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Scarlet Berry Truffle
Scientific classification Edit this 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


Paurocotylis pila, commonly known as Scarlet Berry Truffle [1], is a Ascomycota fungi in the genus Paurocotylis. It was first described by Miles Joseph Berkley in 1855.[2]

This species is found across the North and South Islands of New Zealand. [3] It often appears in forests under podocarp trees such as totara; [4] however, it also occurs in gardens, forest tracks, and parks. [5]



Description[edit]

Paurocotylis pila's fruiting body is ball shaped, with a thin, matte red-orange outer rind and has no stalk.[6] 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 ascospores. [7] Once collected and dried, the rind's colour changes to a dull red-brown. [2]


Range[edit]

Natural global range[edit]

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. [8] Paurocotylis pila is also native to Tasmania, [9] and has been found in Australia. [10]

New Zealand range[edit]

Paurocotylis pila is found all across New Zealand;[3] often appearing in forests under podocarp trees such as totara. [4] However, it also occurs in gardens, forest tracks, and parks. [5]

Habitat[edit]

Paurocotylis pila prefers disturbed forests, and is often found in soil near tracks. [3] In England, it is has been found fruiting in garden soil.[8] Paurocotylis pila has been found near tracks in forest parks[3], under Podocarpus.[4] 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. 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[edit]

Life cycle/Phenology[edit]

Paurocotylis pila is a saprobic species[3] that grows underground[1]. 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,[8] with specimens found in England with damage from birds pecking.[8]

Predators, Parasites, and Diseases[edit]

Birds eat this species, which likely aids in its dispersal.[1] Supporting evidence for bird dispersal is peck marks, often seen on Paurocotylis pila.[8] 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.[11] This shows that this species may have been eaten and dispersed by moa,[11] but it is unknown which bird species are continuing to spread it today. Given that the species is spreading in the UK[8], some introduced birds may be spreading the fungi alongside native species.

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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)
  3. ^ a b c d e "Fungal Guide Genus List - Landcareresearch.co.nz". fungalguide.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  4. ^ a b c "PDD 102944 – Paurocotylis pila Berk". scd.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  5. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ 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)
  7. ^ Stevenson, Greta (1994). New Zealand Fungi an illustrated guide. New Zealand: Canterbury University Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-908812-29-9.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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. ISSN 1878-6146.
  10. ^ "Paurocotylis pila Berk. 1855 - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  11. ^ 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.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)