global distribution. However, the only
studies about dictyostelids from Philippine soil have been those of Dogma and Blancaver (1965), Dogma
(1975), and Cavender (1976). Cavender (1976) published a study on the cellular slime molds of Southeast
Asia and looked at the occurrence and distribution of dictyostelids from 13 tropical forest sites in the
Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. From a total of 2,998 clones, he recovered 16
species of dictyostelids. Nine were isolated from Philippine soil. The four most important species he
isolated from Philippine soil were Dictysotelium mucoroides, D. purpureum, Polysphondylium pallidum
and P. violaceum. The combined data on Philippine dictyostelids yielded only a total of 11 species out of
the total 89 species recognized worldwide (Cavender, 1976). In a recent study, D. laterosorum and P.
pallidum are reported for the first time from Subic Bay Forest Reserve in Zambales. D. laterosorum is a
new record for the country. Yulo & dela Cruz (2011) also identified a total of 8 species of dictyostelids
belonging to 2 genera (Polysphondylium and Dictyostelium) from soil samples collected in Lubang Island
in Occidental Mindoro. Morphological characterization identified these species as: Dictyostelium aureo-
stipes, D. discoideum, D. laterosorum, D. mucoroides, D. purpureum, Dictyostelium sp.,
Polysphondylium pallidum andP. violaceum. This is the first report of dictyostelids in Lubang Island.
Dictyostelium aureo-stipes is reported for the first time in the Philippines. One species of Dictyostelium
could not be identified but definitely exhibited morphologies not similar to those previously reported in
the country. The total number of dictyostelids now in the Philippines is 14.

References

Dela Cruz, T. E et al. 2013. Review of Mycology in the Philippines. Retrieved April 5, 2019 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283318357