Cyttaria gunnii

Closeup of Cyttaria gunnii at Lee's Paddocks

Cyttaria gunnii is a parasitic fungus only associated with Nothofagus cunninghami in Tasmania and Victoria in cool temperate rainforest.The fungus is edible and is only observed in spring and summer.

The fungus doesn't kill the host tree but causes fungal galls on the tree that can re appear year after year with no apparent ill affects to the tree.



Cyttaria gunnii covering a Nothofagus cunninghami

    

The Genus Cyttaria has about 10 species and  is only found on Nothofagus species .The other species of the Genus can be found in New Zealand and South America.