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Otidea subterranea sp. nov.: Otidea goes below ground
Matthew E Smith1, Rosanne A Healy
1Farlow Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. mesmith@oeb.harvard.edu
Mycological Research
|May 9, 2009
Summary
A new truffle species, Otidea subterranea, was discovered in Iowa oak woodlands. This finding expands the known diversity of hypogeous (underground) fungi within the Pezizales order.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis
Background:
- Truffle-like sporocarps (fruiting bodies) have evolved multiple times in the Pezizales order, often from above-ground ancestors within ectomycorrhizal lineages.
- While many ectomycorrhizal clades include truffle species, some clades lack known underground forms.
- The evolutionary pathways leading to hypogeous (underground) lifestyles in fungi are of significant interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and classify an unusual hypogeous fungal specimen collected from Iowa.
- To determine the phylogenetic and morphological placement of this new truffle within the Pezizales.
- To investigate the evolutionary implications of discovering a new hypogeous species in a previously non-hypogeous lineage.
Main Methods:
- Field collection of fungal specimens from mixed oak woodlands in Iowa.
- Phylogenetic analysis to determine evolutionary relationships.
- Morphological examination of fungal structures.
- Ecological data collection regarding habitat and associated plant species.
Main Results:
- An unidentified hypogeous truffle belonging to the Pezizales (Ascomycota) was discovered.
- Phylogenetic and morphological analyses confirmed the specimen as a new species within the genus Otidea (Pyronemataceae).
- This represents the first described hypogeous species within the Otidea lineage, which was previously known only for epigeous (above-ground) forms.
Conclusions:
- The discovery of Otidea subterranea, a new truffle species, highlights the repeated evolution of hypogeous forms in the Pezizales.
- This finding expands the known diversity of truffle fungi and the genus Otidea.
- It provides new insights into the evolutionary transitions from above-ground to underground lifestyles in ectomycorrhizal fungi.
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