Giant puma fungus mushroom discovered in Chile more than 40 years after last sighting
Fungi Foundation
A small mushroom, native to the mountains of Chile, has resurfaced more than 40 years after it was last seen in 1982.
In the early 1980s, mycologist Norberto Garrido collected over 200 species of fungi in the mountain forests of southern Chile. One of the new species Garrido discovered was the Big Puma Fungus (nahuel butensis) named after the Nahuelbuta Mountains where it was found, meaning big puma mountain range in the Mapadungun language.
Garrido formally documented the fungus in 1988, describing its gray-brown color with a reddish tinge. The fungus has a cap with a slight depression and a white ridge underneath, measuring 4 to 5 centimeters in height with a thickened stem at the base.
“It is the only species of fungus in that genus,” Daniela Torres remarked. “That’s what makes it unique.”
This large puma fungus had not been seen since its initial discovery over 40 years ago, leading Torres and his team on a mission to locate it once again.
Following a week-long search in the Nahuelbuta mountain range last May, the team stumbled upon a cluster of mushrooms that matched Garrido’s description.
“The moment I saw it, I knew it was the mushroom,” Torres recalled. “We yelled, we laughed, we cried.”
DNA analysis of the newly found mushrooms and Garrido’s original samples confirmed that the researchers had indeed rediscovered the big puma fungus.
The team aims to study the fungus further to determine its distribution and conservation status for protection, as Torres emphasized, “Ninety percent of plants rely on fungi for survival. It’s important to include fungi in our conservation efforts.”
topic:
Source: www.newscientist.com
