Kalaharituber

Kalaharituber is a fungal genus in the family Pezizaceae.[1] It is a monotypic genus, whose single truffle-like species, K. pfeilii, is found in the Kalahari Desert, as well as in other parts of southern Africa (namely Botswana, Namibia and South Africa).[2][3][4]

Kalaharituber
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Pezizomycetes
Order: Pezizales
Family: Pezizaceae
Genus: Kalaharituber
Trappe & Kagan-Zur (2005)
Species:
K. pfeilii
Binomial name
Kalaharituber pfeilii
(Henn.) Trappe & Kagan-Zur (2005)
Synonyms
  • Terfezia pfeilii Henn. (1895)

Taxonomy

The fungus was first described scientifically in 1895 by German mycologist Paul Christoph Hennings as Terfezia pfeilii.[5] It was moved to its own genus in 2005 by James Trappe and Varda Kagan-Zur.[6]

Description

Fruiting bodies can be up to 12 cm in diameter. These weigh approximately 200 grams, although larger rains (which affect weight) can cause them to weigh twice as much.[2] These fruits grow close to the surface, which causes surface cracks on the ground above[3][7] after rains. These fruiting bodies can occur as much as 40 cm away from the main hyphae.[7]

Habitat

K. pfeilii is found the Kalahari Desert, as well as in other arid regions of South Africa, Angola, Botswana and Namibia. It is found in soils with a pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5, with a sand content varying from 94%-97%, a clay content varying from 2%-5% and a silt content varying from 1%-4%.[7]

Mycorrhizal relations with plants

K. pfeilii is known to form an ectomycorrhizal relationship with watermelon, and is suspected to have a number of other possible relationships with other plant species. These include Sorghum bicolor, Eragrostis spp., Grewia flava,[3][4] several species of acacia,[7] and Cynodon dactylon.[3]

Edibility

K. pfeilii is eaten by meerkats, hyenas, baboons and bat-eared foxes, as well as humans. According to a case study by the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the fruiting body is eaten by the Khoisan of the Kalahari. Some commercial use of the species occurs.[2]

Conservation

The current populations of K. pfeilii are thought to be in deterioration, with possible causes advanced being over-harvesting, climate change or the land practices used in K. pfeilii habitats.[3][4]

References
  1. Lumbsch TH, Huhndorf SM. (December 2007). "Outline of Ascomycota – 2007". Myconet. Chicago, USA: The Field Museum, Department of Botany. 13: 1–58. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
  2. "Desert truffles - Australia and the Kalahari". www.anbg.gov.au. Australian National Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
  3. "Home - Kalaharituber pfeilii F3 v1.0". genome.jgi.doe.gov. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  4. Initiative, The Global Fungal Red List. "Kalaharituber pfeilii". iucn.ekoo.se. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  5. Hennings, P. (1895). "Fungi camerunenses I". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. 22: 72–111.
  6. Ferdman, Y.; Aviram, S.; Roth-Bejerano, N.; Trappe, J.M.; Kagan-Zur, V. (2005). "Phylogenetic studies of Terfezia pfeilii and Choiromyces echinulatus (Pezizales) support new genera for southern African truffles: Kalaharituber and Eremiomyces". Mycological Research. 109 (2): 237–245. doi:10.1017/S0953756204001789.
  7. "Desert Truffles" (PDF). FUNGI Magazine.

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