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  • Re-examination of the Southern Hemisphere truffle genus Amylascus (Pezizaceae, Ascomycota) and characterization of the sister genus Nothoamylascus gen. nov.
Title: Re-examination of the Southern Hemisphere truffle genus Amylascus (Pezizaceae, Ascomycota) and characterization of the sister genus Nothoamylascus gen. nov.
Amylascusis a genus of ectomycorrhizal truffles withinPezizaceaethat is known from Australia and contains only two described species,A. herbertianusandA. tasmanicus. Species ofAmylascusare closely related to truffles (Pachyphlodes,Luteoamylascus) and cup fungi (Plicariella) from the Northern Hemisphere. Here we reevaluate the species diversity ofAmylascusand related taxa from southern South America and Australia based on new morphological and molecular data. We identify previously undocumented diversity and morphological variability in ascospore color, ascospore ornamentation, hymenial construction, epithecium structure and the amyloid reaction of the ascus in Melzer’s reagent. We redescribe twoAmylascusspecies from Australia and describe seven newAmylascusspecies, five from South America and two from Australia. This is the first report ofAmylascusspecies from South America. We also describe the new South American genusNothoamylascusas sister lineage to thePachyphlodes-Amylascus-Luteoamylascusclade (includingAmylascus,Luteoamylascus,Pachyphlodes, andPlicariella). We obtained ITS sequences of mitotic spore mats fromNothoamylascus erubescensgen. & sp. nov. and four of the seven newly describedAmylascusspecies, providing the first evidence of mitotic spore mats inAmylascus. Additional ITS sequences from mitotic spore mats reveal the presence of nine additional undescribedAmylascusand oneNothoamylascusspecies that do not correspond to any sampled ascomata. We also identify three additional undescribedAmylascusspecies based on environmental sequences from the feces of two ground-dwelling bird species from Chile,Scelorchilus rubeculaandPteroptochos tarnii. Our results indicate that ascomata fromAmylascusandNothoamylascusspecies are rarely collected, but molecular data from ectomycorrhizal roots and mitotic spore mats indicate that these species are probably common and widespread in southern South America. Finally, we present a time-calibrated phylogeny that is consistent with a late Gondwanan distribution. The time since the most recent common ancestor of: 1) the familyPezizaceaehad a mean of 276 Ma (217–337 HPD); 2) theAmylascus-Pachyphlodes-Nothoamylascus-Luteoamylascusclade had a mean of 79 Ma (60–100 HPD); and 3) theAmylascus-Pachyphlodesclade had a mean of 50 Ma (38–62 HPD). The crown age ofPachyphlodeshad a mean of 39 Ma (25–42 HPD) andAmylascushad a mean age of 28 Ma (20–37 HPD), falling near the Eocene-Oligocene boundary and the onset of the Antarctic glaciation (c. 35 Ma).  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1946445
PAR ID:
10486746
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi
ISSN:
0031-5850
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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