{{Short description|Single-species genus of fungi}} {{Speciesbox | image = Kalaharitrueffel.jpg | image_caption = | genus = Kalaharituber | parent_authority = Trappe & Kagan-Zur (2005) | species = pfeilii | authority = (Henn.) Trappe & Kagan-Zur (2005) | synonyms_ref = | synonyms = *''Terfezia pfeilii'' <small>Henn. (1895)</small> }}
'''''Kalaharituber''''' is a fungal genus in the family Pezizaceae. It is a monotypic genus, whose single truffle-like species, '''''Kalaharituber pfeilii''''', is found in the Kalahari Desert and other arid regions of Southern Africa.
==Taxonomy== The fungus was first described scientifically in 1895 by German mycologist Paul Christoph Hennings as ''Terfezia pfeilii'', after German explorer Joachim von Pfeil, who brought Hennings the type specimen.<ref name="Hennings 1895" /> The species was moved to its own genus in 2005 by James Trappe and Varda Kagan-Zur at Ben-Gurion University.<ref name="Ferdman 2005"/> It is in the family Pezizaceae.<ref name="OoA" />
== Description == Fruiting bodies can be up to {{Convert|12|cm|frac=4}} in diameter. These weigh approximately {{Convert|200|g|sigfig=1}}, although larger rains (which affect weight) can cause them to weigh twice as much.<ref name=":0" /> These fruits grow close to the surface, which causes surface cracks on the ground above<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Kalpfe1/Kalpfe1.home.html|title=Home - Kalaharituber pfeilii F3 v1.0|website=genome.jgi.doe.gov|access-date=2017-01-29}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> after rains. These fruiting bodies can occur as much as 40 cm away from the main hyphae.<ref name=":3" />
The asci are spherical to ellipsoid, 70–100 by 50–80 μm, each containing 5–8 spherical spores, which are up to 16–25 μm, hyaline and later tannish. A double-layered 1.5-μm-thick cell wall turns yellowish under Melzer's reagent.<ref name="Hennings 1895" /><ref name="Ferdman 2005" />
== Distribution and habitat == ''Kalaharituber pfeilii'' is found the is found in the Kalahari Desert, which spans the larger part of Botswana, the east of Namibia and the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://iucn.ekoo.se/iucn/species_view/369302|title=Kalaharituber pfeilii|last=Initiative|first=The Global Fungal Red List|website=iucn.ekoo.se|language=en|access-date=2017-03-26}}</ref> It is also found in other arid regions of Southern Africa, such as Angola. It is found in soils with a pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5, with a sand content varying from 94–97%, a clay content varying from 2–5% and a silt content varying from 1–4%.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://www.fungimag.com/Truffle-Issue-08-articles/desert-truffles.pdf|title=Desert Truffles|work=FUNGI Magazine}}</ref>
== Ecology == ''Kalaharituber pfeilii'' is known to form an ectomycorrhizal relationship with ''Citrillus lanatus'' (watermelon), and is suspected to have a number of other possible relationships with other plant species. These include ''Sorghum bicolor'', ''Eragrostis'' spp., ''Grewia flava'',<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> several species of acacia,<ref name=":3" /> and ''Cynodon dactylon''.<ref name=":1" />
It is eaten by meerkats, hyenas, baboons and bat-eared foxes.<ref name=":0" />
== Conservation == The current populations of ''K. pfeilii'' are thought to be in deterioration, with possible causes advanced being over-harvesting, climate change or the land practices used in ''K. pfeilii'' habitats.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
== Uses == ''Kalaharituber pfeilii'' is eaten by humans.<ref name=":0" /> According to a case study by the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the fruiting body is eaten by the Khoisan and other indigenous peoples of the Kalahari. Some commercial use of the species occurs.<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/case-studies/desert-truffles-aust.html|title=Desert truffles - Australia and the Kalahari|last=|first=|date=|website=www.anbg.gov.au|publisher=Australian National Botanical Gardens|language=en|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>
<ref name="Ferdman 2005">{{cite journal |author1=Ferdman, Y. |author2=Aviram, S. |author3=Roth-Bejerano, N. |author4=Trappe, J.M. |author5=Kagan-Zur, V. |year=2005 |title=Phylogenetic studies of ''Terfezia pfeilii'' and ''Choiromyces echinulatus'' (Pezizales) support new genera for southern African truffles: ''Kalaharituber'' and ''Eremiomyces'' |journal=Mycological Research |volume=109 |issue=2 |pages=237–245 |doi=10.1017/S0953756204001789|pmid=15839107 }}</ref>
<ref name="Hennings 1895">{{cite journal |author=Hennings, P. |year=1895 |title=Fungi camerunenses I |journal=Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie |volume=22 |pages=72–111}}</ref>
<ref name="OoA">{{cite journal|last=Lumbsch TH, Huhndorf SM. |date=December 2007 |title=Outline of Ascomycota – 2007 |journal=Myconet |volume=13 |pages=1–58 |url=http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/myconet/outline.asp |publisher=The Field Museum, Department of Botany |location=Chicago, USA |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318003134/http://www.fieldmuseum.org/myconet/outline.asp |archivedate=2009-03-18 }}</ref>
}}{{Taxonbar|from=Q6350157|from2=Q17481264|from3=Q59537209}}
Category:Fungi of Africa Category:Pezizaceae Category:Monotypic fungus genera Category:Taxa named by James Trappe Category:Pezizales genera Category:Edible fungi