// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Kalaharituber say? You're rooting for me.
| 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 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Kalaharituber, also known as ǁhabas or nabbas, is a fungal genus in the family Pezizaceae. It is a monotypic genus, whose single truffle-like species, Kalaharituber pfeilii, is found in the Kalahari Desert and other arid regions of Southern Africa.
Taxonomy
[edit]The fungus was first described scientifically in 1895 by German mycologist Paul Christoph Hennings as Terfezia pfeilii, after German explorer Joachim von Pfeil, who brought Hennings the type specimen.[1] The species was moved to its own genus in 2005 by James Trappe and Varda Kagan-Zur at Ben-Gurion University.[2] It is in the family Pezizaceae.[3]
Description
[edit]Fruiting bodies can be up to 12 centimetres (4+3⁄4 in) in diameter. These weigh approximately 200 grams (7 oz), although larger rains (which affect weight) can cause them to weigh twice as much.[4] These fruits grow close to the surface, which causes surface cracks on the ground above[5][6] after rains. These fruiting bodies can occur as much as 40 cm away from the main hyphae.[6]
The asci are spherical to ellipsoid, 70–100 by 50–80 μm, each containing 5–8 spherical spores, which are up to 16–25 μm, hyaline and later tannish. A double-layered 1.5-μm-thick cell wall turns yellowish under Melzer's reagent.[1][2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Kalaharituber pfeilii is found the is found in the Kalahari Desert, which spans the larger part of Botswana, the east of Namibia and the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.[4][5][7] It is also found in other arid regions of Southern Africa, such as Angola. 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%.[6]
Ecology
[edit]Kalaharituber pfeilii is known to form an ectomycorrhizal relationship with Citrillus lanatus (watermelon), and is suspected to have a number of other possible relationships with other plant species. These include Sorghum bicolor, Eragrostis spp., Grewia flava,[5][7] several species of acacia,[6] and Cynodon dactylon.[5]
It is eaten by meerkats, hyenas, baboons and bat-eared foxes.[4]
Conservation
[edit]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.[5][7]
Uses
[edit]Kalaharituber pfeilii is eaten by humans.[4] According to a case study by the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the fruiting body is eaten by the Khoisan and other indigenous peoples of the Kalahari. Some commercial use of the species occurs.[4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Hennings, P. (1895). "Fungi camerunenses I". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. 22: 72–111.
- 1 2 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. PMID 15839107.
- ↑ Lumbsch TH, Huhndorf SM. (December 2007). "Outline of Ascomycota – 2007". Myconet. 13. Chicago, USA: The Field Museum, Department of Botany: 1–58. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Desert truffles - Australia and the Kalahari". www.anbg.gov.au. Australian National Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Home - Kalaharituber pfeilii F3 v1.0". genome.jgi.doe.gov. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
- 1 2 3 4 "Desert Truffles" (PDF). FUNGI Magazine.
- 1 2 3 Initiative, The Global Fungal Red List. "Kalaharituber pfeilii". iucn.ekoo.se. Retrieved 2017-03-26.