Paurocotylis pila

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Scarlet Berry Truffle
Paurocotylis pila (30950528223).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Pezizomycetes
Order: Pezizales
Family: Pyronemataceae
Genus: Paurocotylis
Species:
P. pila
Binomial name
Paurocotylis pila
Berkeley, 1855 - fungi

Paurocotylis pila, commonly known as the scarlet berry truffle, [1] is an ascomycete fungus in the genus Paurocotylis. It was first described by Miles Joseph Berkley in 1855. [2]

Contents

This species is native to New Zealand and Australia and is naturalized in the United Kingdom. [3] It often appears in forests under podocarp trees such as totara; [4] however, it also occurs in gardens, forest tracks, and parks. [5]

Taxonomy

First described in 1855 by Miles Joseph Berkeley in Joseph Dalton Hooker's The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage II, Flora Novae-Zealandiae, [6] the type specimen was found 'on the ground' and was collected by William Colenso in Te Hāwera, South Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand. [7]

Paurocotylis pila is the only species from the genus Paurocotylis found in New Zealand. [8]

Etymology

Greek, pauro means few and cotylis means cavity, possibly referring to the observed interior of the type specimen. [5] Latin, pila means sphere, presumably referring to the shape of the fruit body. [5]

Description

This truffle-like fungus produces a spherical to tuber-shaped fruit body (ascoma) with a smooth surface, which can be lobed or wrinkled. Paurocotylis pila's fruiting body is ball shaped, with a thin, matte red-orange outer rind and has no stalk. [9] Often the rind is creased, but occasionally is smooth. Varying in size, it ranges from 10-30mm across, and is found half buried in soil, or under leaf litter. [5] The fruit body is made of yellow-brown tissue, with multiple hollow chambers. Inside the chambers, the asci break up to leave round, cream or yellow ascospores. [10] Once collected and dried, the rind's colour changes to a dull red-brown. [2] P. pila fruit bodies usually range from 10–40 millimetres (1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in) in diameter, [1] although some in the UK are up to 60 mm. [11] The fruit body does not have a stipe. There is no odour noted and it is regarded as non-edible. [12]

Cross-section of P. pila Scarlet berry truffle imported from iNaturalist photo 127637603 on 27 May 2023.jpg
Cross-section of P. pila

Range

DNA barcode (internal transcribed spacer) sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database indicate a distribution in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. [13]

Natural global range

This species is native to New Zealand, however, it has been introduced to England. In England, it has spread to Nottingham, Yorkshire, Sheffield, and more. [14] Paurocotylis pila is also native to Tasmania, [15] and has been found in Australia. [16]

New Zealand range

Paurocotylis pila is found all across New Zealand; [12] often appearing in forests under podocarp trees such as totara. [11] However, it also occurs in gardens, forest tracks, and parks. [5]

Habitat

This species is found in leaf litter and soil in forests, parks and gardens. [5] [12] [17] [11] Paurocotylis pila prefers disturbed forests, and is often found in soil near tracks. [12] It has even been found in abandoned gravel pits. [18] In England, it has been found fruiting in garden soil. [14] Paurocotylis pila has been found near tracks in forest parks, [12] under Podocarpus. [11] Disturbed soil may make it easier for the fruit bodies to be spotted, or that they are seen more in those areas because it is where observers are. It is thought that due to their berry-like shape and striking colour, birds play a role in their dispersal. [12] [19]

Experts have suggested that some members of this genus and related genera of fungi may change between being saprobic and endophytic throughout its life. [1] This is unlikely for this species since it is found under various tree species.

Ecology

Life cycle/Phenology

Paurocotylis pila is a saprobic species [12] that grows underground. [17] The fruiting bodies emerge after warm rain, mainly in autumn. [5] After emerging from underground, Paurocotylis pila often remains partially covered by soil or leaf litter. [5] From there, it is presumed to be dispersed by ground-foraging birds looking for fallen fruit. [1] Fruiting in autumn, Paurocotylis pila coincides with podocarp trees fruiting in the forest. [5] As its colour resembles the fruit, it attracts birds. [1] Bird dispersal has likely assisted it in its spread throughout England, [14] with specimens found in England with damage from birds pecking. [14]

Predators, Parasites, and Diseases

Birds eat this species, which likely aids in its dispersal. [1] Supporting evidence for bird dispersal is peck marks, often seen on Paurocotylis pila. [14] It is unknown if any other predators, diseases, or parasites live on this species. Evidence of Ascomycota fungi being eaten by moa was found in moa coprolite. [20] This shows that this species may have been eaten and dispersed by moa, [20] but it is unknown which bird species are continuing to spread it today. Given that the species is spreading in the UK, [14] some introduced birds may be spreading the it alongside native species.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geastrales</span> Order of fungi

Geastrales is an order of gasterocarpic basidiomycetes (fungi) that are related to Cantharellales. The order contains the single family Geastraceae, which includes the "earthstars" formerly placed in Lycoperdales or Phallales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truffle</span> Fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus

A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, one of the species of the genus Tuber. More than one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including Geopora, Peziza, Choiromyces, and Leucangium. These genera belong to the class Pezizomycetes and the Pezizales order. Several truffle-like basidiomycetes are excluded from Pezizales, including Rhizopogon and Glomus. Truffles are ectomycorrhizal fungi, so they are found in close association with tree roots. Spore dispersal is accomplished through fungivores, animals that eat fungi. These fungi have ecological roles in nutrient cycling and drought tolerance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terfeziaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Terfeziaceae, or desert truffles, is a family of truffles endemic to arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean Region, North Africa, and the Middle East, where they live in ectomycorrhizal association with Helianthemum species and other ectomycorrhizal plants. This group consists of three genera: Terfezia, Tirmania, and Mattirolomyces. They are a few centimetres across and weigh from 30 to 300 grams (1–10 oz). Desert truffles are often used as a culinary ingredient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sporocarp (fungus)</span> Fungal structure on which spore-producing structures are borne

The sporocarp of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cycle, while the rest of the life cycle is characterized by vegetative mycelial growth and asexual spore production.

<i>Lysurus mokusin</i> Species of fungus

Lysurus mokusin, commonly known as the lantern stinkhorn, the small lizard's claw, or the ribbed lizard claw, is a saprobic species of fungus in the family Phallaceae. The fruit body consists of a reddish, cylindrical fluted stipe that is capped with several "arms". The arms can approach or even close in on each other to form a spire. The gleba—an olive-green slimy spore mass—is carried on the outer surface of the arms. The fruit body has an odor comparable to "fresh dog feces", "rotting flesh", or "sewage" when mature.

<i>Geopyxis</i> Genus of fungi

Geopyxis is a genus of fungi in the family Pyronemataceae. The genus has a widespread distribution. Molecular phylogenetic studies published in 2007 suggest that the genus is not monophyletic.

<i>Paurocotylis</i> Genus of fungi

Paurocotylis is a genus of fungi in the family Pyronemataceae. The genus contains multiple species, with the most well known being Paurocotylis pila, a truffle-like fungus found in Europe and New Zealand. It was described by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1855. Species found in countries other than New Zealand include P. watlingii, P. singeri, P. prima, P. patagonica, P. niveus, P. echinosperma and P. bynumii.

<i>Chorioactis</i> Genus of fungi that contains the single species Chorioactis geaster

Chorioactis is a genus of fungi that contains the single species Chorioactis geaster. The mushroom is commonly known as the devil's cigar or the Texas star in the United States, while in Japan it is called kirinomitake (キリノミタケ). This extremely rare mushroom is notable for its unusual appearance and disjunct distribution; it is found only in select locales in Texas and Japan. The fruit body, which grows on the stumps or dead roots of cedar elms or dead oaks, somewhat resembles a dark brown or black cigar before it splits open radially into a starlike arrangement of four to seven leathery rays. The interior surface of the fruit body bears the spore-bearing tissue known as the hymenium, and is colored white to brown, depending on its age. The fruit body opening can be accompanied by a distinct hissing sound and the release of a smoky cloud of spores.

<i>Sarcosphaera</i> Genus of fungi

Sarcosphaera is a fungal genus within the Pezizaceae family. It used to be considered a monotypic genus, containing the single species Sarcosphaera coronaria, commonly known as the pink crown, the violet crown-cup, or the violet star cup. However, recent research revealed there are many species in the complex, two in Europe and North Africa, other in North America and Asia.

<i>Ruhlandiella</i> Genus of fungi

Ruhlandiella is a genus of fungi within the family Pezizaceae. Ruhlandiella species are exothecial hypogeous fungi, which are essentially truffles that lack the outer layer or peridium. Ruhlandiella species are widely distributed in Nothofagaceae forests in South America and near Eucalyptus or Melaleuca plants in Australia, North America, and Europe.

<i>Hygrophoropsis</i> Genus of fungi

Hygrophoropsis is a genus of gilled fungi in the family Hygrophoropsidaceae. It was circumscribed in 1888 to contain the type species, H. aurantiaca, a widespread fungus that, based on its appearance, has been affiliated with Cantharellus, Clitocybe, and Paxillus. Modern molecular phylogenetic analysis shows that the genus belongs to the suborder Coniophorineae of the order Boletales.

<i>Dichomitus</i> Genus of fungi

Dichomitus is a genus of poroid crust fungi in the family Polyporaceae. It was circumscribed by English mycologist Derek Reid in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasteroid fungi</span> Group of fungi

The gasteroid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota. Species were formerly placed in the obsolete class Gasteromycetes Fr., or the equally obsolete order Gasteromycetales Rea, because they produce spores inside their basidiocarps rather than on an outer surface. However, the class is polyphyletic, as such species—which include puffballs, earthballs, earthstars, stinkhorns, bird's nest fungi, and false truffles—are not closely related to each other. Because they are often studied as a group, it has been convenient to retain the informal (non-taxonomic) name of "gasteroid fungi".

<i>Geopora cooperi</i> Species of fungus

Geopora cooperi, commonly known as the pine truffle or the fuzzy truffle, is a species of fungus in the family Pyronemataceae. It has a fuzzy brown outer surface and an inner surface of whitish, convoluted folds of tissue. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, the species has been recorded from Asia, Europe, and North America.

<i>Austropaxillus</i> Genus of fungi

Austropaxillus is a genus of fungi in the family Serpulaceae, containing nine species found in Australia, New Zealand and South America.

Malajczukia is a genus of truffle-like fungi in the Mesophelliaceae family. The genus contains eight species found in Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Kalapuya brunnea</i> Species of fungus

Kalapuya brunnea is a species of truffle in the monotypic fungal genus Kalapuya. The truffle occurs only in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, in western Oregon and northern California. Known locally as the Oregon brown truffle, it was formerly thought to be an undescribed species of Leucangium until molecular analysis demonstrated that it was distinct from that genus. The truffle is reddish brown with a rough and warty outer skin, while the interior spore-producing gleba is initially whitish before developing greyish-brown mottling as it matures. Mature truffles have an odor resembling garlicky cheese, similar to mature Camembert. The species has been harvested for culinary purposes in Oregon.

Tuber anniae is a species of truffle in the genus Tuber. The truffle is purported to be uncommon, but is primarily found in the United States Pacific Northwest. Recently the fruiting of closely related taxa have been found in the Baltic Rim countries, primarily forests dominated by Scots pine in eastern Finland.

<i>Rhizopogon occidentalis</i> Species of fungus

Rhizopogon occidentalis is an ectomycorrhizal fungus in the family Rhizopogonaceae of the Basidiomycota. It occurs most commonly in western North America in association with two-needle and three-needle pine hosts. They are false truffles with fruiting bodies that are yellow on the surface and pale yellow inside. Their edibility is disputed.

<i>Tuber indicum</i> Species of truffle

Tuber indicum, commonly known as the Chinese black truffle or the Asian black truffle, is an edible fungus known for its hypogean fruiting bodies, characteristic of the Tuber genus. It is found natively in Himalayan India and parts of China, but has also been found invasively in the United States and Italy. It is sold commercially and often confused with Tuber melanosporum.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bunyard, Britt A. (2022). The Lives of Fungi: A Natural History of Our Planet's Decomposers. Princeton University Press. p. 60. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1z2hmh6. ISBN   978-0-691-22984-3. JSTOR   j.ctv1z2hmh6.
  2. 1 2 Hooker, Joseph Dalton; Fitch, W. H. (1855). The botany of the Antarctic voyage of H.M. discovery ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839-1843: under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross. Vol. 2. London. p. 188.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ↑ Kumar, Leticia M.; Smith, Matthew E.; Nouhra, Eduardo R.; Orihara, Takamichi; Sandoval Leiva, Pablo; Pfister, Donald H.; McLaughlin, David J.; Trappe, James M.; Healy, Rosanne A. (2017). "A molecular and morphological re-examination of the generic limits of truffles in the tarzetta-geopyxis lineage – Densocarpa, Hydnocystis, and Paurocotylis". Fungal Biology. 121 (3): 264–284. doi: 10.1016/j.funbio.2016.12.004 . hdl: 11336/20463 .
  4. ↑ "PDD 102944 – Paurocotylis pila Berk". scd.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ridley, Geoff; Horne, Don (2019). A Photographic Guide to Mushrooms and other Fungi of New Zealand. New Zealand: White Cloud Books. p. 134. ISBN   978-1-990003-76-9.
  6. ↑ "Species Fungorum". Index Fungorum. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  7. ↑ "Mycobank database". Mycobank. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  8. ↑ "Species Fungorum". Index Fungorum. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  9. ↑ Kerr, Shirley (2021). A Field Guide to New Zealand Fungi 2nd Edition (2nd ed.). New Zealand. p. 175. ISBN   978-0-473-47551-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ↑ Stevenson, Greta (1994). New Zealand Fungi an illustrated guide. New Zealand: Canterbury University Press. p. 39. ISBN   0-908812-29-9.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Eggerling, Thomas W. (2004). "Paurocotylis pila". Field Mycology. 5 (2): 41–42. doi: 10.1016/S1468-1641(10)60246-0 .
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ridley, Geoff (2022). A photographic guide to mushrooms and other fungi of New Zealand. White Cloud Books. p. 134. ISBN   9781990003769.
  13. ↑ "NCBI". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hobart, Caroline (2019-01-01). "Paurocotylis pila is still spreading across Britain: some thoughts". Field Mycology. 20 (1): 21–25. doi:10.1016/j.fldmyc.2019.01.007. ISSN   1468-1641.
  15. ↑ Kumar, Leticia M.; Smith, Matthew E.; Nouhra, Eduardo R.; Orihara, Takamichi; Sandoval Leiva, Pablo; Pfister, Donald H.; McLaughlin, David J.; Trappe, James M.; Healy, Rosanne A. (2017-03-01). "A molecular and morphological re-examination of the generic limits of truffles in the tarzetta-geopyxis lineage – Densocarpa, Hydnocystis, and Paurocotylis". Fungal Biology. 121 (3): 264–284. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2016.12.004. hdl: 11336/20463 . ISSN   1878-6146. PMID   28215353.
  16. ↑ "Paurocotylis pila Berk. 1855 - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  17. 1 2 "Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research". fungalguide.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  18. ↑ Hobart, Caroline (2019). "Paurocotylis pila is still spreading across Britain: some thoughts". Field Mycology. 20 (1): 21–25. doi: 10.1016/j.fldmyc.2019.01.007 .
  19. ↑ Elliott, Todd F.; Jusino, Michelle A.; Trappe, James M.; Lepp, Heino; Ballard, Guy-Anthony; Bruhl, Jeremy J.; Vernes, Karl (2019). "A global review of the ecological significance of symbiotic associations between birds and fungi". Fungal Diversity. 98 (1): 161–194. doi:10.1007/s13225-019-00436-3. ISSN   1560-2745.
  20. 1 2 Boast, Alexander P.; Weyrich, Laura S.; Wood, Jamie R.; Metcalf, Jessica L.; Knight, Rob; Cooper, Alan (2018-02-13). "Coprolites reveal ecological interactions lost with the extinction of New Zealand birds". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 115 (7): 1546–1551. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1712337115 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   5816151 . PMID   29440415.
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