Distribution and Ecology of Clathrus archeri in Romania

Although Clathrus archeri is a widely spread species in the Western Europe, in Romania it is considered a rare species, identified from only eight sites. In July 2013, it was found in two new sites from Gurghiu and Bârgău Mountains, in the Romanian Eastern Carpathians. This paper presents a detailed description of the new recorded specimens and of the habitat where this fungus was found. Plant communities where Clathrus archeri was recorded belong to the “mountain hay meadows” habitat type (Festuco rubrae - Agrostietum capillaris community). Taking into consideration the previous published data, the comparison with other habitats types in which this species occurs suggests that Clathrus archeri has no special preferences for certain environmental conditions.