''Thaxterogaster cinereoroseolus'' is a species of

truffle A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''Peziz ...

-like fungus in the family

Cortinariaceae The Cortinariaceae are a large family of gilled mushrooms found worldwide, containing over 2100 species. The family takes its name from its largest genus, the varied species of the genus ''Cortinarius''. Many genera formerly in the Cortinariaceae ...

. Found in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia, the species was described as new to science in 2010.

Taxonomy

The species was first described scientifically by Melissa Danks,

Teresa Lebel Dr Teresa Lebel is a taxonomist and ecologist who works on fungi, with a particular interest in subterranean truffle-like fungi and their mushroom, bolete, bracket or cup relatives. Career Lebel studied at the University of Western Austral ...

, and Karl Vernes in a 2010 issue of the journal ''Persoonia''. The type collection was made in

Mount Kaputar Mount Kaputar, a mountain with an elevation of above sea level, is located near Narrabri in northern New South Wales. It is part of the Nandewar Range and has been preserved within the Mount Kaputar National Park. The mountain is a prominent l ...

, New South Wales (Australia) in July 2007.

Molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioche ...

analysis of

internal transcribed spacer Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) is the spacer DNA situated between the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and large-subunit rRNA genes in the chromosome or the corresponding transcribed region in the polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript. I ...

DNA sequences indicates that ''Cortinarius cinereoroseolus'' groups together in a sub

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

with two undescribed sequestrate ''Cortinarius'' species, and that this subclade is

sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

to a clade containing the

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushrooms ...

species '' C. australis'', '' C. chalybaeus'', '' C. porphyropus'', '' C. purpurascens'' and '' C. purpurascens'' var. ''largusoides''; all of these species belong to the

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sign ...

''Purpurascens'' of the genus ''

Cortinarius ''Cortinarius'' is a globally distributed genus of mushrooms in the family Cortinariaceae. It is suspected to be the largest genus of agarics, containing over 2,000 widespread species. A common feature among all species in the genus ''Cortinariu ...

''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''caesibulga'' is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

words ''cinereo'' (greyish) and ''roseolus'' (light pink) and refers to the colour of the fruit bodies. In 2022 the species was transferred from ''Cortinarius'' and reclassified as ''Thaxterogaster cinereoroseolus'' based on genomic data.

Description

''Thaxterogaster cinereoroseolus'' has a sequestrate

fruit body In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the Ovary (plants), ovary after flowering plant, flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their ...

, meaning that its

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s are not forcibly discharged from the

basidia A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is highly-c ...

, and it remains enclosed during development, including at maturity. The shape of the

caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...

ranges from irregularly spherical to like an inverted cone, and they measure long by in diameter. A white to silvery-grey

partial veil In mycology, a partial veil (also called an inner veil, to differentiate it from the "outer", or universal veil) is a temporary structure of tissue found on the fruiting bodies of some basidiomycete fungi, typically agarics. Its role is to isolate ...

connects the cap to the stipe. The colour of the outer skin of the cap (the pellis) is cream mixed with pale pink,

lilac ''Syringa'' is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering plant, flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and wid ...

, and grey, and it is smooth with a finely hairy texture. Remnants of the greyish silky

universal veil In mycology, a universal veil is a temporary membranous tissue that fully envelops immature fruiting bodies of certain gilled mushrooms. The developing Caesar's mushroom (''Amanita caesarea''), for example, which may resemble a small white sphere ...

are readily rubbed off with handling. The

flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as mu ...

is white to cream and thick. The internal spore-bearing tissue of the cap (the

hymenophore A hymenophore refers to the hymenium-bearing structure of a fungal fruiting body. Hymenophores can be smooth surfaces, lamellae, folds, tubes, or teeth. The term was coined by Robert Hooke Robert Hooke FRS (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was ...

) is pale brown at first, but darkens as the

s mature. A white stipe extends into the fruit body through its entire length; it measures long by thick, with a bulbous base that extends below the cap. Fruit bodies have no distinctive taste, but smell somewhat of flowers or like chlorine. The spores are broadly egg-shaped and measure 7–8.9 by 5.1–6.4

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

. They are covered irregularly with nodules up to 1.5 μm high. The thin-walled

(spore-bearing cells) are

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

(translucent), club-shaped to cylindrical, four-spored, and have dimensions of 28–40 by 7–9 μm. There are

clamp connection A clamp connection is a hook-like structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is a characteristic feature of Basidiomycetes fungi. It is created to ensure that each cell, or segment of hypha separated by septa (cross walls), rece ...

s present in the

hypha A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one or ...

e of both the cap and the

hymenium The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...

Habitat and distribution

The fruit bodies of ''Thaxterogaster cinereoroseolus'' grow in the ground under

litterfall Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constitue ...

subalpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

areas of the Kaputar Plateau. Plants typically associated with the fungus include ''

Eucalyptus dalrympleana ''Eucalyptus dalrympleana'', commonly known as mountain gum, mountain white gum, white gum and broad-leaved ribbon gum, is a species of tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in ...

'', '' E. pauciflora'' and ''

Poa sieberiana ''Poa sieberiana'', commonly known as grey tussock-grass and snow grass, is a species of tussock grass that is endemic to Australia. The species was formally described in 1827 by German botanist Kurt Sprengel Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel ...

'' with scattered ''

Acacia melanoxylon ''Acacia melanoxylon'', commonly known as the Australian blackwood, is an ''Acacia'' species native in South eastern Australia. The species is also known as Blackwood, hickory, mudgerabah, Tasmanian blackwood, or blackwood acacia. The tree belon ...

'', ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

'' sp., ''

Hibbertia obtusifolia ''Hibbertia obtusifolia'', commonly known as hoary guinea flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is usually an erect shrub with spreading branches, lance-shaped to egg-sh ...

'', ''

Lomatia arborescens ''Lomatia arborescens'', commonly known as smooth lomatia or tree lomatia, is a shrub or small tree that grows at high altitudes, in and near rainforests. It is found north from the Barrington Tops area in eastern Australia. Description ''Lomati ...

'', '' Monotoca scaparia'', '' Olearia rosemanifolia'' and '' Pultanea satulosa''. The fungus has also been collected in wet

sclerophyll forest Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...

s where ''

'', '' Blechnum cartilagineum'', ''

Coprosma quadrifida ''Coprosma quadrifida'' is a dioecious shrub of the family Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that ar ...

'', ''

Cyathea australis ''Alsophila australis'', synonym ''Cyathea australis'', also known as the rough tree fern, is a species of tree fern native to southeastern Queensland, New South Wales and southern Victoria in Australia, as well as Tasmania and Norfolk Island. ...

'', '' Lomandra multiflora'', ''

'' and ''Poa sieberiana'' are the predominant plants.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q5173314 cinereoroseolus Fungi described in 2010 Fungi of Australia Taxa named by Teresa Lebel

Taxonomy

Description

Habitat and distribution

See also

References

External links