Native and endemic mushrooms of Chile

Did you know we have a diversity of native and endemic fungi here in Chile? That's right! But before we delve into them, it's important to understand the difference between being native and endemic.

Native species are "native to the place where they live, the product of natural processes, without human intervention. They are not necessarily exclusive to that territory" (1). On the other hand, endemic species "only inhabit a specific territory" (1), although they are also native, forming a more specific group within these species. Now that we know this, let's explore which fungi are native or endemic to our country.

Chilean native mushrooms encompass a wide variety of species. Some notable native mushrooms, mentioned by their scientific names, include:

• Ramaria flava : Known as the “cornucopia mushroom”, it is edible and is found in the forests of southern Chile, especially associated with Nothofagus trees (such as oak or lenga).
• Laccaria laccata : Called “Pine fungus”, this is common in radiata pine forests in Chile.
• Amanita pinophilum : Found in pine forests and in some cases associated with Nothofagus trees.
• Boletus loyo : This mushroom is also an edible one found in lenga and coihue forests in the Magallanes region.
• Peziza proteana : This fungus is found in northern Chile, especially in the Atacama region, in desert areas.

Now, we introduce you to the endemic species, you will notice that some of these species are native, as we mentioned at the beginning:

• Cyttaria darwinii : Known as "papasito" or "Darwin's potatoes", this mushroom grows in lenga and coihue forests in southern Chile and Argentine Patagonia.
• Cyttaria espinosae : Also called “Digüeñe”, it is similar to the previous one and is found in the temperate forests of central and southern Chile, mainly associated with Nothofagus trees.
• Guepiniopsis alpina : This fungus is found in the lenga and coihue forests in the Patagonia region.
• Cyttaria harioti : Known as “Llao Llao”, this fungus grows on the bark of Nothofagus trees, and is found in the Los Lagos and Los Ríos region and Chilean Patagonia.
• Peziza proteana : Found in northern Chile, especially in the Atacama region, in desert areas. This mushroom, like the Llao Llao and the Digüeñe, are native species.

In short, although large areas of Chilean territory have been explored within mycology, which refers to the area of ​​biology dedicated to the study of fungi, there are still unexplored areas. It is possible that there are still undiscovered species of fungi. If you want to discover more, stay tuned for the upcoming posts on the Fungeat Blog.

1. Ministry of the Environment. (2018). Teaching support guide on biodiversity. In Ministry of the Environment. https://mma.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Guia-biodiversidad-docentes_web.p