''Astraeus pteridis'', commonly known as the giant hygroscopic earthstar, is a species of false earthstar in the family Diplocystaceae. It was described by American mycologist

Cornelius Lott Shear Cornelius Lott Shear (1865–1956) was an American mycologist and plant pathologist. In 1908 he created the American Phytopathological Society. He was the first to describe the grass ''Bromus arizonicus ''Bromus arizonicus'' is a species of br ...

in 1902 under the name ''Scleroderma pteridis''.

Sanford Myron Zeller Sanford Myron Zeller (19 October 1885 – 4 November 1948) was an American mycologist. Born in Coldwater, Michigan, Zeller was educated at Lawrence College in Wisconsin, then Greenville College in Illinois, from which he received a Bachelor of S ...

transferred it to ''

Astraeus In Greek mythology, Astraeus () or Astraios (Ancient Greek: Ἀστραῖος means "starry"') was an astrological deity. Some also associate him with the winds, as he is the father of the four Anemoi (wind deities), by his wife, Eos. Etymolog ...

'' in a 1948 publication. It is found in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. ''A. pteridis'' was previously frequently confused with the supposedly cosmopolitan '' A. hygrometricus'', now shown to be found only in Europe.

Distribution

A molecular

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

study from 2013 resulted in the application of the name ''A. pteridis'' to the larger ''Astraeus'' found in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ''A. pteridis'' has also been found in the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

, and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, which share historical connections to

Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...

. It may be widely distributed or have been translocated.

Morphology

''A. pteridis'' closely resembles ''A. hygrometricus'', though it is larger, reaching 5 to 15 cm (2.0 to 5.9 in) or more when expanded, and often has a more pronounced

areolate Lichens are composite organisms made up of multiple species: a fungal partner, one or more photosynthetic partners, and sometimes a basidiomycete yeast. They are regularly grouped by their external appearance – a characteristic known as their ...

pattern on the inner surface of the rays. Within ''

'', ''A. pteridis'' is most closely related to '' A. morganii.'' Like other Astraeus, it is

hygroscopic Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance ...

, with rays expanding in humid conditions and closing in arid conditions. It is not typically considered edible.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Astraeus Pteridis Boletales Fungi described in 1902 Fungi of North America Fungi of Macaronesia Fungus species