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]
| Scarlet Berry Truffle | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Pezizomycetes |
| Order: | Pezizales |
| Family: | Pyronemataceae |
| Genus: | Paurocotylis |
| Species: | P. pila
|
| Binomial name | |
| Paurocotylis pila Berkeley, 1855 - fungi
| |
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
editFirst 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
editGreek, 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
editThis 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]
Range
editDNA 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
editThis 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
editPaurocotylis 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
editThis 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
editLife cycle/Phenology
editPaurocotylis 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
editBirds 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.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Bunyard, Britt A. (2022). The Lives of Fungi: A Natural History of Our Planet's Decomposers. Princeton University Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-691-22984-3.
- ^ a b 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) - ^ 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.
- ^ "PDD 102944 – Paurocotylis pila Berk". scd.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i 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.
- ^ "Species Fungorum". Index Fungorum. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ "Mycobank database". Mycobank. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
- ^ "Species Fungorum". Index Fungorum. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ 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) - ^ Stevenson, Greta (1994). New Zealand Fungi an illustrated guide. New Zealand: Canterbury University Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-908812-29-9.
- ^ a b c d Eggerling, Thomas W. (2004). "Paurocotylis pila". Field Mycology. 5 (2): 41–42. doi:10.1016/S1468-1641(10)60246-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ridley, Geoff (2022). A photographic guide to mushrooms and other fungi of New Zealand. White Cloud Books. p. 134. ISBN 9781990003769.
- ^ "NCBI". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ a b c d e f 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Paurocotylis pila Berk. 1855 - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
- ^ a b "Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research". fungalguide.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.