Rhizina undulata is a member of the Rhizinaceae family from the order Pezizales, and was sequenced as part of the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project. The 1000 Fungal Genomes Project aims to fill in gaps in the Fungal Tree of Life by sequencing at least two reference genomes from the more than 500 recognized families of Fungi. This project additionally aims to inform research on plant-microbe interactions, microbial emission and capture of greenhouse gases, and environmental metagenomic sequencing.
Rhizina undulata, commonly known as the doughnut fungus or the pine firefungus. The fruit bodies of the fungus are dark purple brown with a bright yellow margin, crust-like and attached to the growing surface by numerous root-like yellow rhizoids. R. undulata has a cosmopolitan distribution, and commonly occurs on clearings or burned areas throughout central and northern Europe, North America, northern Asia, and southern Africa. It is parasitic on conifer seedlings, and has caused considerable damage to tree plantations worldwide.
(Adapted from Wikipedia)