A unique microbiome occurs within the flower heads of various Protea species endemic to Africa. These include two lineages of ophiostomatoid fungi, Knoxdaviesia (Microascales) and Sporothrix (Ophiostomatales), that have members occurring exclusively in this environment and that rely on mites as their primary mode of spore dissemination. The mites, in turn, attach to the bodies of Protea-pollinating beetles and the beaks and bodies of birds for long-distance movement, establishing a hierarchical dispersal network for the ophiostomatoid fungi. This inter-organismal network is highly successful, achieving fungal dispersal over vast distances. Multiple species of fungi, mites and bacteria have been described from this unique niche over the past four decades. The intricacies of their symbiotic interactions continue to be unravelled. This review covers all current knowledge of the “distinctly African” Protea-ophiostomatoid fungus environment and illustrates the depth of a fascinating unseen fungal biodiversity niche.

非洲特有的各种Protea物种的花头中存在独特的微生物组。其中包括蛇口真菌的两个谱系，Knoxdaviesia (Microascales) 和Sporothrix (Ophiostomatales)，它们的成员只在这种环境中出现，并且依靠螨虫作为其孢子传播的主要方式。反过来，螨虫附着在Protea的身体上- 为长距离移动的甲虫和鸟类的喙和身体授粉，为蛇口真菌建立分层传播网络。这种生物间网络非常成功，实现了远距离的真菌传播。在过去的四十年里，从这个独特的生态位中描述了多种真菌、螨虫和细菌。它们的共生相互作用的复杂性继续被揭开。这篇综述涵盖了“明显属于非洲”的Protea -ophiostomatoid 真菌环境的所有当前知识，并说明了一个迷人的、看不见的真菌生物多样性生态位的深度。