Gasteroid fungi were formed in the process of gasteromycetization by transforming from agaricoid forms of fungi and were marked by Fries as a class Gasteromycetes in the Basidiomycota division. However, at the end of the XX and beginning of the XXI centuries, molecular research proved the polyphyletic origin of gasteroid fungi. As a result of those research, the class Gasteromycetes was disbanding. Currently, gasteromycetes are an ecological group of fungi whose species belong to the Basidiomycota division, class Agaricomycetes, which includes two subclasses Agaricomycetidae, and Phallomycetidae that contains gasteroid fungi in six orders (Agaricales, Bolletales, Geastrales, Gomphales, Hysterangiales, Phallales, Russulales). Most gasteromycetes species are soil saprotrophs, but among them, xylo-saprotrophic and some mycorrhizal species are also known.
Gasteromycetes are considered a complex group of fungi in establishing its taxonomic affiliation. The literature data about morphological descriptions of its pure culture, which could clarify its taxonomic status by the cultural features, are limited or fragmentary.
The basidiocarps of gasteromycetes contain several useful biologically active substances with antitumor, immunomodulatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties. Furthermore, lots of medicinal gasteroid basidiomycetes are valuable edible fungi.
It is necessary to know its mycelial growth features and development under different cultivation conditions in vitro for obtaining mycelium or biomass of fungi
with unique properties. Moreover, a clear idea about the morphology of mycelial colony at the macro- and microscopic levels is necessary for the storage and verification of these species in pure culture. The species representation of this fungi group in the world cultures collections is insignificant.
Thus, obtaining mycelial cultures of gasteroid species and studying their cultural and morphological features in vitro conditions is relevant and appropriate.
As a result of dissertation research, mycelial cultures of 17 species of gasteroid fungi, which included to the fungal cultures collection (FCKU) of the Department of Plant Biology of the Educational and Scientific Centre “Institute of Biology and Medicine” of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, were obtained. These species belong to the orders Agaricales and Phallales and are contained within two families Agaricaceae and Phallaceae. Among them, three species (Clathrus archeri, C. rubber, Mutinus caninus) are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, six species have medicinal properties and seven are considered edible. Eight species were first introduced into the mycelial culture collection in Ukraine: Bovista plumbea, Calvatia candida, Clathrus ruber, Crucibulum crucibuliforme, Lycoperdon umbrinum, Mycenastrum corium, Mutinus caninus, Vascellum pratense.
It is established that the composition of the agar medium affected the growth rate of vegetative mycelium of the studied species. Therefore, the optimal environment for the mycelial growth of species of the family Phallaceae is a modified Melin-Norkrans medium, for species of the family Agaricaceae – wort agar and potato-glucose agar.
The analysis of the mycelium development of gasteroid fungi in cultural conditions is revealed several specific morphological features that can be facilitated as diagnostic characteristics for establishing their taxonomic affiliation.
The mycelium of species from the Phallaceae family forms the colonies with a large number of white mycelial cords and aerial mycelium, which in the species Phallus hadriani and Clathrus archeri get a pale pink colour. The Bovista plumbea mycelial colony, which grows on potato-glucose agar, is characterized by dirty brown colonies. Species of the genus Cyathus have the ability to form thick, dense, dark brown mycelial cords. Furthermore, the C. striatus, C. olla, and
Crucibulum crucibuliforme mycelial cultures can be identified by the colour of the mycelial colony, for example, C. striatus has a brown colony, while C. olla has a white colony that becomes dirty brown with age. The Crucibulum crucibuliforme mycelial culture, which grows on wort agar, with age, has a yellow mycelium in the center of the colony.
