Fungalpedia – Note 38 Ulurua
Ulurua Trappe, Claridge & Kovács
Citation if using this entry: Fallahi et al. (2023) New genera in 2010-2011. Mycosphere (in prep)
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Trappe et al. (2010) proposed Ulurua as a new monotypic truffle genus in Pezizaceae (Pezizales). The type species Ulurua nonparaphysata Trappe, Claridge & Kovács occurs in Uluru Kata Tjuka National Park and surroundings, Australia. The lack of paraphyses in the hymenium of this desert truffle is characteristic among truffles that form hymenial palisades. The phylogenetic analysis based on nrDNA LSU sequence data showed a close relationship between Ulurua and Mycoclelandia, but the lack of paraphyses and the presence of the ornamented spores introduced a new genus in Pezizaceae (Trappe et al. 2010). Ulurua nonparaphysata develops furrowed, globose to turbinate ascomata. The peridium is tomentose and brown. Gleba with labyrinthine veins is partly empty to be filled by opposing hymenia. Ascospores in water are hyaline, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, and ornamented with warts at maturity. Asci are formed in a hymenium, with a hyaline, cylindric to ventricose shape (Trappe et al. 2010).
Type species: Ulurua nonparaphysata Trappe, Claridge & Kovács
Fig 1– Spores of desert truffles Ulurua nonparaphysata in water (redrawn from Trappe et al. 2010). scale bar=10 μm.
Reference
Trappe JM, Kovács GM, Claridge AW. 2010- Comparative taxonomy of desert truffles of the Australian outback and the African Kalahari. Mycological Progress 9, 131-143.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11557-009-0612-6
Entry by:
Maryam Fallahi, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.
(Edited by Kevin D Hyde and Ruvishika S. Jayawardena)