Described by Fogel and Trappe (1985), based on a collection made in Tahoe National Forest, in Sierra County, California, USA.

Destuntzia saylorii is a rare hypogeous fungus, known from three locations in California, USA; one in Tahoe National Forest, and two locations close to each other in San Bernardino National Forest.

Very rare, known from only three locations in California, USA; one in the northern Sierra Nevada, and two in the San Bernardino mountains in southern California.

Currently known from three locations, two in the San Bernardino mountains in southern California and the Type location in the northern Sierra Nevada (Siegel et al. 2019). Six collections were made at the Type location in the early and mid 1980’s (MycoPortal.org, 2020). Despite multiple attempts to recollect it at the Type location, it went 33 years before being recollected by M. Castellano and N. Siegel in 2019 (personal communication).

Destuntzia rubra is nearly identical macroscopically, and is listed as a sensitive species by the USDA Forest Service (Castellano et al. 1999), and subjected to active surveys. Even though D. saylorii is not including on the sensitive species list, because of the similarity in the field, if found there is a high likelihood it would have been collected. However, no records of D. saylorii have turned up from those surveys.

Hypogeous, scattered or in clusters in duff and soil in forests with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia), Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), and oaks (Quercus spp). All collections were growing along stream banks. Fruiting from late spring into fall. Presumably ectomycorrhizal, but host species uncertain. This species is dependent on mycophagy (primarily eaten by small mammals) for spore dispersal.

Too little is known regarding this species’ distribution and particular habitat preferences to properly assess possible threats.

Protect known sites from management activities, including logging, fuels reduction, or other development and disturbance. Add to USFS sensitive species list.

Surveys for this species, and revisits the historic sites in southern California and see if populations can be located there.

Identify potential hosts, and habitat restrictions of this species.

None.

Castellano, M., Smith, J.E., O’Dell, T., Cázares, E. and Nugent, S. 1999. Handbook to Strategy 1 Fungal Species in the Northwest Forest Plan. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-476. United States Department of Agriculture.

Fogel, R. and Trappe, J.M. 1985. Destuntzia, a new genus in the Hymenogastraceae (Basidiomycotina). Mycologia 77:732-742.

MyCoPortal. Mycology Collections Portal. Available at: http://mycoportal.org

Siegel, N., Vellinga, E.C., Schwarz, C., Castellano, M.A. and Ikeda, D. 2019. A Field Guide to the Rare Fungi of California’s National Forests. Bookmobile: Minneapolis, MN. 313 p.