''Astraeus telleriae'' is a species of false earthstar in the family

Diplocystaceae Diplocystaceae (alternatively spelled Diplocystidaceae or Diplocystidiaceae) is a family of fungi in the Boletales order. The family was described by mycologist Hanns Kreisel Hanns Kreisel (16 July 1931 – 18 January 2017) was a German mycol ...

. Described as new to science in 2013, it is found in the Mediterranean region in southwestern Europe, from southern Spain to Greece.

Taxonomy

''Astraeus telleriae'' is an earthstar fungus in the family

(the "false earthstars"). It was described as a new species in 2013 by a team of

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and ...

s led by María Martín, and named in honour of the Spanish mycologist . This species was distinguished from the common barometer earthstar (''

Astraeus hygrometricus ''Astraeus hygrometricus'', commonly known as the hygroscopic earthstar, the barometer earthstar, or the false earthstar, is a species of fungus in the family Diplocystaceae. Young specimens resemble a puffball when unopened. In maturity, the ...

'') by

molecular phylogenetics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

analysis and subtle morphological traits. ''Astraeus telleriae'' has a very woolly inner surface on the spore sac and unique

DNA barcode DNA barcoding is a method of species identification using a short section of DNA from a specific gene or genes. The premise of DNA barcoding is that by comparison with a reference library of such DNA sections (also called "sequences"), an indivi ...

sequences that confirm it as a distinct species.

Description

Similar in general appearance to other ''

Astraeus In Greek mythology, Astraeus () or Astraios () is the son of Crius and Eurybia, and the consort of Eos. He is said to be the father of the winds. Etymology His name "Astraeus" (Ancient Greek , translit. ''Astraîos'') is derived from the G ...

'' earthstars, ''A. telleriae'' begins as a more or less spherical (globose) fruiting body 3–4 cm across that splits open into about a dozen pointed rays. The outer skin ( exoperidium) is brown and splits into segments that curl back. The inner spore sac is pale

buff Buff or BUFF may refer to: People * Buff (surname), a list of people * Buff (nickname), a list of people * Johnny Buff, ring name of American world champion boxer John Lisky (1888–1955) * Buff Bagwell, a ring name of American professional wr ...

to tan and covered with fine hairs, giving it a minutely woolly texture (a key diagnostic feature). When mature, the spore sac develops an irregular apical opening through which brownish

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...

dust is released. Microscopically, it produces globose warted spores about 7.5–12.5 μm in diameter. Like other earthstars, the rays of ''A. telleriae'' respond to humidity, curling closed when wet and re-opening as they dry.

Habitat and distribution

''Astraeus telleriae'' is a

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

species of earthstar. It is

ectomycorrhiza An ectomycorrhiza (from Greek ἐκτός ', "outside", μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; ectomycorrhizas or ectomycorrhizae, abbreviated EcM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobio ...

l, associating with

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

and

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

trees in warm,

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

-rich soils. The species is known from southwestern Europe, particularly the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

and the western Mediterranean. It has been confirmed from Spain (

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

and

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

regions) and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, and generally occurs in dry woodland margins from sea level up to about 1,000. Its epithet honours a Spanish scientist, and indeed ''A. telleriae'' was first identified from Spain (

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

from Greece, but additional collections from southern Spain).. ''A. telleriae'' is now one of several earthstar species recognized in Europe. Its discovery demonstrates that what was once thought a

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

earthstar is actually a

complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

of regional species adapted to specific climates.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15636097 Boletales Fungi described in 2013 Fungi of Europe Fungus species Taxa named by Roy Watling