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Comparative taxonomy of desert truffles of the Australian outback and the African Kalahari

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Abstract

Seven truffle species are reported from the Australian Outback—six Ascomycota (Elderia arenivaga, Mattirolomyces mulpu sp. nov., Mycoclelandia arenacea, M. bulundari, Reddelomyces westraliensis, Ulurua nonparaphysata gen. & sp. nov.) and one Basidiomycota (Horakiella watarrkana sp. nov.) Three Ascomycota species are redescribed from the African Kalahari (Eremiomyces echinulatus, Kalaharituber pfeilii and Mattirolomyces austroafricanus comb. nov.). The phylogenetic analyses of nrDNA of the Australian Ascomycota provided strong support for placement of all but one in the Pezizaceae (Reddellomyces belongs in the Tuberaceae), as is true of most, if not all, other ascomycetous desert truffles. These genetic results also highlight that the genus Mattirolomyces is more taxonomically, ecologically, and geographically diverse than previously realized.

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Acknowledgements

These studies were supported in part by C.S.I.R.O. Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, Australian Commonwealth Territory, Australia, the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Science Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon, and the Hungarian Research Fund (OTKA K72776). Dr. David Albrecht, Northern Territory Museum, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, provided specimens of Central Australian truffles and the photograph of Mycoclelandia. Dr. Karen Hansen of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, offered many helpful suggestions on drafts of the manuscript. We also much appreciate access to collections afforded by: the Australian National Herbarium, Canberra; the Mycological Collections of Oregon State University, Corvallis; the National Botanical Institute, Pretoria; the National Herbarium of Victoria, South Yarra; the Northern Territory Museum, Alice Springs; the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; the State Herbarium of South Australia, Adelaide; the University of Melbourne Herbarium, Parkville; and the Western Australian Herbarium, Perth. Magda Nel of the University of Pretoria granted permission to use the photo of Kalaharituber pfeilii by G.C.A van der Westhuizen and Albert Eicker. Dr. Michael Castellano provided the photograph of Horakiella watarrkana spores.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331-5752, USA

    James M. Trappe

  2. CSIRO Division of Sustainable Ecosystems, P.O. Box 284, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

    James M. Trappe

  3. Department of Plant Anatomy, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary

    Gábor M. Kovács

  4. Parks and Wildlife Group, Planning and Performance Unit, Southern Branch, Department of Environment and Climate Change, P.O. Box 733, Queanbeyan, New South Wales, 2620, Australia

    Andrew W. Claridge

  5. School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Northcott Drive, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia

    Andrew W. Claridge

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  1. James M. Trappe
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  2. Gábor M. Kovács
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  3. Andrew W. Claridge
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Correspondence to James M. Trappe.

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Trappe, J.M., Kovács, G.M. & Claridge, A.W. Comparative taxonomy of desert truffles of the Australian outback and the African Kalahari. Mycol Progress 9, 131–143 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-009-0612-6

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