Sarcosoma globosum

Sarcosoma globosum
Sarcosoma globosum
Sarcosoma globosum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Pezizomycetes
Order: Pezizales
Family: Sarcosomataceae
Genus: Sarcosoma
Species:
S. globosum
Binomial name
Sarcosoma globosum
(Schmidel) Casp. (1891)
Synonyms[2]

Sarcosoma globosum, or witches cauldron,[1] is a species of fungus in the family Sarcosomataceae.[3] It was first described in 1793 by Casimir Christoph Schmidel. Johann Xaver Robert Caspary transferred it to the genus Sarcosoma in 1891.

Also known as the charred-pancake cup,[1] it is a near-threatened fungus native to Northern Europe. It is rarely found in some parts of northeastern North America, particularly in the Great Lakes region.[4] To biologists' surprise, in 2021 it was found in Northern British Columbia.[5]

The witches cauldron is an ascomycete or sac fungus, meaning that its microscopic structure utilizes the ascus, a spore-bearing cell, for sexual reproduction. It is a detritivore, and survives on decomposing plant matter, most commonly leaf litter. It is found in spruce forests and does not currently have any human uses.[4]

  1. ^ a b c Dahlberg, A. (2015). "Sarcosoma globosum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T58515314A58515381. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T58515314A58515381.en. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  2. ^ "GSD Species Synonymy: Sarcosoma globosum (Schmidel) Casp". Species Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  3. ^ "Sarcosoma globosum". NCBI taxonomy. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 17 December 2017. Lineage( full ) cellular organisms; Eukaryota; Opisthokonta; Fungi; Dikarya; Ascomycota; saccharomyceta; Pezizomycotina; Pezizomycetes; Pezizales; Sarcosomataceae; Sarcosoma
  4. ^ a b Witt, Derek de (2017-06-12). "Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble". Nature Stories. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
  5. ^ "Discovery of rare mushroom in northern B.C. a biology mystery". CBC News. 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-05-24.