H. pulchrumhas been found in many parts of the world, including: France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, Russia, and Japan (Benny, 1995; Hoffman, et al., 2013; Panasenko, 1967).
Helicostylum pulchrum was originally described as Ascophora pulchra by Preuss in 1851 in Linnaea (24:139), and more recently as Helicostylum pulchrum by Pidoplishko & Milko in Atlas mukoral'nykh gribov (Atlas of Mucorlean fungi: 1971) (Mycobank 2016). Synonyms of this species include the following: Ascophora pulchra, Bulbothamnidium pulchrum, Bulbothamnidium elegans, Chaetostylum echinulatum, Chaetostylum fresenii, Chaetostylum venustellum, Helicostylum fresenii, Helicostylum venustellum, Thamnidium fresenii, and Thamnidium chaetocladioides (Mycobank 2016; Upadhyay 1973; Benny 1995). A 2013 molecular study showed that the generaHelicostylum and Thamnidium,in the family Thamnidiaceae,are closely related to the family Mucoraceae, and confirmed their placement in the order Mucorales (Hoffman et al. 2013). Mucorales was recently placed in the phylum Mucoromycota after researchers split the phylum Zygomycota into Zoopagomycota and Mucoromycota, due to molecular evidence supporting the split (Spatafora et al. 2016).
H. pulchrum is a saprobic fungus that has been found growing on the dung of various animals in many parts of the world (Benny 1995; Hoffman et al. 2013). It has also been identified as a food contaminant on meat and eggs (Panasenko 1967).
Helicostylum pulchrumis a saprobic fungus that has been found growing on the dung of various animals and as a food contaminant in many parts of the world including: France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, Russia, and Japan(Benny, 1995; Hoffman, et al., 2013; Panasenko, 1967)
Preuss originally described H. pulchrum as Ascophora pulchra in 1851 inLinnaea(24:139), and in 1971 it was given the current nameHelicostylum pulchrumby Pidoplishko & Milko inAtlas mukoral'nykh gribov (Atlas of Mucorlean fungi:1971) (Mycobank 2016). Synonyms of this species include the following:Ascophora pulchra,Bulbothamnidium pulchrum,Bulbothamnidium elegans,Chaetostylum echinulatum, Chaetostylum fresenii,Chaetostylum venustellum,Helicostylum fresenii,Helicostylum venustellum,Thamnidium fresenii,andThamnidium chaetocladioides(Mycobank 2016; Upadhyay 1973; Benny 1995). A molecular study published in 2013 showed thatthe family Thamnidiaceae, includingHelicostylum,are closely related genetically to the family Mucoraceae, and should therefore be classified as part of Mucoraceae (Hoffman et al. 2013). Mucoraceae was recently placed in the phylum Mucoromycota after researchers split the phylum Zygomycota into Zoopagomycota and Mucoromycota, due to molecular evidence supporting the split (Spatafora et al. 2016).
Like other zygomycete fungi,Helicostylum pulchrumreproduces sexually by zygospores and asexually by sporangia, lacks multicellular sporocarps, and has coenocytic hyphae (Spatafora et al. 2016).H. pulchrumcan produce two different types of asexual reproductive structures: aMucor-type sporangia with a columella or a sporangiola, which only produces a few spores and generally lacks a columella (Webster and Weber 2007). In his work “Helicostylum and Thamnostylum (Mucorales)", H.P. Upadhyay included detailed descriptions of cultures, sporangia, sporangiola, cloumellae, and sporangiospores (1973). According to Upadhyay,H. pulchrumhas sporangia that lack an apophysis and globose sporangiola that have stiff, spine-like terminations and are produced on erect, verticillate branches which lack rhizoids or stolons. He described sporangiospores from both asexual structures as being “alike, ovoid to ellipsoidal, smooth, hyaline, 7-20 X 5-8 um.” Zygospores ofH. pulchrumwere first observed and described by Gerald Benny in his work “Observations on Thamnidiaceae,” which was published inMycologiain 1995. Zygospores were described as globose, 75-175 um in diameter, with a dark brown to black wall and equal suspensor cells. Benny also illustrated and described several other important features ofH. pulchrum,including culture characteristics, the sporangia and sporangiola.
