Friesia X, 4-5

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pelaqica, Remispora hamata, R. maritima and certain Lulworthia spp.,
some of which are undoubtedly contained in the Danish Lulworthia
material. In an annotated check-list of marine fungi from the coasts
of New England (KOHLMEYER 1971) 22 of the species from Grønhøj
are also listed.
The lignicolous and arenicolous marine species as represented in
the Danish material in the groups 1 and 2 respectively all appear to
live in and on wood. They are wood-inhabiting marine fungi. None
have been found fruiting in the sand without being in close contact
with the wood. The location of the fruit bodies in group 2 (and 1 b)
seems to afford these fungi extremely good propagation possibilities
on coasts where the driftwood can be deposited in a humid condition
and undisturbed for a sufficient length of time. It would be of interest
if characters other than the location of fruit bodies, e.g. some
physiological characters, could be found to contribute to the differences
in the way of life in these two groups of fungi. It must be
remembered that the environment of zone 3 also favours an abundant
fruit body formation among the group 1 a fungi. However, this latter
group does not require such an environment. They are capable of
propagation in the open sea. It is possible that fungi from both groups
can live as limited mycelia in the sand without being revealed by
fruit body formation. This could be suppressed as a consequence of
nutritional deficiency or as aresult of linkage to a certain mode of
fructification (immersed perithecia).
The fate of the large spore produetion in zone 3 is a matter of
conjecture. Do the spores retain their viability for so long a period
that they are still viable when the sea reaches the base of the dunes
during storms? Are spores carried back into the sea by surface water
after heavy rain?
Driftwood deposited in zone 3 to some extent during the autumn
and winter storms is known to be drawn out by the waves and
eventually again deposited further down the coast. By this treatment
all types of perithecia will be destroyed and the liberated spores partly
deposited in the water. The infection of buried wood by fungi from
group 1 and 2 is also known to take place at the base of the dunes,
but whether the source of infection is spores, fragments of mycelium
or small pieces of organic matter is uncertain. A number of
questions remain to be solved before the role of the upper beach in
a locality such as Grønhøj in the propagation of marine fungi can be
elucidated.