Lysurus fossatii was first recorded in 2013 in Argentina and there are only two sites in the country, Espinal forests in Córdoba province and Pampean mountains in Buenos Aires province, being considered two subpopulations. From Córdoba it is represented by seven collections, and the only one material from Buenos Aires has been lost. It is a large species and very distinctive, and several mycological surveys have been made to the Espinal forests and to Sierra de la Ventana since its first findings, but there are no new records of the species. Also, based on known occurrences and expeditions carried in adjacent ecosystems with great sampling effort, it is likely that the species is restricted to those two localities, being considered a rare species with no clear habitat requirements. Within its range it could be restricted to an area of occupancy (AOO) of 600-800 km2, and even if it does occur more widely in the region its AOO is not expected to exceed 2,000 km2.

The Espinal Phytogeographic Province has been under human pressure including fires and deforestation for forestry, crop and cattle exploitation and urbanization (Bertonatti & Coruera, 2000; Lewis et al., 2004, 2009; Zak, 2008; Noy-Meir et al., 2012). In Argentina only remains 10% from the original vast extension of this dry environment with 1/3 of the area under strict protection (Bastin 2017; Garachana 2018, Zeballos et al. 2020). Sierra de la Ventana is considered as a unique environment with high number of endemic species severely endangered by the high rates of fire events, the exotic shrub and arboreal vegetation introduction, and last decade the agroecosystem advance over this ecosystem which leads to natural land cover change and biodiversity loss (Michalijos et al. 2022, Rodriguez-Souilla & Azaro et al. 2021). Population size is assumed to be no more than 10,000 mature individuals in 2013, possibly being even smaller than 2,500. Espinal forests and Sierra de la Ventana ecosystem have been devastated by land use change by fire, agroecosystem growth for forestry, crop and cattle exploitation, and urbanization. Assuming a natural land cover degradation at rates of 20% in a lapse of 20 years, it is inferred that the fungal population size is in continuing decline. The fungal species is assessed as Vulnerable - VU B2ab(iii,v).

Lysurus fossatii Nouhra, Hern. Caff. & L.S. Domínguez in Hernández Caffot et al.  (2022), Darwiniana 10: 181
mycobank #844099

Lysurus fossatii was described as a new species in 2022 (Hernandez Caffot et al. 2022). The original collection was recorded from Cordoba province in 2013 and it was found within the Espinal Phytogeographic Province. The Espinal forest is a highly threatened dry ecosystem and their vast distribution has become patchy and only remains around 10% (ca. 3.500 km2) of its original extent in Argentina, with only 1.100 km2 included in protected areas (Zeballos et al 2020). This may result in loss of microhabitat favorable for Lysurus fossatii. Lysurus fossatii is a large species and very distinctive, and several mycological surveys have been made to the Espinal forests and to Sierra de la Ventana since its first findings, but there are no new records.

Lysurus fossatii has been recorded from two distinct areas. There are seven collections from the same locality in its terra tipica at Central Argentina, East-center of Córdoba province, Departamento San Martín, 15 km from Tío Pujio, Estancia “El Yucat” (32° 21’ 57"S; 63° 26’ 09” W), where it was widespread in the area in wet and mulch-rich soil, in shady areas within shrubs and trees; and in Buenos Aires, Partido de Tronquist, at Sierra de la Ventana 38º03’45.9"S; 62º04’00.1” W), in areas directly exposed to the sun. Based on known occurrences and expeditions carried in adjacent ecosystems with great sampling effort, it is likely that the species is restricted to those two localities, where it could be restricted to an area of occupancy (AOO) of 600-800 km2, and even if it does occur more widely in the region its AOO is not expected to exceed 2,000 km2.

The species was first recorded in 2013 in Argentina and there are only two sites in the country, Espinal forests in Córdoba province and Pampean mountains in Buenos Aires province, being considered two subpopulations. Lysurus fossatii from Córdoba is represented by seven collections, and the only one material from Buenos Aires has been lost. It is a large species and very distinctive, and several mycological surveys have been made to the Espinal forests and to Sierra de la Ventana since its first findings, but there are no new records of the species. It is considered L. fossatii as a rare species with no clear habitat requirements. Also, the species is believed to have a restricted and disjunct distribution, occurring only in 2 sites within 2 distinct provinces in Argentina. Population size is assumed to be no more than 10,000 mature individuals in 2013, possibly being even smaller than 2,500. Espinal forests and Sierra de la Ventana ecosystem have been devastated by land use change by fire, agroecosystem growth for forestry, crop and cattle exploitation, and urbanization (Michalijos et al. 2022, Rodriguez-Souilla & Azaro et al. 2021). Assuming a natural land cover degradation at rates of 20% in a lapse of 20 years (Guida-Johnson and Zuleta 2013), it is inferred that its population size is in continuing decline.

The species was founded during rainy season and described to be growing in two different phytogeographic provinces: Espinal forests, characterized by the presence of large specimens of Prosopis alba Griseb. and Celtis tala Gilles ex Planch. and large individuals of Morus alba L., an exotic species (Cabrera, 1971; Lewis et al., 2004, 2009), and in Sierra de la Ventana, Buenos Aires province this area belongs to the Pampean Phytogeographic Province and it is characterized by plains and some lowlying mountains dominated by grassy species such as Piptochaetium J.Presl and Stipa L. (Cabrera 1971).

The Espinal Phytogeographic Province has been under human pressure including fires and deforestation for forestry, crop and cattle exploitation and urbanization (Bertonatti & Coruera, 2000; Lewis et al., 2004, 2009; Zak, 2008; Noy-Meir et al., 2012). In Argentina only remains a 10% from the original vast extension of this dry environment (ca. 3500 km2) with a patchy distribution and there is only 1100 km2 under strict protection (Bastin 2017; Garachana 2018, Zeballos et al. 2020). Sierra de la Ventana is considered as a unique environment with high number of endemic species severely endangered by the high rates of fire events, the exotic shrub and arboreal vegetation introduction, and last decade the agroecosystem advance over this ecosystem which leads to natural land cover change and biodiversity loss (Michalijos et al. 2022, Rodriguez-Souilla & Azaro et al. 2021).

To prevent current population decline the main action could be habitat preservation.

Expand the sampling area to the entire Espinal forests coverage in Cordoba province, in Sierra de la Ventana in Buenos Aires province and perhaps adjoining environments to enhance the possibility of mature individual’s findings. To promote conservation in vitro of the species and determine possible uses.

There is no use or trade known for this species but there is no research about it.

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Bertonatti, C. & J. Coruera. 2000. Situación ambiental Argentina 2000. Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina. 2ª ed., Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cabrera, A.L. (1971). Fitogeografía de la República Argentina. Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica. Buenos Aires. 43 p.
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Guida-Johnson, B., & Zuleta, G. A. (2013). Land-use land-cover change and ecosystem loss in the Espinal ecoregion, Argentina. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 181, 31-40.
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Zeballos, Sebastián Rodolfo; Giorgis, Melisa Adriana; Cabido, Marcelo Ruben; Acosta, Alicia Teresa Rosario; Iglesias, María del Rosario; et al.; The lowland seasonally dry subtropical forests in central Argentina: vegetation types and a call for conservation; Pensoft Publishers; Vegetation Classification and Survey; 1; 4-2020; 87-102