The science section Compiled by Brett Summerell, Director, Science and Conservation, Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands
First word In this section of the magazine we highlight some of the academic research happening both in Australia and
Brett Summerell
internationally of relevance to botanic gardens. Those of us who work in botanical and conservation research hope to make our science more accessible to the community at large and what follows will help you communicate this core function in your work too. If you have science information for inclusion in future issues please drop me a line at brett.summerell@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
Evolution of truffle fungi in Australia In Australia we have a great diversity of truffle fungi – fungi that produce fruiting bodies underground (hypogeous) or barely emergent. Many of these fungi form very important mycorrhizal associations with a number of plant species right across Australia. This is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation to the increased aridity of large parts of Australia. This has resulted in mutually beneficial relationships with a number of small marsupials that dig up the truffles, consume them and consequently disperse the fungal spores in their scats. In a new paper published in Australian Systematic Botany Elizabeth Sheedy (at the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan) and colleagues (at Uppsula University, Sweden, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, the West Australian Herbarium and the University of Tennessee) have constructed molecular phylogenies of a large number of truffle fungi as well as groups
Mesophellia truffles, found along Australia’s east coast, are a tasty food for native marsupials. Photo: Teresa Lebel, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
that produce mushrooms and truffle-like fruiting bodies.
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the botanic gardener | ISS 47 March 2017